beginner desert tortoise mama any help appreiated

desertTortErica

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hello,
ok I am in so need of some help we adopted a desert tortoise in late november and when we piked him up the guy said he was still active sine it was still so unusually warm (I'm in southern Califorina) and he also said that he would find a place he liked to burrow So I don't know if I am being a new over paranoid mama but this guy is 45 years old so I'm sure he knows what to do but we offered him food and water since he still seemed active and he seemed not interested and the place he kept going to was under my kids playhouse in a corner (but its not protected all open) that gets no sunlight. So I wasn't sure if he was in hibernation mode and when they pulled him out of his burrow (I'm assuming sine he was covered in dirt) so that is why he didn't want to eat we also built him a shelter/house but not sure if its right we looked online and watched videos and read what to do but he comes out every so often seems like to just get some sun? or is he hungry? (I have offered him food and water doesn't touch either one? so I'm not sure if his shelter is too cold? he hasn't seemed to burrow down into it at all, or am I wrong in using dirt? does he not like that? I'm so lost and I just want to make sure he is ok and happy. I'm just confused why he keeps coming out if he is suppose to be in hibernation mode? i will post pics tomorrow ANY HELP will be MUCH appreciated. I have read a ton of infoand feel even more confused than ever but noting better than getting it from real tortoise owners. I just want to do right by Tony (our tortoise)
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Erica, and welcome to the Forum!

It takes desert tortoises quite a while to settle down and get used to living in a new territory. He's probably pretty stressed right now.

My suggestion is for you to set up a temporary indoor habitat for this tortoise, provide lights and heat, and keep him awake this winter. A stressed tortoise that hibernates just might get sick and die.

If you can do this, this is an easy way to overwinter a tortoise:

Put down a sheet of plywood in the garage or on the covered patio. Place it in a spot that's protected from the weather, and up against a wall so you only have to worry about three side, not four. Then build walls around the edge of that plywood using cinderblocks (or wood if you're handy that way). Build the walls up three cinderblocks high, and no door is necessary, as he's not going to be coming out on his own. Line the blocks with rigid foam, then thin plywood to protect the foam from the tortoise. Place another piece of foam across the top and a piece of plywood on top of that. This will be your lid and you can open it to tend to the tortoise. Figure out a way to hang lights. Then you add substrate and maybe a heat mat, a feeding tile and a waterer. Here's a link to what I did on my carport when I had to overwinter a larger tortoise:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/winter-quarters.90082/#post-839319

It's only a temporary building because next winter he can hibernate. But if you get much rain in the winter, I'd box him up in shredded paper and put the box someplace cool and dry for the winter. A cold, wet, hibernating tortoise will die.
 

Gillian M

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hello,
ok I am in so need of some help we adopted a desert tortoise in late november and when we piked him up the guy said he was still active sine it was still so unusually warm (I'm in southern Califorina) and he also said that he would find a place he liked to burrow So I don't know if I am being a new over paranoid mama but this guy is 45 years old so I'm sure he knows what to do but we offered him food and water since he still seemed active and he seemed not interested and the place he kept going to was under my kids playhouse in a corner (but its not protected all open) that gets no sunlight. So I wasn't sure if he was in hibernation mode and when they pulled him out of his burrow (I'm assuming sine he was covered in dirt) so that is why he didn't want to eat we also built him a shelter/house but not sure if its right we looked online and watched videos and read what to do but he comes out every so often seems like to just get some sun? or is he hungry? (I have offered him food and water doesn't touch either one? so I'm not sure if his shelter is too cold? he hasn't seemed to burrow down into it at all, or am I wrong in using dirt? does he not like that? I'm so lost and I just want to make sure he is ok and happy. I'm just confused why he keeps coming out if he is suppose to be in hibernation mode? i will post pics tomorrow ANY HELP will be MUCH appreciated. I have read a ton of infoand feel even more confused than ever but noting better than getting it from real tortoise owners. I just want to do right by Tony (our tortoise)
Hello and a warm welcome to the forum.
 

desertTortErica

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southern califorina
Hi Erica, and welcome to the Forum!

It takes desert tortoises quite a while to settle down and get used to living in a new territory. He's probably pretty stressed right now.

My suggestion is for you to set up a temporary indoor habitat for this tortoise, provide lights and heat, and keep him awake this winter. A stressed tortoise that hibernates just might get sick and die.

If you can do this, this is an easy way to overwinter a tortoise:

Put down a sheet of plywood in the garage or on the covered patio. Place it in a spot that's protected from the weather, and up against a wall so you only have to worry about three side, not four. Then build walls around the edge of that plywood using cinderblocks (or wood if you're handy that way). Build the walls up three cinderblocks high, and no door is necessary, as he's not going to be coming out on his own. Line the blocks with rigid foam, then thin plywood to protect the foam from the tortoise. Place another piece of foam across the top and a piece of plywood on top of that. This will be your lid and you can open it to tend to the tortoise. Figure out a way to hang lights. Then you add substrate and maybe a heat mat, a feeding tile and a waterer. Here's a link to what I did on my carport when I had to overwinter a larger tortoise:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/winter-quarters.90082/#post-839319

It's only a temporary building because next winter he can hibernate. But if you get much rain in the winter, I'd box him up in shredded paper and put the box someplace cool and dry for the winter. A cold, wet, hibernating tortoise will die
Hi Erica, and welcome to the Forum!

It takes desert tortoises quite a while to settle down and get used to living in a new territory. He's probably pretty stressed right now.

My suggestion is for you to set up a temporary indoor habitat for this tortoise, provide lights and heat, and keep him awake this winter. A stressed tortoise that hibernates just might get sick and die.

If you can do this, this is an easy way to overwinter a tortoise:

Put down a sheet of plywood in the garage or on the covered patio. Place it in a spot that's protected from the weather, and up against a wall so you only have to worry about three side, not four. Then build walls around the edge of that plywood using cinderblocks (or wood if you're handy that way). Build the walls up three cinderblocks high, and no door is necessary, as he's not going to be coming out on his own. Line the blocks with rigid foam, then thin plywood to protect the foam from the tortoise. Place another piece of foam across the top and a piece of plywood on top of that. This will be your lid and you can open it to tend to the tortoise. Figure out a way to hang lights. Then you add substrate and maybe a heat mat, a feeding tile and a waterer. Here's a link to what I did on my carport when I had to overwinter a larger tortoise:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/winter-quarters.90082/#post-839319

It's only a temporary building because next winter he can hibernate. But if you get much rain in the winter, I'd box him up in shredded paper and put the box someplace cool and dry for the winter. A cold, wet, hibernating tortoise will die.



Ok Thank You SOOOOO much going to get him inside tonight. So what should I feed him? I haven't seen him eat since we got him today I gave him some weeds he seemed to want to eat but again maybe too cold to eat? Do what should I start with for introducing first foods? A mix of hay and pellets? or greens? Have no idea where to begin and we have a lot of the clover grass and weeds around should I pull some of that out and put that on a feeding tile? And how much do I feed? So this means he won't hibernate this winter right? And how do I know when to bring him out and introduce him back into my yard? Here are the pics of what we have built for him so far

IMG_0388.JPG
 

Yvonne G

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That's great for an everyday shelter, but you need something indoors or on the carport or patio, heated, so that he doesn't hibernate this winter. You need to keep him awake and warm over this first winter with you. It's very important.

Because the carapace is so worn, I'm wondering if this isn't a female who has been bred a whole lot to wear that shell like that. Can we see a picture of the underside including the tail?
 

desertTortErica

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That's great for an everyday shelter, but you need something indoors or on the carport or patio, heated, so that he doesn't hibernate this winter. You need to keep him awake and warm over this first winter with you. It's very important.

Because the carapace is so worn, I'm wondering if this isn't a female who has been bred a whole lot to wear that shell like that. Can we see a picture of the underside including the tail?



Yes I will send a pic in a little bit after I get my kids out of the bath. Question do you or should I use a heat light on him? i have a UVB bulb as I'm only suppose to use that in the day right? and leave a heat lamp on him during the night? feel so lost and just want to do what is best for him, so I went and got the supplies today so tomorrow we an build him his winter shelter in our garage but for tonight i have him in a large bin (one he cant not see through) will that be ok for tonight and tomorrow day until we get the other one built? I did also put a water dish in there and should I try to feed him? mabye tomorrow? and should I leave a heat lamp on him tonight to warm him up? i have a heating pad ut it wont fit in the bin? I am so sorry to keep bugging you with so many questions but I also an't tell you HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!!!!!!!!
 

Yvonne G

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Yes, he'll need heat at night. You want to fool him into thinking it's still summer. So you can use the UVB light from 7a to 7p, then a CHE:

ceramic heat emitter.jpg

. . . overnight. the CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) screws into a regular light fixture with a ceramic base, and provides heat without light.
 

desertTortErica

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Ok great thank you for the light info. Got both of them here is a picture of the underside of the turtle.
Also I should start feeding him or offering him food now right?

IMG_0393.JPG
 

Yvonne G

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I wouldn't swear to it, but I'm pretty sure that's a female.
 

Yvonne G

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Yes. Set her up with lights and heat and feed her.
 

Kenno

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That's a beautiful tortoise, and the house you built looks great! Yvonne is our expert but maybe next year she will settle in and hibernate there.
You probably have a lot of dandelions growing right now in Southern California - I sure do! The flowers and leaves are a favorite treat for desert torts.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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That's a beautiful tortoise, and the house you built looks great! Yvonne is our expert but maybe next year she will settle in and hibernate there.
You probably have a lot of dandelions growing right now in Southern California - I sure do! The flowers and leaves are a favorite treat for desert torts.
I don't think Yvonne hibernates, though she (and I) may wish to on occasion.;)
Oh, i see.
Sorry. :oops:
 

Yvonne G

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That's a beautiful tortoise, and the house you built looks great! Yvonne is our expert but maybe next year she will settle in and hibernate there.
You probably have a lot of dandelions growing right now in Southern California - I sure do! The flowers and leaves are a favorite treat for desert torts.

Yes, I was recommending she keep the tortoise awake the rest of this winter, but allow hibernation next winter.
 
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