How do I rehome my two tortoises if there's no one willing to adopt/buy them where I live?

[Salhoof]

I have two greek tortoises, they were both wild caught, and I've had them for about 3.5 years now. I got them when they were still very little, so I assume their age is close to 4 years old. I've been told by a user here that I've been giving my tortoises a bad life, and that it would be best if I rehome them. I know that people here won't give them a good life either, they'll most likely put them in a tiny birdhouse, and only feed them lettuce. How do I find someone reliable to give them to?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I have two greek tortoises, they were both wild caught, and I've had them for about 3.5 years now. I got them when they were still very little, so I assume their age is close to 4 years old. I've been told by a user here that I've been giving my tortoises a bad life, and that it would be best if I rehome them. I know that people here won't give them a good life either, they'll most likely put them in a tiny birdhouse, and only feed them lettuce. How do I find someone reliable to give them to?

Hello!
Are there any wildlife conservation organizations or rescues? Probably, there are tortoise keepers groups in your area on Facebook or other social networks - you can check there how they keep their animals and ask to adopt or foster.

Or maybe you have friends or relatives who can take them and allow you to set things the right way for them?

In your other post you mentioned that situation is temporary. If it is so, you may not need to rehome - likely you will search for the good home for them longer than moving to a new place.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

If the situation is going to be temporary, maybe you will be able to get your relatives to take care of them and make sure they are set up properly?

 

[TammyJ]

Thanks for coming here for help with your tortoises and your predicament. As far as I can see, you probably won't succeed in finding anyone who would take them or care properly for them because they are not seen as pets there. Letting them go back into the wild is definitely not a good thing, for many reasons. So if I was in your situation, here is what I would do. Separate them, number one. Try to give them better conditions of space, hydration and diet. Check the care sheet here for temperate species and try to follow its advice. I hope you get to move into your new home soon so that you guys and the tortoises will all be more comfortable! So how about posting a few pictures of the tortoises? That would give us an idea of their condition and maybe we can come up with more suggestions for you?

 

[Salhoof]

Thank you all for replying! Here are some pictures of my tortillas:

 

[TammyJ]

Get them out of sand right away! They don't live in sand although they have to walk in it in the wild to get to moisture, food, shade and safety! Sand will stick on their guts and kill them soon. Separate them, soak them in tepid or slightly warm water for at least 40 minutes to hydrate them. Make the water level just up to where their top and bottom shells meet.That's the first priority. No sand. Soak. Separate. They are adorable, thanks for the pictures! More help will come. We do really want to help you.

 

[Salhoof]

Get them out of sand right away! They don't live in sand although they have to walk in it in the wild to get to moisture, food, shade and safety! Sand will stick on their guts and kill them soon. Separate them, soak them in tepid or slightly warm water for at least 40 minutes to hydrate them. Make the water level just up to where their top and bottom shells meet.That's the first priority. No sand. Soak. Separate. They are adorable, thanks for the pictures! More help will come. We do really want to help you.

Sand is bad? I honestly did not know that, I'm sorry for keeping them in it. I'm going to try and get some clean dirt as soon as possible. First year we got them we had dirt instead of sand, but they kept getting muddy after getting in the water bowl so we replaced it. Do they look okay? Or does it seem like they have any health complications? I'm thinking I could separate them by keeping one in the wooden box and let the other one roam around in the balcony outside the box, and maybe alternate between the two. Usually when I soak them I only do so for about 10-15 minutes at the most, because once I put them in the water they keep trying to climb out. How do I get them to like it?

 

[TammyJ]

Normal dirt is definitely better than sand, and it's ok for them to be a bit muddy sometimes instead of dry! Just as long as they are not cold. Keep up the daily soaks and don't care if they don't like it. It's very important. Just watch to make sure that they don't tip over in the water as they try to get out. Thanks.

 

[Salhoof]

Normal dirt is definitely better than sand, and it's ok for them to be a bit muddy sometimes instead of dry! Just as long as they are not cold. Keep up the daily soaks and don't care if they don't like it. It's very important. Just watch to make sure that they don't tip over in the water as they try to get out. Thanks.

Thanks for your quick reply! I'll get some clean dirt next time I visit our home that's under construction. There's a lot of smooth clean dirt there so I think that it would be good. I told my mom about having to separate the torts, and she told me to put a divider in the box and see if it goes well. If they don't like it, I'll have one of them roam free in the balcony. My mom isn't very keen to having a tortoise roam the balcony again because of the big mess they make, but I'll try to convince her.
I really hope we'll get to move soon, as it'll make everything a lot better for them.

 

[zolasmum]

Sand is bad? I honestly did not know that, I'm sorry for keeping them in it. I'm going to try and get some clean dirt as soon as possible. First year we got them we had dirt instead of sand, but they kept getting muddy after getting in the water bowl so we replaced it. Do they look okay? Or does it seem like they have any health complications? I'm thinking I could separate them by keeping one in the wooden box and let the other one roam around in the balcony outside the box, and maybe alternate between the two. Usually when I soak them I only do so for about 10-15 minutes at the most, because once I put them in the water they keep trying to climb out. How do I get them to like it?

They are lovely -thanks for the photos. I think you have to persevere with the soaking, even if they don't like it -use a container with high enough sides so that they can't get out, and add more warm water if it gets cold - emptying some of the cold water , of course. The exercise is very good for them, and will help them to digest their food, so don't worry that they are scrabbling about. Could you dig up a bit of clover at your grandparents house and re-plant it in a pot to bring home ? It will spread over time, and give you some useful food for them.
Angie

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Sand is bad? I honestly did not know that, I'm sorry for keeping them in it. I'm going to try and get some clean dirt as soon as possible. First year we got them we had dirt instead of sand, but they kept getting muddy after getting in the water bowl so we replaced it. Do they look okay? Or does it seem like they have any health complications? I'm thinking I could separate them by keeping one in the wooden box and let the other one roam around in the balcony outside the box, and maybe alternate between the two. Usually when I soak them I only do so for about 10-15 minutes at the most, because once I put them in the water they keep trying to climb out. How do I get them to like it?

Don't worry. Everyone makes mistakes. Sand works really bad for captive tortoises - sticks to food and causes impactions, irritates eyes and so on. In the wild ingested sand pushed through with foods high in fiber and lots of walking but in captivity this is not that easy to replicate.

Also, tortoises need some humidity coming from substrate so they can burrow and choose suitable microclimate. That's why they need some shaded area in the enclosure and a "hide" to get away from heat and feel safe.

Can you get them shallow terracotta (clay) saucer like the one used under plant pots? It should be large enough so they can get into and self-soak. Such saucer makes a great water dish. Also if you have unused clay pots you can make a hide out of half of it.

As for the arrangements for two tortoises - it's better to build a second box with substrate, hides, water dish and such. Or you can set something like that on a balcony (check the construction site - maybe there are some wooden pallets to reuse or someone has an old unused wardrobe).

 

[Salhoof]

They are lovely -thanks for the photos. I think you have to persevere with the soaking, even if they don't like it -use a container with high enough sides so that they can't get out, and add more warm water if it gets cold - emptying some of the cold water , of course. The exercise is very good for them, and will help them to digest their food, so don't worry that they are scrabbling about. Could you dig up a bit of clover at your grandparents house and re-plant it in a pot to bring home ? It will spread over time, and give you some useful food for them.
Angie

That's honestly a very good Idea! I'll ask my dad if he could buy a pot so that I could plant some clover in it. I'm honestly not very good with plants, but I'll try.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

How do I get them to like it?

You will just have to wait for them to get used to it. As Alex said, in the meanwhile it will be great exercise!

From the photos it seems like they are a little pryramided, but that is usually just cosmetic. You can avoid this in the future with moist substrate and soaking but the old damage can't be reversed. Otherwise I don't see any health issues.

You are doing well trying your best to improve their lives! And we have plenty of tips for any problems

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

That's honestly a very good Idea! I'll ask my dad if he could buy a pot so that I could plant some clover in it. I'm honestly not very good with plants, but I'll try.

Probably, you can just plant it in the dirt in the enclosure, but they they will eat it in seconds.

 

[Salhoof]

Don't worry. Everyone makes mistakes. Sand works really bad for captive tortoises - sticks to food and causes impactions, irritates eyes and so on. In the wild ingested sand pushed through with foods high in fiber and lots of walking but in captivity this is not that easy to replicate.

Also, tortoises need some humidity coming from substrate so they can burrow and choose suitable microclimate. That's why they need some shaded area in the enclosure and a "hide" to get away from heat and feel safe.

Can you get them shallow terracotta (clay) saucer like the one used under plant pots? It should be large enough so they can get into and self-soak. Such saucer makes a great water dish. Also if you have unused clay pots you can make a hide out of half of it.

As for the arrangements for two tortoises - it's better to build a second box with substrate, hides, water dish and such. Or you can set something like that on a balcony (check the construction site - maybe there are some wooden pallets to reuse or someone has an old unused wardrobe).

Yeah I think I can get one of those saucers, maybe once I get a pot to plant some clover, I can get one too. I honestly don't know if my dad would agree to get another box though. I had to practically beg him to get me that first box, and I don't want to annoy him by asking him to get me another one. He'll just tell me to release them back into the wild as he always says, because he believes that that's what's best for them. So I feel like my best bet is to let one roam the balcony and keep the other one inside the box, and alternate between the two. Once I convince mom, of course .

 

[Salhoof]

You will just have to wait for them to get used to it. As Alex said, in the meanwhile it will be great exercise!

From the photos it seems like they are a little pryramided, but that is usually just cosmetic. You can avoid this in the future with moist substrate and soaking but the old damage can't be reversed. Otherwise I don't see any health issues.

You are doing well trying your best to improve their lives! And we have plenty of tips for any problems

Thanks! I'll go soak them right away, is it okay if I only keep checking on them once every so often, or should I keep my eye on them the whole time?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Yeah I think I can get one of those saucers, maybe once I get a pot to plant some clover, I can get one too. I honestly don't know if my dad would agree to get another box though. I had to practically beg him to get me that first box, and I don't want to annoy him by asking him to get me another one. He'll just tell me to release them back into the wild as he always says, because he believes that that's what's best for them. So I feel like my best bet is to let one roam the balcony and keep the other one inside the box, and alternate between the two. Once I convince mom, of course .

You may ask in the shop which sells the pots if they have broken ones. They might have wooden pallets as well (often heavy goods like bags of soil are shipped on the pallets which are thrown away).

Your dad is right that living in the wild is best for them but only if they were hatched and raised there. Captive tortoises unlikely will adapt, they can carry infections which can kill the whole populations of wild tortoises, they can be caught and sold once again and so on. At this point, these are your tortoises and your responsibilty and commitment and, hopefully, you can show how to properly care for them to your friends and relatives.

 

[Salhoof]

You may ask in the shop which sells the pots if they have broken ones. They might have wooden pallets as well (often heavy goods like bags of soil are shipped on the pallets which are thrown away).

Your dad is right that living in the wild is best for them but only if they were hatched and raised there. Captive tortoises unlikely will adapt, they can carry infections which can kill the whole populations of wild tortoises, they can be caught and sold once again and so on. At this point, these are your tortoises and your responsibilty and commitment and, hopefully, you can show how to properly care for them to your friends and relatives.

That might convince my dad, if the box is free, we might be able to get another one. I'll go with him to get the pots when he has the time to go there, and if I see wooden pallets I'll ask the store owner if I can have one. I only soaked them for 15 minutes today, cause it honestly felt like I was torturing them. I'll increase the number of minutes gradually each time I soak them so that they'll get used to it I guess.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I keep an eye on my tortoise all the time because he is always trying to escape so I fear of him flipping. You should of course soak in separate containers!

 

[Salhoof]

I keep an eye on my tortoise all the time because he is always trying to escape so I fear of him flipping. You should of course soak in separate containers!

Thank you for your advice!