Hello from Phoenix, Arizona

Katherine Majauckas

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Phoenix, AZ
Hi there, I'm new to the forum but I've had turtles since I was a kid. As an adult I have had a desert tortoise for 10 years now. I have a small pond with 2 water turtles, 3 koi and 2 goldfish. I also have 2box turtles A few weeks ago I got a call from a friend who found a desert tortoise wandering in the street. She brought it to me and it turned out to be a sulcata. I've kept her thinking the owner will be looking/searching for her but no one has claimed her.

IMG_20171112_110142208.jpg IMG_20171112_105905439.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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Probably a young male. He has pretty big gulars.

Welcome to the Forum! Isn't it interesting how just the fact you have a turtle or tortoise causes you to be given more of them? That's how I got started with my turtle rescue.
 

Katherine Majauckas

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Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix, AZ
Probably a young male. He has pretty big gulars.

Welcome to the Forum! Isn't it interesting how just the fact you have a turtle or tortoise causes you to be given more of them? That's how I got started with my turtle rescue.
That's exactly how it happens. I had a box turtle so I made a small water " pond" because they actually loved to swim. Someone dropped a red eared slider on me so I had to make the pond bigger. Then the desert tortoise because someone left it behind when they moved. The sulcata was because it was near a busy road and didn't want it hit. Now I have to set up a winter house for him. Since my box turtles and desert hibernate I assume they can't use the same house. Could I heat one side of it? Maybe? Or I could bring him in at night. Thanks for telling me it's a boy, we named her Gertrude. Haha
 

Yvonne G

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I'd make the sulcata his own separate warm house. Incidentally, you shouldn't allow him to be with the desert tortoise. He needs his own space. Sometimes mixing species causes one or the other of them to get sick.

I think "Gertrude" is a great name for a boy tortoise. My great grandson has a pit bull puppy named Fluffy.
 

Katherine Majauckas

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Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix, AZ
I'd make the sulcata his own separate warm house. Incidentally, you shouldn't allow him to be with the desert tortoise. He needs his own space. Sometimes mixing species causes one or the other of them to get sick.

I think "Gertrude" is a great name for a boy tortoise. My great grandson has a pit bull puppy named Fluffy.

Thank you for the advice. Looks like I better get to work.
 

Katherine Majauckas

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Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix, AZ
Hello there, question since you live in PHX. Are you concerned with the unusually warm fall we are having? My tortoises are still grazing and I can't stop them but if it gets really cold fast will that be bad? I know I've lost a water turtle from it waking up during a warm spell and go back to hibernation. Any advice?
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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Hello there, question since you live in PHX. Are you concerned with the unusually warm fall we are having? My tortoises are still grazing and I can't stop them but if it gets really cold fast will that be bad? I know I've lost a water turtle from it waking up during a warm spell and go back to hibernation. Any advice?

I’ve stopped feeding my torts for the winter ! But if we get areal warm spell before Feb. I will bring them inside and start feeding them .
 

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