Given a new baby. Thought a desert tort. Now not sure

desertG

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Oct 23, 2015
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Hello tortoise experts. I am new to this and very excited and want to do a great job. I am a little nervous about the kind of tortoise that I have inherited. Here is a photo. Help!
Photo coming from my laptop in just a second
 

desertG

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Oct 23, 2015
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Hello tortoise experts. I am new to this and very excited and want to do a great job. I am a little nervous about the kind of tortoise that I have inherited. Here is a photo. Help!
Photo coming from my laptop in just a second
Here are the photos... first is lino dry and then washed off a bit.

FullSizeRender-3.jpg FullSizeRender-4.jpg
 
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Tom

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desertG

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Friend of mine had a dog who saw something happening in his backyard and rescued it from to hawks that we're trying to have a snack

Honestly, I don't know if I'm up to having a 150 pound roommate.

He does not seem interested in anything I introduced to him to eat. Various types of greens and desert flowers. Also Timothy hay and tortoise pellets
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Baby tortoises usually aren't interested in hay or pellets. Keep offering the different types of greens, weeds and plants, and stay out of sight. He's already experienced a pretty traumatic situation with the birds, and you look no different to him than they did.
 

Tom

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He also probably needs a good soak and some warmth. Have you been keeping him warm and hydrated?
 

desertG

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He also probably needs a good soak and some warmth. Have you been keeping him warm and hydrated?

he is outside, in Tucson. Plenty of sunshine, very active. Maybe I've been too interactive. Should I hibernate him? He's pretty tiny. fits in the palm of my hand. I will keep the plants coming..... He has a place to bathe and drink. Not really interested, covers a LOT of territory. he has a space around 300 sq ft. always cruising the edges.
 

Tom

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he is outside, in Tucson. Plenty of sunshine, very active. Maybe I've been too interactive. Should I hibernate him? He's pretty tiny. fits in the palm of my hand. I will keep the plants coming..... He has a place to bathe and drink. Not really interested, covers a LOT of territory. he has a space around 300 sq ft. always cruising the edges.

You have a tropical species. They are not a desert species and they do not hibernate. They hatch during the African rainy season. It needs to be like New Orleans where this baby is, not Tucson. They can literally dehydrate and do permanent damage to their internal organs in one day in hot, dry conditions like yours. He needs to be inside with a proper set up and he needs to be soaked.

Please read the links I posted above for you before its too late for this little guy. He's cruising the perimeter of your large enclosure because he is not comfortable there and he is looking for a way out of the death trap he's fallen into. His survival instinct is telling him to find cover and cooler temps. Not getting eaten or cooked by the sun is a priority over feeling thirsty. This will supersede his urge to stop and take a drink. You need to put him in a tall sided opaque tub with warm water about half way up his shell for 15-20 minutes every day. These tortoises do not live above ground and exposed when they are babies or adults in the wild, even though captive raised adults get pretty comfortable above ground in their yards.
 
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desertG

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Oct 23, 2015
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You have a tropical species. They are not a desert species and they do not hibernate. They hatch during the African rainy season. It needs to be like New Orleans where this baby is, not Tucson. They can literally dehydrate and do permanent damage to their internal organs in one day in hot, dry conditions like yours. He needs to be inside with a proper set up and he needs to be soaked.

Please read the links I posted above for you before its too late for this little guy. He's cruising the perimeter of your large enclosure because he is not comfortable there and he is looking for a way out of the death trap he's fallen into. His survival instinct is telling him to find cover and cooler temps. Not getting eaten or cooked by the sun is a priority over feeling thirsty. This will supersede his urge to stop and take a drink. You need to put him in a tall sided opaque tub with warm water about half way up his shell for 15-20 minutes every day. These tortoises do not live above ground and exposed when they are babies or adults in the wild, even though captive raised adults get pretty comfortable above ground in their yards.

Thank you SO much for this detailed information. I really appreciate it.
I want to do what's best for him, so I'll get him to a safe home. I realize I am not set up for this, and it's not good for him.

Again, thank you all.
 

AZSid

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desertG, I have a large sulcata enclosure that is set up with the proper conditions for him and I'm also in Tucson. I couldn't keep him long term, but could keep him safe until he can find a permanent home.
 
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