C. Nelson
Active Member
Adorable picture!
We acquired a tortoise 20 days ago. Cleaning up poop today I found a piece of rubber possibly from a balloon/glove. It would not have access to something like that at our place so we guess it's something it ate at the previous owner. It took all this time to pass through.
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Please let me say your English is impeccable! And I bet you speak several other languages too! Best wishes to you and your torts. You’ll find help here.Dear brothers and/or sisters in forum, please help my Aldabra, ( @ALDABRAMAN , @Yvonne G , @wellington )
I have followed this forum for a month as silent spectator, My name is Taufan from Semarang, small city in Indonesia, the climate is warm and humid. It seems to me that everybody here very welcoming, nice and dedicated. Thanks to god, I found this forum.
In my life I never take care of any tortoise, I only has a dog once which already passed away 10 years ago due to old age, and never ever has anymore pet since. Because I am afraid of getting too much attachment, If I lost it. Then, recently I learned that tortoise can life very long life and easy to take care so I decided to purchase some.
I have just purchased 2 adult aldabra, I bought from a guy i met in facebook forums, who claimed that he take care of them since baby both approximately 60 cm, weight unknown exactly. The owner claimed that one is female approx. 25 kg 9 years old, one is male approx 35 kg 6 years old. The owner said that he gave them pointed leaf lettuce, carrot, and small sweet corn on cob, since 1 years old until now. And they live on the roof of the owner shop at 4th floor approx 50 m2, all tiles with no grass and plant to browse around.
Before I made decision to purchase I checked the nose it was clear. I checked the mouth is a bit watery but not to much so I think its fine. I check the eye it looks sharp and well. I checked their respond, though they are shy to people, when I touch their schute, they stand tall, I saw the female have H back leg, but the male have a bit sprayed back leg. I also asked the owner to provide food for them, I saw they ate very well. I saw their poop in the corners but its look like soft stool, the owner said its because already soften by the pee.
Then I made payment, I bought a huge fiberglass tub, some pampers for the substrate along the way, and arrange a private car and driver to transport them. They were transported for 18 hours drive.
They arrived at my house at Sunday 1st of July 2018, I straightly put them at my back yard (approx 200 m2). I offer them food which is same from the last owner (pointed leaf and carrot, without corn on cob). They refuse to eat my offer, but they start to walk around my back yard and they start to eat all the plants that I prepared last month (Mulberry, Grape, and Dandelion), I tried to grow my own tortoise greens. Though, they destroy my back yard I am just glad because it sign that they are in not too much stress. I also asked my maid to wash them, they seems to like it, so we wash them everyday for 2 mins.
Monday and Tuesday,
They tend to walk on the sunny side. They climb, walk, sit, move around and around to all perimeter.
I try to offer them fresh vegetable that I can find in my town, Pak Choy, Gai Lan, Carrot, Timothy Hay (I can't find any pointed leaf lettuce in my town). They start to eat small portion but they tend to leave the hay.
I start to detect a lot of water coming up from their eyes. Also I very small foam in the side of male aldabra mouth. I realized that they didn't drink at all, then I tried to call them to the pond that I prepared for them to soak and drink, only the male come and tried the water just little and leave the pond. Then for the female I tried to pour some water on her food tray and offer her, but she didn't touch it.
Wednesday and Thursday,
They start to eat well, but I don't know how much portion is right for them yet. I tried to gave them total 3 kg of mix vegetables and small portion of chopped Alfalfa King Timothy Hay (1,5 kg each). Seems that the watery eye is already done and I cant anymore foam in his mouth as well.
But I forgot, that the worst thing is I can't find any poop in my back yard. So both of them are not poop at all since sunday they arrived at my back yard. I don't know what to do.
Friday (Today),
I pour warm water in the pond, I called some friends to lift the tortoise and tried to soak them inside the pond, but they refuse, just go out straight away from the pond.
I stresses out and try to find a vet in my hometown, but actually I am really not confident with all the vet in my hometown, they usually take care of dog and cat only, I don't think they will know what to do with the tortoise. Still I called one of the vet I asked her to come to my house. When she came she only check the tortoise using small tube to the anus hole and put glycerin.
After the doctor back, I tried to force soak the tortoise inside the fiberglass tub (i mention earlier) with warm water so they cant get out. We tried to hold them for 30 min inside, but still not release their stool. They seem don't like it at all. I am afraid they are in stress.
Please somebody help me with some advice. I apologize if my english is bad, I hope you guys can understand my writing.
Best Regards,
Taufan S
I am not sure about large tortoises. But my little guy ate his own poop. Until I scooped it up before Opo got to it. Maybe the previous owner didn't feed them enough.Fill both the pond and water dish all the way too the top. It might help.
The house, I don't know. With that low of a roof it might be too hot in their? Maybe too dark for them with not knowing it either, don't really know. Get the temp of the house. If it's too hot that might be the problem. Also try lighting it up too see if they will go in. Once they are used to it, it won't need a light.
Yep, tortoises will do that. Not all and not because they weren't fed right. Just because as far as we know.I am not sure about large tortoises. But my little guy ate his own poop. Until I scooped it up before Opo got to it. Maybe the previous owner didn't feed them enough.
Thank you Ben..
The sprinkler is a good idea.. I’ll put sprinkler this weekend near the pond, to withdraw their attention.
Get your idea about the diet.. Because alfalfa, timothy and orchard grass hay is nowhere to be produced in my country, so I bought it online from import shops and it cost alot, around USD 100 for each 50lbs (22,5 kg) bale including delivery cost to my house. For Mazuri also cost alot, around USD 175 for 25lbs (11 kg).
So.. For the time being I need to gave them avaiable food as much as they can eat, so we can also estimate how much food they actually need.
Please correct me if I am wrong.. Because I have limited english skill.
Thank you.
Taufan
With your climate there is probably little reason to import hay, etc. While your new lawn is growing I would think it most feasible to periodically aquire cut grass or non-toxic leaves from a pestacide/herbacide free area as supplement. Large tortoises prefer cut grass to be long rather than finely chopped. Appropriate grasses are ideal forage. No benefit to dried grasses (hay) if you can provide fresh grasses or non-toxic tree/ vine leaves. Hopefully you will be ultimately be able to grow enough grass with your lawn to provide their forage with minimal or no forage supplementation. While supplemental forage is needed, it may be helpful to find what individuals with horses in your area are using as sources of supplemental forage. There is considerable information available online regarding nutritional content of grasses used as forage for horses.
I think your house and pond will be fine for present and they will use the house when it is their idea. It may take some time. I usually leave water dripping at the water bowels for the first few days after moving toroises but they quickly find freshwater sources when needed. You may have to bribe them to the house area with food initially but I would not be in any hurry to do so.
You do not have do do supplemental feedings daily although we do. Some zoological facilities may only feed 3 days per week.
Manually forced soaking, unless needed for medical reasons, may cause more stresses than benefit. My tortoises, if forcefully handled, let me know they are displeased with me for about 3 months ( not upset with anyone else, just me, the bad guy who made them do something against their will.). Therefore, I find it useful to bribe them with favorite foods, attention, neck rubs, etc. when moving or handling tortoises for medical reasons. It is rare that a tortoise must be handled against its will.
Remember they tend to have a very long gut transient time (20 days or so) so changes in diet are not immediately reflected in stool. Forage (grasses or grass substitutes) should be the primary food source which is slowly processed in the large intestine.
Please let me say your English is impeccable! And I bet you speak several other languages too! Best wishes to you and your torts. You’ll find help here.
I am not sure about large tortoises. But my little guy ate his own poop. Until I scooped it up before Opo got to it. Maybe the previous owner didn't feed them enough.
Btw, how are they doing? Have they drank yet or gone into their hide?
If you don't have to worry about any large predators, it's okay for them too sleep outside.
I'm not sure how you would get the ceiling on that hide raised if it's cement. You could get a cement saw/blade and cut a big square in it. Then make a wood frame to fit just larger then that square and make a taller roof.
With your climate there is probably little reason to import hay, etc. While your new lawn is growing I would think it most feasible to periodically aquire cut grass or non-toxic leaves from a pestacide/herbacide free area as supplement. Large tortoises prefer cut grass to be long rather than finely chopped. Appropriate grasses are ideal forage. No benefit to dried grasses (hay) if you can provide fresh grasses or non-toxic tree/ vine leaves. Hopefully you will be ultimately be able to grow enough grass with your lawn to provide their forage with minimal or no forage supplementation. While supplemental forage is needed, it may be helpful to find what individuals with horses in your area are using as sources of supplemental forage. There is considerable information available online regarding nutritional content of grasses used as forage for horses.
I think your house and pond will be fine for present and they will use the house when it is their idea. It may take some time. I usually leave water dripping at the water bowels for the first few days after moving toroises but they quickly find freshwater sources when needed. You may have to bribe them to the house area with food initially but I would not be in any hurry to do so.
You do not have do do supplemental feedings daily although we do. Some zoological facilities may only feed 3 days per week.
Manually forced soaking, unless needed for medical reasons, may cause more stresses than benefit. My tortoises, if forcefully handled, let me know they are displeased with me for about 3 months ( not upset with anyone else, just me, the bad guy who made them do something against their will.). Therefore, I find it useful to bribe them with favorite foods, attention, neck rubs, etc. when moving or handling tortoises for medical reasons. It is rare that a tortoise must be handled against its will.
Remember they tend to have a very long gut transient time (20 days or so) so changes in diet are not immediately reflected in stool. Forage (grasses or grass substitutes) should be the primary food source which is slowly processed in the large intestine.
Wew... Thank you so much.. Learned alot...
I think growing own grass is really a good idea.. I think I will be able to grow our own grasses for my tortoises. Actually my front yards is bigger than my backyard where the tortoise live, it has 1.400 m2 full sprinkler intallment.
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I will redo the grass into bermuda grass, orchards, and fescue for the shade (under tree) area. May be it will take around 3 months to be established. Later I think it can be cut as needed. In the meanwhile I will search nearest horse ranch to source for the hay, they may have alternatives fresh grasses which edible for the tortoise.
Ok.. I will install some sprinkler near the pond tommorow. And I will not forced them anymore. I don’t want them to be picky to me. hehehe.
Anyway, really appreciate so much for your input..