Devastated...

TMartin510

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Hmmm could be dehydration if it was super hot, unless do they have there own bowl like a terra cotta saucer to soak in water if they want? One big enough to fit in fully?
 

JaymeR

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Hmmm could be dehydration if it was super hot, unless do they have there own bowl like a terra cotta saucer to soak in water if they want? One big enough to fit in fully?
no they don't have a water source and it was super hot last week. i set out water for them with food but they hardly even want it. ugh i am so sad, especially if it was something i could have helped with.
 

TMartin510

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I understand completley, I've lost two my self, one that I had a box turtle for 15 years and didn't make it through hibernation this year and a baby sulcata that I lost to a bird :/ I didn't know about this forum then and I do now and I've fixed things that I was doing wrong.
Do you keep your torts together? If so you could be setting out water and the younger smaller one wasn't getting enough as torts are more of loners and can be bullied with the heat that wouldn't be good. If they are together I would suggest maybe 1 terra cotta saucer dish 14' for each tort so they can get to it if one won't let the other have some soaking time. Something entirely different could have happened idk but it still wouldn't hurt ya know? Again I'm so sorry and wish this didn't happen :(
 

JaymeR

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I understand completley, I've lost two my self, one that I had a box turtle for 15 years and didn't make it through hibernation this year and a baby sulcata that I lost to a bird :/ I didn't know about this forum then and I do now and I've fixed things that I was doing wrong.
Do you keep your torts together? If so you could be setting out water and the younger smaller one wasn't getting enough as torts are more of loners and can be bullied with the heat that wouldn't be good. If they are together I would suggest maybe 1 terra cotta saucer dish 14' for each tort so they can get to it if one won't let the other have some soaking time. Something entirely different could have happened idk but it still wouldn't hurt ya know? Again I'm so sorry and wish this didn't happen :(
Aww I'm so sorry for your losses too! Yes they all roam freely in my yard, well now only 2. I am going to go get a water dish for them. When I used to keep the little ones caged, they had a water dish. I don't know why I never kept it going in the yard. Thanks
 

wellington

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One very important thing, even more then food is water. They should have several in a big enclosure. I have a water dish outside for each tortoise, and they all have one for inside too. Dehydration can take them pretty quick in very hot temps. We have been very hot and humid here, and I put the sprinkler on every day so they have a cool place to lay, not only in the shade, but in the cooling water. Please provide water 24/7 hot, cold, mild days, every day.
 

JaymeR

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One very important thing, even more then food is water. They should have several in a big enclosure. I have a water dish outside for each tortoise, and they all have one for inside too. Dehydration can take them pretty quick in very hot temps. We have been very hot and humid here, and I put the sprinkler on every day so they have a cool place to lay, not only in the shade, but in the cooling water. Please provide water 24/7 hot, cold, mild days, every day.
Thank you for this info. With us cutting down on sprinklers I should have been extra diligent. As I mentioned, when i put food out, I will put a dish of water but they never take it so i sprinkle in on their faces and on there bodies but still no interest. I am going to get some big terra-cotta plates to just keep out in the yard. I am hoping this wasn't the cause. :(
 

TMartin510

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Thank you for this info. With us cutting down on sprinklers I should have been extra diligent. As I mentioned, when i put food out, I will put a dish of water but they never take it so i sprinkle in on their faces and on there bodies but still no interest. I am going to get some big terra-cotta plates to just keep out in the yard. I am hoping this wasn't the cause. :(
I know what you meen and I know how you feel, but if it is, at least it won't ever happen again ya know?
I would also suggest maybe getting like an igloo for outside that they can hide in and at night with maybe some like bark as a substrate inside. As a precaution to predators. Maybe a possum would be less likely to go near if it were to think a bigger animal could be inside or a dog and the torts probably would like it. Or some kind of hide if they don't have one already
 

leigti

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Possums and raccoons are nasty little creatures. If you think you have some in the area I would make a locked night box to put them in.
 

JaymeR

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I know what you meen and I know how you feel, but if it is, at least it won't ever happen again ya know?
I would also suggest maybe getting like an igloo for outside that they can hide in and at night with maybe some like bark as a substrate inside. As a precaution to predators. Maybe a possum would be less likely to go near if it were to think a bigger animal could be inside or a dog and the torts probably would like it. Or some kind of hide if they don't have one already
Yes they have homes, holes to go into at night... they are pretty good about doing that every night.
 

JaymeR

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Possums and raccoons are nasty little creatures. If you think you have some in the area I would make a locked night box to put them in.
Yes my hubby shot one off our wall last week, that is why that was our first instinct. But just wonder if they would have taken it, not just left it there. I didn't see any blood or anything either. idk
 

TMartin510

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Yes my hubby shot one off our wall last week, that is why that was our first instinct. But just wonder if they would have taken it, not just left it there. I didn't see any blood or anything either. idk
If it was a racoon or possum I'm sure it would have been much different, I don't think they would have taken your tort anywhere though.
 

TMartin510

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Possums and raccoons are nasty little creatures. If you think you have some in the area I would make a locked night box to put them in.
Yeah they are, also add Scrub Jays to that list. I have a huge one that comes around, it's the thing that got my sulcata and pecked my other torts shells. I am no longer comfortable having them roam outside an enclosure by them selves :(
 
M

Maggie Cummings

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Also they need to be kept WELL hydrated.They need to be soaked several times a week. Daily if it's hot.. And by that we mean putting them in something big enough they can't get out. Put warmish water to the place where bottom and top shell meet (the bridge). Dehydration will kill them quick as anything else.
I also have possums and 'coons and until he died my 120 pound Sulcata was locked in a large shed every night. I would never leave any of my tortoises outside and unprotected at night. I'm sorry about your loss, I hope our info helps you keep your other 2 alive.
 

JaymeR

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Also they need to be kept WELL hydrated.They need to be soaked several times a week. Daily if it's hot.. And by that we mean putting them in something big enough they can't get out. Put warmish water to the place where bottom and top shell meet (the bridge). Dehydration will kill them quick as anything else.
I also have possums and 'coons and until he died my 120 pound Sulcata was locked in a large shed every night. I would never leave any of my tortoises outside and unprotected at night. I'm sorry about your loss, I hope our info helps you keep your other 2 alive.
Thank you... I have never heard of the soaking but it is definitely going to be a regular routine for us.
 

Keith D.

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My daughter was in the backyard looking for one of our younger tortoises and just found it laying dead on our planter. It must have been there a few days because I remember seeing it there last week and just thought it was taking a nap in the shade. It didn't look odd or alarming in any way. The only way my daughter noticed it was dead was because she looked closely and the head was covered in ants. :( This was our youngest one, only 7 years old. I can't even begin to tell you how upset we are, especially my daughter. The worst part is we have no clue why? My husband thought maybe a possum got to it but why would it leave it there? Idk... not knowing is hard though because I have 2 others, one is 9 and the other is probably early 30s so much bigger.

CDT[/QQUOTE

Poor little DT :( I'm so sorry for your loss. Maybe you should bring your other two inside during the night, bring them in when it starts turning dark that way it will keep the night preditors away.
 
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