I'm new here - found tortoise need expertise

[newkalina]

Hello and thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer me with information regarding a turtle I found on a busy street. I would like to know anything and everything I can regarding the basics (i.e. identification, shelter requirements, food, water, gender, etc.). I know absolutely NOTHING about turtles but would like to keep and care for it until/unless its owner posts signs of the lost turtle.

Thank you again for anything you know. I tried to take as many good pictures as possible for help identifying it. This turtle was found in Orange County, California.

 

[Jacqui]

Welcome! What you have found is a male Russian tortoise. Be sure to look for the owner of this escape artist...which Russians are one of the best at. Why don't you go to the Russian section read some of the threads in there and then post the questions you may have. Glad you got him off the road!

 

[newkalina]

Hi. thanks for your reply. It took me 15 minutes just to figure out how to read your reply to my post. I'm afraid it will take me a week to figure out where the Russian section is and locate the types of things I need to know. Any chance you can give me some basic care instructions, such as what to feed him and how often. Also, he doesn't seem to drink water - any advice?

Thank you again! I appreciate your help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi newkalina:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

You can just keep the tortoise in a cardboard box for now. I'm sure someone is just devastated because their pet has escaped or accidentally been let loose. Try very hard to find his owner. Put up fliers on the utility poles around the neighborhood where the tortoise was found. Place an ad in the local newspaper ("found" ads are free), you can even put up an ad on Craigs list. But don't give out too much information. Make the callers identify the tortoise.

You can give him some dark, leafy greens to eat. If you don't use weed killer or pesticides, then you can pick some dandelions, clover, grape leaves, mullberry leaves. They eat anything like that.

But - do your best to find his owner.

 

[Jacqui]

How did you offer the water? In a dish like you would to a dog? Tortoises need to get into the water and soak. It should be about as deep as where the two shells meet. Warm water is liked more. Don't worry if he isn't wanting to drink right off either.

Food.... do you use chemicals or fertilizer in your yard? Or have an animal on IVermectin items (found in wormers, heartworm meds)? If no to those, feed him some weeds from your yard. Things like dandelion, plantain, clover, grape leaves, and so on. Might be easier if you say what plants you have growing. Or go to the store and buy some spring mix, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, or the like.

 

[dbsneed69]

Yvonne is right. He looks like he's been taken care of. I'm sure that someone is desperately searching for him. I would only post that you found a tortoise. There are a lot of people that would quickly swoop in and snatch up a free one. If you make it vague, there will be less of a chance that some jerk snatching him up.

I recently had an enclosure broken into and someone took my sulcata. I am still trying to track him down and that happened three weeks ago. Most people with tort companions truly love them and will search high and low for them. I still have a box marked "Tortoise return" on my front porch, wishful thinking I know.

I hope you find his person. If not, please do a lot of research if you decide to keep him. Torts are a real treat to own but there is a lot you need know before having one join the family.

Thanks for rescuing him!!!!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[Momof4]

There was one lost in Huntington Beach. Are you near there? It was on Craigs List. I hope you find his owners.

 

[ascott]

Welcome to the forum...very awesome of you to have picked the handsome dude up . You can get a 100 gallon rubbermaid container for his inside time....you will really want to have a secure outdoor enclosure for him for outside time...likely he has been kept outdoors as he may have escaped his prior digs....so would be good idea to keep a solid eye on him outdoor....while he is inside he will need artificial heat and uv rays for him to remain healthy....dark leafy greens, either chemical free weeds from the yard or dark greens from farmers market (organic is good)...water dish like a planter saucer just deep enough for him to lay in with water no deeper than the bottom of his chin...you will want to provide a place or two that he can crawl under to hide.... you can go to the forum search as well as other sites for basic info. However I do have to suggest...please don't use sand as the substrate as it can be ingested and lead to impaction which can prove fatal......

Now....please follow the others request for you to make every reasonable effort to tryto find a possible devastated owner .... however, if you do find you are going to behis caregiver.....please read read read all that you can about these awesome tortoise...

 

[drgnfly2265]

Hello and I'm very glad that you found that little guy. Hopefully you find it's owners.

 

[lynnedit]

Post some signs, put some fliers in neighborhood mailboxes. Just say you found a tortoise, make the person describe it, to avoid scams.
Meanwhile, a cardboard box, decent size, lined with some garbage bags or a small tarp,or a larger Rubbermaid container will work, with some topsoil/dirt that is free of fertilizers or chemicals would be fine. Sink a shallow water dish into the soil that is big enough for him to get into IF he wants.
Get a smaller cardboard box or plastic container, turn up side down and cut an opening and put in one corner for a hide. You can use a regular desk light with a 75w or so bulb on the other end for warmth, for now. Just make sure it doesn't touch the cardboard and is secure and fire safe.
Give him a soak in a small container with tepid to warm water up to the bottom of his shell. he probably got dehydrated out there. Do this daily for a few days then 2-3x per week.
Follow the advice in this thread, and as stated, if no one claims him, you can get a better set up going with the help from this forum.
Thanks for doing your research!

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...