littlevamp03
New Member
Does anyone know what kind of tortoise this is?
- Thread starter littlevamp03
- Start date
I appears to be a CA desert tortoise, but the pic looks weird when I zoom in. We need to see the front legs to be sure.
It looks like he has been kept too dry. That enclosure is far too small, there needs to be about 3-4 inches of that substrate, and it needs to be kept damp.
Check this out and look for the temperate species care sheet at the bottom.
It looks like he has been kept too dry. That enclosure is far too small, there needs to be about 3-4 inches of that substrate, and it needs to be kept damp.
Check this out and look for the temperate species care sheet at the bottom.
This is the link Tom was referring to, for you to check out.
tortoiseforum.org
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
tortoiseforum.org
littlevamp03
New Member
Yeah that is a picture from when I just got him. Now he has about 3 inches of substrate beneath him. I put afew inches of dirt with a layer of wood. And I keep it moist.
Welcome to the forum from one Angelino to another!
where did you get your little one?
read that link, it’s the best source of information around…
where did you get your little one?
read that link, it’s the best source of information around…
littlevamp03
New Member
Thank you so much. As for how I got it my aunts neighbor has a giant tortoise and babies are always digging under the wall.
Sulcata? big? The neighbor's tort looks like her? only smooth?
Hooo boy. Can you take closer up photos? You are in for a wild ride if that’s a baby Sulcata. You also need an enclosed chamber for babies to keep their humidity up
Not a sulcata. It has a nuccal scute and the color is wrong.
What about the "giant" comment?
I think they just mean that it's big, maybe?
Yeah, it doesn't matter anyhow, Tom spotted that, my eyes aren't good anymore...
Hi and welcome! It's in poor shape from the looks of it. And if the substrate is cedar chips and that's what is staining the water, then the tortoise is in big trouble and sick. If. And what is its diet? We would really like to help! Thanks for coming here.
Lol! Mine neither, plus they are not so smart either...🙄
EricW
Well-Known Member
Is that dog food?
Who knows what the neighbor has, but this one isn't a sulcata. And you know that babies don't "dig under the fence" either. They might squeeze under if there is a gap, but they aren't going to tunnel down, go under the fence, and then dig back up on the other side. Neither species does that.
Welp - in case @littlevamp03 you have a lot going on there with your new tortoise. They are not as easy to take care of as a lot of people make them seem, so if you want it to survive, please do read this: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/#post-2036954
As a baby it needs to be in an enclosed container with high humidity, and you need to make sure you are giving it the right foods. I am not sure what those pellets are, but if they are pet food then indeed that would be bad because if it is a California Desert Tortoise (CDT) they should not have meat, or fruits or lots of other things people often give tortoises.
Also CDTs are a protected species so if you can't keep it, CTTC does have tortoise rescue options: https://www.tortoise.org/ and I know they have several babies now b/c I saw them at an event a few weeks ago.
Also what part of LA are you in? Don't need to know specific location, but if you are in the Valley vs South Bay the temps very different for outdoor needs, though this one is little enough they won't need to be outdoors for a while.
Bottom line - LOTS of people keep tortoises in bad conditions and they can survive, but most do not. I don't know how your aunt's neighbor is doing it, but there's a lot of legal issues with having CDTs and they don't breed in large numbers, i don't think, so it all sounds a little odd
Please let us know how we can help, you have precious cargo there...
The more pictures you can provide the better.
As a baby it needs to be in an enclosed container with high humidity, and you need to make sure you are giving it the right foods. I am not sure what those pellets are, but if they are pet food then indeed that would be bad because if it is a California Desert Tortoise (CDT) they should not have meat, or fruits or lots of other things people often give tortoises.
Also CDTs are a protected species so if you can't keep it, CTTC does have tortoise rescue options: https://www.tortoise.org/ and I know they have several babies now b/c I saw them at an event a few weeks ago.
Also what part of LA are you in? Don't need to know specific location, but if you are in the Valley vs South Bay the temps very different for outdoor needs, though this one is little enough they won't need to be outdoors for a while.
Bottom line - LOTS of people keep tortoises in bad conditions and they can survive, but most do not. I don't know how your aunt's neighbor is doing it, but there's a lot of legal issues with having CDTs and they don't breed in large numbers, i don't think, so it all sounds a little odd
Please let us know how we can help, you have precious cargo there...
The more pictures you can provide the better.
Last edited:
littlevamp03
New Member
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littlevamp03
New Member
These are some more pictures I was able to take.
Thanks! what are you feeding it, and can you tell us more about what kind of light you have set up for its enclosure?
