DUMPED: Quarantine?

[Princess Nova]

A family member was bicycling and found this dumped Russian tortoise on the side of the road. No one else in my family knows how to take care of them except me (I’ve owned my one Russian for nearly 2 years now) so I decided to take the little one into my own hands. Right now I am preparing for them to drop it off at my house and I’ve got questions! Please help [emoji53]
1) I have a (100% temporary) glass terrarium for it to be housed in. Apparently it’s shell is only 4 inches long, so it’s young. I will NOT be housing it with the Russian I have right now. Do I still need to “quarantine” this new one somehow before I set it all up? If so, how? How do I make SURE nothing will be spread from this little one to my own tortoise?
2) Will it be safe to clean the glass terrarium with hot water and soap, and rinsing the soap really well? I don’t have any fancy reptile safe cleaning products.
3) If you have been in a similar situation as I am right now, tips are WELCOMED. If I missed anything and you have questions I’ll do my best to answer. Thank you for any help!

 

[Yvonne G]

If at all possible, make an outdoor yard for it. Russian tortoises do much better outside. And an aquarium isn't the most ideal home for a Russian, who needs a much larger area than an aquarium. They don't get much bigger than 4", with full grown females at about 6 or 7" and males slightly smaller. So your new tortoise is probably about 8 or 10 years old. . . not a baby, but a little more growing to do.

 

[daniellenc]

Yes quarantine for a MINIMUM of 90 days. Different areas of the house and always care for the new guy last and thoroughly wash your hands. Do not share food or water bowls or outdoor areas either. And congrats!! I’m guessing you have heat and UVB as well?

 

[Princess Nova]

If at all possible, make an outdoor yard for it. Russian tortoises do much better outside. And an aquarium isn't the most ideal home for a Russian, who needs a much larger area than an aquarium. They don't get much bigger than 4", with full grown females at about 6 or 7" and males slightly smaller. So your new tortoise is probably about 8 or 10 years old. . . not a baby, but a little more growing to do.

I don’t have an outdoor enclosure for my tort but take her out in the sun as much as possible, and if this new one gets back on its feet, I’ll take it out as much as I can as well. Thank you for the age information[emoji848] babies are harder to take care of haha!

 

[Princess Nova]

Yes quarantine for a MINIMUM of 90 days. Different areas of the house and always care for the new guy last and thoroughly wash your hands. Do not share food or water bowls or outdoor areas either. And congrats!! I’m guessing you have heat and UVB as well?

So, keep the glass terrarium where the new one will be housed in a totally different room than my girl for at least 90 Days... got it, Thank you! I soak my girl in the sink, should I soak this new one in a different place as well? Just to be safe, I will.. and yes, I have everything I need for now! [emoji18] thank you so much!

 

[daniellenc]

So, keep the glass terrarium where the new one will be housed in a totally different room than my girl for at least 90 Days... got it, Thank you! I soak my girl in the sink, should I soak this new one in a different place as well? Just to be safe, I will.. and yes, I have everything I need for now! [emoji18] thank you so much!

Yes no sharing soaking areas either. Just have a designated food and water bowl for each and don’t swap them out even after washing.

 

[Princess Nova]

Yes no sharing soaking areas either. Just have a designated food and water bowl for each and don’t swap them out even after washing.

Okay, thank you so much

 

[Princess Nova]

Yes no sharing soaking areas either. Just have a designated food and water bowl for each and don’t swap them out even after washing.

I just have a couple more question about quarantine if you don’t mind! How often should I clean out its enclosure? I do spot clean and pick up food. (It’s an indoor enclosure unfortunately, I don’t have an outdoor one) Should I house the new one with a smaller batches of substrate at a time, to avoid wasting big batches of it if it must be cleaned more than normally? I’m all paranoid about this quarantine thing, sorry!

 

[ascott]

View attachment 242800

A family member was bicycling and found this dumped Russian tortoise on the side of the road. No one else in my family knows how to take care of them except me (I’ve owned my one Russian for nearly 2 years now) so I decided to take the little one into my own hands. Right now I am preparing for them to drop it off at my house and I’ve got questions! Please help [emoji53]
1) I have a (100% temporary) glass terrarium for it to be housed in. Apparently it’s shell is only 4 inches long, so it’s young. I will NOT be housing it with the Russian I have right now. Do I still need to “quarantine” this new one somehow before I set it all up? If so, how? How do I make SURE nothing will be spread from this little one to my own tortoise?
2) Will it be safe to clean the glass terrarium with hot water and soap, and rinsing the soap really well? I don’t have any fancy reptile safe cleaning products.
3) If you have been in a similar situation as I am right now, tips are WELCOMED. If I missed anything and you have questions I’ll do my best to answer. Thank you for any help!

Set the new tort up just as you have the other one. There is no reason the two should be put together so there is no reason to plan for that. Each should have their own space and pairs do not go well together....simple as that....not too confusing.

 

[Pearly]

Do you think she maybe someone’s escaped pet??? Maybe someone is looking for her

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Wait was the tortoise just in that box sitting on the side of the road?

 

[Princess Nova]

Do you think she maybe someone’s escaped pet??? Maybe someone is looking for her

I really doubt it. He definitely isn’t in the best shape, overgrown nails and beak, dehydrated too. Plus he was dumped in an area that is notoriously known for dumping animals

 

[Princess Nova]

Wait was the tortoise just in that box sitting on the side of the road?

No, from what my family member told me, he was sitting next to a pond, and they just had to stop and pick him up. Biked 3 miles back home with the poor guy in his shirt

 

[DARKFIRE007]

Even with the nails and beak being overgrown this could be a pet that escaped a while ago. I would make a post in the lost and found section and title it with your area. If no one responds who can convince you they are the owner such as identifying certain features or pointing to old missing tort posts, I would rehab him and give him a good home. Your probably right that he was abandoned...but ruling out a worried sick owner is a good idea.