Help brand new baby

[Liz W.]

Tortoise pipped yesterday and is already out today... what do I do??? Is it normal.. first tortoise I've ever had hatch ... do we put food in now? I have six more eggs how do I know when they should be hatching?? Any help.. they are California desert tortoise.

 

[Yvonne G]

Just a note to all who want to have a conversation about hatching out desert tortoise eggs. (Not picking on you Liz - this is for anyone reading this thread)

It is against the law to artificially incubate desert tortoise eggs. The State Department of Fish and Wildlife has adopted a "let nature take its course" stand. If your female lays eggs you have to leave them in the ground. They even frown upon keeping males and females together. We don't know Liz's story, and since it's against our rules to talk about illegal stuff, let's just assume she found the eggs in the ground.

Now on to their care.

Liz:

Baby desert tortoises are pretty fragile. They must be kept warm and moist. Don't keep them in a desert-like enclosure. Set him up in a plastic tub or large aquarium (I prefer the plastic tub) then build some sort of framework over it to hold the light/heat and support a cover. They won't eat until the yolk sac scar is totally absorbed, but you can chop up food and place it at the feeding station. Every morning put him into a shallow bowl of warm water and set the bowl back into the habitat to keep it warm. After about 15 minutes place him in front of the food and step out of sight. Here's a look at my baby desert tortoise habitat (divided in half with box turtles on the other side):

 

[Liz W.]

Just a note to all who want to have a conversation about hatching out desert tortoise eggs. (Not picking on you Liz - this is for anyone reading this thread)

It is against the law to artificially incubate desert tortoise eggs. The State Department of Fish and Wildlife has adopted a "let nature take its course" stand. If your female lays eggs you have to leave them in the ground. They even frown upon keeping males and females together. We don't know Liz's story, and since it's against our rules to talk about illegal stuff, let's just assume she found the eggs in the ground.

Now on to their care.

Liz:

Baby desert tortoises are pretty fragile. They must be kept warm and moist. Don't keep them in a desert-like enclosure. Set him up in a plastic tub or large aquarium (I prefer the plastic tub) then build some sort of framework over it to hold the light/heat and support a cover. They won't eat until the yolk sac scar is totally absorbed, but you can chop up food and place it at the feeding station. Every morning put him into a shallow bowl of warm water and set the bowl back into the habitat to keep it warm. After about 15 minutes place him in front of the food and step out of sight. Here's a look at my baby desert tortoise habitat (divided in half with box turtles on the other side):

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Thank you so much I literally know nothing about laws of tortoises.. they were in my dad's backyard from tortoises he's had since he was a boy.. my dad's 75 years old and hasn't been able to care for his tortoises the same .. past 2 years we've found 2 sets of babies roaming his yard.. which I've been taking care of.. after years of having these tortoises I still don't even know who's female or male.. thank you so much for the information and help.. I'll make sure to separate his tortoises..

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Liz

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Liz
Is your tort a AZ or Ca tort ?

 

[Liz W.]

To be honest I don't know.... my dad always said California but the state's do neighbor each other.. we are in San Diego..

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

To be honest I don't know.... my dad always said California but the state's do neighbor each other.. we are in San Diego..

I have AZ desert torts they are sweet !