Crush

[Connie L]

"Crush" wandered into our yard last week. After canvassing the neighborhood we found out where he came from. One of our neighbors has 15 or more of them in his yard. He said if we would like we could keep him so we have decided to give him a home here. In process of making a little area for him outside. He is about 4 inchs right now. Eating alot of grass and have given him some prickley pear, a little romaine leaves. Giving him soaks daily as its so hot and dry here in Phoenix. He is sleeping under a very large yucca. We raked out all of the rocks under it so he isnt laying on hot rocks. Trying to find a way for him to get to our lawn as its got a river rock river around it and curbing that he has a tough time getting over and I dont want to find him upside down in the river. When he is in the grass he can get back across in one spot and has already figured out that is where he needs to go. Gonna figure out some other plants to put around that little area so it is shaded. So far he seems to be doing really well and I can tell is getting used to me. Doesnt retreat inside his shell when I do approach him anymore. Ive been pretty much staying back for abit and letting him be cept when I need to grab him to do a soak. Havent once seen him use his water dish... hoping he has when I havent been looking.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Connie, and welcome to the forum!

Well, aren't you the lucky one. So nice of them to allow you to keep Crush.

Make him a bridge across the river. ?????

 

[Connie L]

Hi Connie, and welcome to the forum!

Well, aren't you the lucky one. So nice of them to allow you to keep Crush.

Make him a bridge across the river. ?????

Thats what I've been thinking. Ive been moving rocks and finding some that look easier to navigate in the meantime. Another neighbor (next door) has one bigger then our lawnmower so we already know what we are in for LOL She has 1/3 of her yard surrounded by pool fence, it has a rather large kids pool and a HUGE tree that shades the entire area. I was up on a ladder yesterday afternoon and saw the "beast" sitting in his pool. Told my husband to get up there and make real sure he is positive he wants to do this LOL

 

[Gillian M]

View attachment 179995 View attachment 179996

"Crush" wandered into our yard last week. After canvassing the neighborhood we found out where he came from. One of our neighbors has 15 or more of them in his yard. He said if we would like we could keep him so we have decided to give him a home here. In process of making a little area for him outside. He is about 4 inchs right now. Eating alot of grass and have given him some prickley pear, a little romaine leaves. Giving him soaks daily as its so hot and dry here in Phoenix. He is sleeping under a very large yucca. We raked out all of the rocks under it so he isnt laying on hot rocks. Trying to find a way for him to get to our lawn as its got a river rock river around it and curbing that he has a tough time getting over and I dont want to find him upside down in the river. When he is in the grass he can get back across in one spot and has already figured out that is where he needs to go. Gonna figure out some other plants to put around that little area so it is shaded. So far he seems to be doing really well and I can tell is getting used to me. Doesnt retreat inside his shell when I do approach him anymore. Ive been pretty much staying back for abit and letting him be cept when I need to grab him to do a soak. Havent once seen him use his water dish... hoping he has when I havent been looking.

Welcome to the forum!

You are doing well so far. Keep up the good work.

Do not worry about your tort not using the water dish. If you soak him he drinks while being soaked I am pretty sure of that. Plus, torts take a long time to adapt to a new environment: they dislike change. Don't panic.

 

[Connie L]

Gonna have 2 bridges as he cannot make it across this one (yet) For now we have a barracade there too. Boards are 6 inchs high. Those blocks make it super easy to make it taller when needed.

 

[Connie L]

Welcome to the forum!

You are doing well so far. Keep up the good work.

Do not worry about your tort not using the water dish. If you soak him he drinks while being soaked I am pretty sure of that. Plus, torts take a long time to adapt to a new environment: they dislike change. Don't panic.

Not panicing, just want to be sure he does get water. He definitely has been drinking alot when I soak him. I keep a watch out there as he usually comes out early in the morning and again as the sun starts to set. I get him in the grass so he can eat and roam around for awhile in the shady part of the yard, then i give him a good long soak.

 

[Connie L]

Gillian - I figured its gonna take time for him to adapt. Are they social - as in with other tortoises? Since he came from a yard with 15 of them in it I wonder about that. Im sure he has felt abit lost over here at first but seems to have settled into a routine.

 

[Jodie]

They are not social. The opposite actually. He will be very happy in your beautiful yard. Congrats, and welcome to the forum.

 

[Connie L]

They are not social. The opposite actually. He will be very happy in your beautiful yard. Congrats, and welcome to the forum.

Thanks Jodie! There are 11 large ones in the yard he came from and 4 more little ones. They and others were hatched in the yard. He usually get the eggs out of there and takes them to a friend who hatchs them but from time to time misses a few. Kinda surprised the lil ones are making it as well as they are. They all look pretty healthy but other then them not being separated he does have a good setup for them. Ive been reading up alot the past few days, all the do's and don'ts. i'm becoming less of a mother hen as each day passes. Once we get an easy and safe way for him to get into our lawn on his own I'll worry abit less.

 

[cmacusa3]

Congrats and Welcome to the forum. I think in no time this one will really start to grow now with no competition for food and that back yard looks nice too!

 

[Connie L]

Congrats and Welcome to the forum. I think in no time this one will really start to grow now with no competition for food and that back yard looks nice too!

Thanks! Now to figure out how to keep that lawn going as we cannot fertilize. I'm also researching what few weeds we do have to be sure they are okay for him to munch on. At some point we'll enclose an area with his own grass in it. Have a good spot on the other side of the yard to do so.

 

[Gillian M]

Not panicing, just want to be sure he does get water. He definitely has been drinking alot when I soak him. I keep a watch out there as he usually comes out early in the morning and again as the sun starts to set. I get him in the grass so he can eat and roam around for awhile in the shady part of the yard, then i give him a good long soak.

Sorry, didn't mean to upset/annoy you. I apologize once again.

Great if he is drinking.

 

[Connie L]

Sorry, didn't mean to upset/annoy you. I apologize once again.

Great if he is drinking.

Awhh no worries. You didn't at all

 

[Carol S]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Gillian M]

Gillian - I figured its gonna take time for him to adapt. Are they social - as in with other tortoises? Since he came from a yard with 15 of them in it I wonder about that. Im sure he has felt abit lost over here at first but seems to have settled into a routine.

NO torts are NOT at all social pets/animals. They do not like company.

 

[Gillian M]

Gonna have 2 bridges as he cannot make it across this one (yet) For now we have a barracade there too. Boards are 6 inchs high. Those blocks make it super easy to make it taller when needed.

View attachment 179998

Bet your tort will love roaming around in such a lovely yard!

 

[BrianWI]

At 4", are people here really recommending he stay out in the dry heat? I see significant pyramiding...

@Tom Am I off here?

 

[Connie L]

Brian I did notice it ... although he does feel smoother then he looks in the photo. Angle and lighting. But not suprising givin its been living outside since it was hatched and I dont belive has ever been soaked. Its been here less then a week now and gets soaked twice a day. We removed all the rocks from under the place he is sleeping and Im in the process of putting a substrate of organic garden dirt underneath there. Had to quit until the sun goes down. Would misting it daily help? That plant is very thick and it may help keep it just a little bit humid under there... so long as I dont soak the heck out of it it should be ok? I cannot bring him inside, we do not have the room. If I give it back to the neighbor its going to be back in the same conditions there.

 

[BrianWI]

Brian I did notice it ... although he does feel smoother then he looks in the photo. Angle and lighting. But not suprising givin its been living outside since it was hatched and I dont belive has ever been soaked. Its been here less then a week now and gets soaked twice a day. We removed all the rocks from under the place he is sleeping and Im in the process of putting a substrate of organic garden dirt underneath there. Would misting it daily help? That plant is very thick and it may help keep it just a little bit humid under there... so long as I dont soak the heck out of it it should be ok? I cannot bring him inside, we do not have the room. If I give it back to the neighbor its going to be back in the same conditions there.

I have no direct experience with pyramiding. Hence my paging Tom.

 

[Connie L]

Brian... also he has a pretty good hole going under that plant... gets down in it to get out of the heat.