Found abandoned Tortoise. Plz help Identify & have Calcium concerns

[Yvonne G]

I am inspired by your story, and I love the fact that you are so willing to listen to what our members have to say, and take their advice. You and your family are one in a million!

 

[Jabuticaba]

Thank you, Jabuticaba! I've bookmarked the links you posted. Hug your big pup for me!

The dogs say, "Rank Roooooo!" And here's Cricket, my Dane mix, supervising bath time.
I forgot to tell you to have a 2nd bathtub ready. They always poop in the water halfway thru bath time. I have a 3rd tub (out of frame, in this shot) and we play musical tubs.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[ascott]

Keep in mind that there is NO ONE WAY to raise/care for the tortoise, so please do visit all keepers threads and take some from each successful set up....you and your family seem sensible enough, I am sure you will work out a great situation for your family and the tort in your care.....you know what you witnessed on the road and should act accordingly....sounds like a good match.

 

[Tom]

That tortoise would not have survived the night, and its interesting to me that it bolted back toward the road instead of off into the bushes. How lucky that YOU were the person who happened to be in that spot at that moment! Sometimes things seem to happen for a reason. You guys are in for a fun ride!

I'm super glad you found us, and happy we'll be able to help you and this tortoise.

 

[edwardbo]

Great story, just thought I might mention that you can never trust a dog and turtle together . Sounds like there is lots of life and love in your house, and animals .in all the excitement I would hate for you to have to learn the dog tort nightmare that happens all to often .lots of love

 

[Prairie Mom]

The dogs say, "Rank Roooooo!" And here's Cricket, my Dane mix, supervising bath time. View attachment 95801
I forgot to tell you to have a 2nd bathtub ready. They always poop in the water halfway thru bath time. I have a 3rd tub (out of frame, in this shot) and we play musical tubs.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

Cute photo, Jabuticaba! Your dog is definitely watching those babies! The extra tub is a great suggestion. So far, I keep having to pull her out and refill the tub.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Keep in mind that there is NO ONE WAY to raise/care for the tortoise, so please do visit all keepers threads and take some from each successful set up....you and your family seem sensible enough, I am sure you will work out a great situation for your family and the tort in your care.....you know what you witnessed on the road and should act accordingly....sounds like a good match.

Thanks for the advice, ascott. I keep reading all the things that can go WRONG if you don't care for a tort properly and I think it's been making me more paranoid about getting it right, than fun and trying things out. Your advice makes me feel a little more comfortable about trying what works for us. Note to self...it's supposed to be fun!

 

[Prairie Mom]

That tortoise would not have survived the night, and its interesting to me that it bolted back toward the road instead of off into the bushes. How lucky that YOU were the person who happened to be in that spot at that moment! Sometimes things seem to happen for a reason. You guys are in for a fun ride!

I'm super glad you found us, and happy we'll be able to help you and this tortoise.

Ya know, it's probably blazing obvious to everyone else, but it didn't even occur to me until I re-read my post, that the guy with the truck was probably just getting her out of the road in the first place! I was definitely quick to "villain-ize" and made the assumption that he was the dumper. She was probably already in the road in front of HIM. oh well...Either way, if I lost my pet, the first thing I'd do would be to look for her and then call animal control and our local humane society. We don't live in a huge city and that seems to be what everyone does. They have my name and number if anyone calls them and I'll call them next week to see if they'd be willing to come out and scan her for a microchip.

 

[lismar79]

Wow! I'm all teary over here reading this thread. First of all let me say that I reallllly hope karma gets the sob that dumped this tort off in a road, in the snow!!!! Second, god bless you for finding her. Here is a really good site to help you id food for here and welcome to the forum
http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

 

[Prairie Mom]

I am inspired by your story, and I love the fact that you are so willing to listen to what our members have to say, and take their advice. You and your family are one in a million!

Yvonne, I'm mentally putting you on my speed dial for any time I feel glum Thanks so much for your support!

 

[Prairie Mom]

I have a new question I should probably post on another thread, but I'm thrilled with the feedback I'm getting...

The weather where I live bounces back and forth between winter and summer all season long until winter finally says "there's no going back". What is the coldest temp I can let Mavis out to bask in the sun and eat in the garden?

 

[Prairie Mom]

Wow! I'm all teary over here reading this thread. First of all let me say that I reallllly hope karma gets the sob that dumped this tort off in a road, in the snow!!!! Second, god bless you for finding her. Here is a really good site to help you id food for here and welcome to the forum
http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

lismar79, thanks! That website looks awesome! It's really well done.

 

[Tom]

The weather where I live bounces back and forth between winter and summer all season long until winter finally says "there's no going back". What is the coldest temp I can let Mavis out to bask in the sun and eat in the garden?

This is not so simple. It depends on several factors. Try to find an area where a wall meets the ground in a south facing direction. Hopefully somewhere dry. Place a remote temperature probe there and/or use and infrared temp gun and check the temps. At my place in my enclosures I can get carapace temps in the 80s even when ambient temps are in the low 60's.

 

[ascott]

Generally a safe bet is....if it is over 60 degrees, with some sun out in the area you are taking the tort to bask and there is not lots of wind....then the 20-30 minute visit should be aok...especially if the tort is being returned to a heated location after words.....

You see, Tom and some of the others have all of these fancy temp guns (and I think that would be more fun than anything to zap rocks and such to get readings...lay a few bets to see who would be right and all...as well as getting the readings you are wanting to find--so not poking fun, simply saying there are different types of tortoise keeping and some follow one and others follow another)....and I have to say that I do not....I am old fashion in the fact that if the sun is out, the temps are a certain number (by my old fashion temp gauge on the wall outside, one in the shade and one in the sun) and the wind is not near hurricane speeds (which we get here often in the high desert) then that is "good to go" weather....and if it is summer and it is raining (not active flash flooding amounts of course) so warm and swampy....I will especially get the redfoot torts out in their larger spaces outside....and the CDTs usually are already out trucking through the rain, so no need to get em out....lol

I suppose my point is, yes, do have fun. Get some basics down solid and then watch the tort---observe their awesomeness...this will allow you to figure out what tweaking is needed....tortoise and turtle really are a fun sort....they are not like any dog/cat/horse/bird/rodent....they really are a group unto themselves...I mean this is a species that has adapted and evolved over a bunch of years....so sometimes if we offer a good basic set up with some micro climates in that space ...then we set back and observe, we see exactly how they survived...now, there will be the occasional tort that makes you go, "how did you ever make it dude"...lol...

Don't be hard on yourself for thinking the guy was the dropper....may have been, but even if he was not, not the nicest to simply move a tort to the side of the road in snow, right? So either way, you done good.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Generally a safe bet is....if it is over 60 degrees, with some sun out in the area you are taking the tort to bask and there is not lots of wind....then the 20-30 minute visit should be aok...especially if the tort is being returned to a heated location after words.....

You see, Tom and some of the others have all of these fancy temp guns (and I think that would be more fun than anything to zap rocks and such to get readings...lay a few bets to see who would be right and all...as well as getting the readings you are wanting to find--so not poking fun, simply saying there are different types of tortoise keeping and some follow one and others follow another)....and I have to say that I do not....I am old fashion in the fact that if the sun is out, the temps are a certain number (by my old fashion temp gauge on the wall outside, one in the shade and one in the sun) and the wind is not near hurricane speeds (which we get here often in the high desert) then that is "good to go" weather....and if it is summer and it is raining (not active flash flooding amounts of course) so warm and swampy....I will especially get the redfoot torts out in their larger spaces outside....and the CDTs usually are already out trucking through the rain, so no need to get em out....lol

I suppose my point is, yes, do have fun. Get some basics down solid and then watch the tort---observe their awesomeness...this will allow you to figure out what tweaking is needed....tortoise and turtle really are a fun sort....they are not like any dog/cat/horse/bird/rodent....they really are a group unto themselves...I mean this is a species that has adapted and evolved over a bunch of years....so sometimes if we offer a good basic set up with some micro climates in that space ...then we set back and observe, we see exactly how they survived...now, there will be the occasional tort that makes you go, "how did you ever make it dude"...lol...

Don't be hard on yourself for thinking the guy was the dropper....may have been, but even if he was not, not the nicest to simply move a tort to the side of the road in snow, right? So either way, you done good.

Please accept an email hug, ascott!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Well, it's only been four days, but still no call from anyone looking for her. An animal control officer is going to drop by sometime tomorrow and scan her to see if she is micro chipped. I will openly admit it...At this point, we're all kind of hoping no one shows up. If they do, we'll do the right thing, but I will definitely have a Tortoise-shaped hole in my heart!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Also, side note...You tortoise owners are a PLEASURE! Who knew this was such a cool community of people!!?!?

 

[littleginsu]

Well, it's only been four days, but still no call from anyone looking for her. An animal control officer is going to drop by sometime tomorrow and scan her to see if she is micro chipped. I will openly admit it...At this point, we're all kind of hoping no one shows up. If they do, we'll do the right thing, but I will definitely have a Tortoise-shaped hole in my heart!

Isn't it amazing, how quickly they steal your heart?!

 

[Jabuticaba]

Also, side note...You tortoise owners are a PLEASURE! Who knew this was such a cool community of people!!?!?

And we all hope that every pet tortoise ends up in hands like yours! I'm hoping you and your family get to keep Mavis.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Prairie Mom]

Littleginsu, Yes! I had no idea how quickly they can steal you away!

Thanks, Jabuticaba! I'm not the only one hoping we can keep her. Check out the illustration I've attached ...