Help what type of tortise do I have

T33's Torts

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Re: [split] new with questions

Can you post a profile picture? CDT's tend to be flatter as babies.


Or pictures of the front arms (sullies have big scutes on their arms)
 

Tom

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RE: [split] new with questions

That's a desert tortoise. Gopherus agassizzi. Totally different ball game. If she gave them to you free of charge then all is kosher. If she sold them to you, she broke the law.

I house those exactly the same as Russian tortoises. Here is a care sheet for them:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-80698.html

They are legal to possess, but not to sell. When they get a little older you will need to find your local CTTC chapter and apply for a free permit to keep them. Just be aware that most CTTC members fancy themselves "experts" on DTs and will give you all sorts of advice on how to dehydrate your babies and induce large, painful kidney and bladder stones. Yes they come from the desert, but they don't walk around in the hot dry air all day. They spend most of their lives underground where its more damp and humid. When setting up an enclosure for them, I find it helpful to imagine a desert earthworm and what it would need to survive. If you put it on dry sand or rabbit pellets, how long would it take to dry out and die under a heat lamp? The same thing happens to a baby tortoise's insides. Give your tortoise damp substrate, a humid hide and daily soaks for the next few months. Make sure one end of the enclosure has a basking spot of around 100 degrees for at least 12 hours a day, and the rest of the enclosure can taper down to room temp. Glass tanks work very well for this as the taller sides help reduce airflow and the resultant loss of your warm and more humid air. This is the OPPOSITE of what most DT people will tell you. After they get done telling you this, ask to see their collection of surgically removed kidney stones the size of tennis balls.
 

Rachael88

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What kind of tortise are they I was sold them as sulcata but I have also been told they are desert tortises
 

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Irwin4530

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They look DT to me but I no expert about these types .....hopefully someone else will jump
In
 

diamondbp

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I would say DT as well. The leg scales dont resemble sulcata leg scales.
 

Yvonne G

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Those are desert tortoises. I thought you said your sister found them in her yard?
 

Rachael88

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The lady who gave them to my sister found them in her yard and told us they were sulcata
 

Tom

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I just went back and read that you are in AZ. Sorry. In the other thread I was telling you how the laws work in CA. You will have to check with your state to find out AZ laws. I think over there you are only allowed to have one, and it must be permitted.

Any AZ members that can clarify?
 

capedthespian

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These are desert tortoises. Sulcata tortoises normally have more domed carapace and lighter coloring.
 
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Rachael88

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Thank you guys! What can a desert tortoise all eat? Do they still get soaked can the be in the same enclosure?
 

Yvonne G

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If you read the care sheet tom gave you the link for in his post, it will tell you how to feed your new babies and how to care for them. They need to be soaked daily for about 15 minutes. They need to be kept warm and not be allowed to live in a habitat where the temperature falls below 75F. They should be kept on moist substrate (bedding). They can be fed any dark, leafy greens, weeds and edible leaves.
 

Levi the Leopard

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Where in CA are you? When you are ready to apply for your permit, contact me. I'm part of the CTTC Chino Valley Chapter. I can get you the permit application and can offer the good advice, NOT the bad advice Tom is referring to :)
 

Rachael88

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Ok right now we have them in dirt from my backyard. They have one of the blue lights I think it's the heating one. I soaked them 20 minutes an let them outside for about 30 minutes so far. They have been eating grass. I was told they also eat cactus but I have yet to see them eat the cactus we have available for them.


I'm actually in Tucson Arizona.
 

Tom

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They need proper lighting and temps and they need it now. Babies have a small margin of error, and there is not time for you to figure this out on your own. Please read the linked threads. They will tell you proper temps, diet, enclosure, humidity and which bulbs to use. The colored bulbs are not good for day time use.

These babies will not survive for very long without the right temperatures, conditions and hydration.

Please just click and read and we are happy to any specific questions. Pease pardon my sense of urgency, its just that the majority of DT babies that manage to hatch die due to improper care in their first few months. Its not hard to do, its just that most people don't understand how to do it.

We all just want to see your babies thrive.
 

Rachael88

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Just wondering how dirt is bad for them if that's where they live is in the desert. I'm not sure I understand that part. They have soaked an received sunlight today already
 

Tom

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Who said dirt is bad? Yard dirt is fine. Its even listed as a decent substrate in both of those care sheets.

Sand would not be good, as it can and does cause impactions. If your dirt is super dry and your humidity is very low, that could be a problem too, but dirt is fine. Cheap too.

I'd feed in a sunken terra cotta saucer or on a plate with a low lip to keep the food off the dirt. I do this with any substrate.
 

Rachael88

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Ok yeh it's yard dirt there in. I have a watering bowl but I'm mostly giving them grasses of different types an weeds. I tried cactus but they didn't touch it. So I'm guessing they don't like it.
 

Tom

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Tortoises are creatures of habit. If they haven't seen a food before, they aren't likely to try the first few times. For little babies your really need the soft tender young cactus pads. Either way, just keep trying with it. There are lots of other good foods too. You can try spring mix, escarole and endive from the store. Get some Mazuri. Get some ZooMed grassland pellets. When mulberry leaves and grape vine leaves come back in season, those are great foods too. If you've got good weeds near you, you are all set. That's probably the best thing there is, and its free.
 

Rachael88

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There are tons of weeds near my house well within walking distance anyway. I will keep trying the cactus. Thanks for all your help I really appreciate it!


Is it ok that they are together like this?
 

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