General questions before getting a tortoise

amenezes

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
Torrance, CA
Hello all, new member here. It's nice to see everyone being so helpful so I thought I'd join and ask a few questions.
I would like to get a tortoise for my backyard, it's big, has lots of grass, flowers, etc. It's all enclosed so I don't think the tortoise would escape. I see a lot of people making enclosures in their backyard and I am wondering if there is anything wrong with letting them roam. Some enclosures seem so small for them that I feel bad so I am wondering if there is some reason I don't know for keeping them in there instead of letting them have the whole yard.
Also the sprinklers run at night, is there something wrong with that? Will it just hide from it in whatever home I build for it? I worry it could get a bit cold here at night even in summer as I live close to the beach. Any recommendations there?
Next, I volunteer with cats and dogs at local shelters and see a few tortoises available for adoption but I dont know which species they are so I dont know how to look up care instructions. I live in LA so perhaps they could be desert tortoises, I know they're not sulcatas and I dont think they're the Herman ones. Suggestions? Good sites to help me identify them?
Thank you all in advance for some guidance, I want to do my homework before I adopt one. I feel so bad for the ones in the shelter in tiny areas with nowhere to "run".
 

TisMary

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Mar 1, 2021
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New York
Hello @amenezes and welcome to TFO! Thank you for asking your questions and getting your education before getting your tortoise. I think that one of your main considerations with outside enclosures is security. You want to make sure no "human" can take your guy in the middle of the night (or whenever you're not home) and that no predator can get her either. Others here will be able to comment on this better than I.

As far as identifying the tortoises you see at the shelter, I'd take a bunch of pictures of each kind and then do google image searches to see where that gets you. When you think you've narrowed it down, then post a few here (with your best guess) - someone will be able to verify for you I'll bet. Good luck!
 

amenezes

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
Torrance, CA
Hello @amenezes and welcome to TFO! Thank you for asking your questions and getting your education before getting your tortoise. I think that one of your main considerations with outside enclosures is security. You want to make sure no "human" can take your guy in the middle of the night (or whenever you're not home) and that no predator can get her either. Others here will be able to comment on this better than I.

As far as identifying the tortoises you see at the shelter, I'd take a bunch of pictures of each kind and then do google image searches to see where that gets you. When you think you've narrowed it down, then post a few here (with your best guess) - someone will be able to verify for you I'll bet. Good luck!
Thank you! I just thought I'd post a pic of what I see available and perhaps you all can tell me what it is? I am attaching that here. It's soooo sad in that tiny box.
 

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Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hello all, new member here. It's nice to see everyone being so helpful so I thought I'd join and ask a few questions.
I would like to get a tortoise for my backyard, it's big, has lots of grass, flowers, etc. It's all enclosed so I don't think the tortoise would escape. I see a lot of people making enclosures in their backyard and I am wondering if there is anything wrong with letting them roam. Some enclosures seem so small for them that I feel bad so I am wondering if there is some reason I don't know for keeping them in there instead of letting them have the whole yard.
Also the sprinklers run at night, is there something wrong with that? Will it just hide from it in whatever home I build for it? I worry it could get a bit cold here at night even in summer as I live close to the beach. Any recommendations there?
Next, I volunteer with cats and dogs at local shelters and see a few tortoises available for adoption but I dont know which species they are so I dont know how to look up care instructions. I live in LA so perhaps they could be desert tortoises, I know they're not sulcatas and I dont think they're the Herman ones. Suggestions? Good sites to help me identify them?
Thank you all in advance for some guidance, I want to do my homework before I adopt one. I feel so bad for the ones in the shelter in tiny areas with nowhere to "run".
Hello and welcome. I grew up in Torrance. I went to Lincoln Elementary, Casimir Middle, and North High. HA! Nice to meet you!

The tortoise in your pic is a desert tortoise. It could do well in your area with the right heated shelter, but its borderline to cold and clammy there. It would need extra help to get through the May gray and June gloom, but you could safely hibernate it through the cold winter rains in a fridge.

Free roaming is fine if the whole yard is tortoise proofed, escape proof, and dog free. Dogs and tortoises do not mix. Each would need its own space.

The sprinklers would be fine because the tortoise will be locked up in its shelter every night.

Here is the care info for the DT like in your pic, and for most of the other Mediterranean species. After reading this, you have a meter understanding of all that is required. With the right set up, having a tortoise will be simple, easy and fun.

Questions are welcome. :)
 

amenezes

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Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
Torrance, CA
Oh how funny that you're from here!
Hibernate it in a fridge? LOL I'll have to look up how to do that! At least now I know what to look for, what kind of care. During what months would I need to bring it inside or hibernate it somewhere? Thank you so much.
 

Ray--Opo

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Welcome and thanks you for doing your homework first and rescuing a tort.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Oh how funny that you're from here!
Hibernate it in a fridge? LOL I'll have to look up how to do that! At least now I know what to look for, what kind of care. During what months would I need to bring it inside or hibernate it somewhere? Thank you so much.
If you try to look it up, you'll find more wrong info. Most of the care info you find for tortoises is just plain wrong, and especially the info for desert tortoises. Following the care advice given in most places will result in their death. Here is the hibernation info. Scroll down to post number 19:

I watch the weather in fall, and look for that first 10+ day cold spell. I start preparing them by letting temps drop and shortening days as we get further into fall and the temps start dropping. You need a few weeks to lead into hibernation to empty their gut and get them hydrated. Its usually cold time and lights out in late November or mid December. Then, lights on and gradual warming in spring when we get consistent warm sunny days. Usually March or April. The night box described in the care sheet helps accomplish both ends of hibernation more safely when Mother Nature is doing her best to confound and frustrate my efforts. It doesn't get consistently cold enough in Torrance to hibernate one outside, so the fridge method will allow you to provide constant and correct hibernation temps for your chosen species. Russians do best around 38-40F, and DTs do best around 48-50. When we get those warm sunny spells in January, it can really mess things up for them. They wake, bask and eat, and when the cold returns, they can die from the food rotting in their gut.

Hibernation is not required, but I think its a good idea to hibernate them if its a species that would hibernate in the wild. Using one of my night box designs shown in the care sheet thread, I think you could probably keep one up all year in your mild climate. I'm up in Santa Clarita now, and our weather is quite a bit more extreme than yours.
 

amenezes

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
Torrance, CA
Hello and welcome. I grew up in Torrance. I went to Lincoln Elementary, Casimir Middle, and North High. HA! Nice to meet you!

The tortoise in your pic is a desert tortoise. It could do well in your area with the right heated shelter, but its borderline to cold and clammy there. It would need extra help to get through the May gray and June gloom, but you could safely hibernate it through the cold winter rains in a fridge.

Free roaming is fine if the whole yard is tortoise proofed, escape proof, and dog free. Dogs and tortoises do not mix. Each would need its own space.

The sprinklers would be fine because the tortoise will be locked up in its shelter every night.

Here is the care info for the DT like in your pic, and for most of the other Mediterranean species. After reading this, you have a meter understanding of all that is required. With the right set up, having a tortoise will be simple, easy and fun.

Questions are welcome. :)
Ok got it, thank you for such good info. One other thing that worries me is its lifespan, obviously longer than mine as I am 49 already LOL. How do you all deal with that? You will it to your children? My daughter would love to have it but she lives in OR right now and I don't think that would be a good place for one. I don't have any other family here. Should I just not get one? I feel bad for the ones in the shelter but don't want to be selfish either. Thanks!
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Ok got it, thank you for such good info. One other thing that worries me is its lifespan, obviously longer than mine as I am 49 already LOL. How do you all deal with that? You will it to your children? My daughter would love to have it but she lives in OR right now and I don't think that would be a good place for one. I don't have any other family here. Should I just not get one? I feel bad for the ones in the shelter but don't want to be selfish either. Thanks!
I don't worry about that. If you were 20 you could die tomorrow. Live your life and enjoy it. When you die, your tortoise will go where its supposed to go. My wife knows who to call to give mine all away.
 

amenezes

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
Torrance, CA
I don't worry about that. If you were 20 you could die tomorrow. Live your life and enjoy it. When you die, your tortoise will go where its supposed to go. My wife knows who to call to give mine all away.
Hahah true! I'd hate for them to end up at the shelter though. Thanks!
 
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