Just obtained a Tortoise. Please help!!

[Apollo]

Hi everyone.

I obtained a tortoise over the weekend. He was found by my husband who almost ran over him up in the mountains near us.

I am a complete novice, however, and need as much help as I can get!

I have no idea on his age, breed, sex. Would certainly be interested to know the first 2.

Care wise I know the basics but would like him to thrive and not just exist. Over the weekend we kept him indoors and he got a funny problem with his left eye. It looked almost like a blister and woudlnt open. Then this morning his back leg didnt seem to want to work.
I have cleared the garden (took a while as I have a broken foot) and encouraged him to walk around. He has really picked up now and wandered off quite happily (I stroked his back end to make him pop his head and legs out).

So, any help is much appreciated. I live in Tenerife and so weather wise its nice and warm for him.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Watermelon]

Can you post a pic?

 

[Apollo]

Hiya!

Its not a very good one, will try and get better when Iv managed to locate him outside

Any idea what he might be? He is about 9 inches long

 

[Watermelon]

Oooo I 'm not sure! I'm sure someone will know on this forum! I havent seen a tortoise like that before! He looks like he's smiling What have you been feeding him so far? x

 

[jeffbens0n]

Well it's not a tortoise. Its a turtle of some kind. Possibly a wood turtle. Maybe someone else can be more specific or correct me if I am wrong. Where are you located Apollo? That might help to determine what type of turtle you have here.

 

[Cameron]

don't know what kind, but it's a water turtle, maybe mud or musk? if you are going to keep him outside he needs a place where he can be in the water and also be able to get on dry land if he wants.

from the pic, i can't see anything wrong with left eye. if it does get worse you may need to take him to the vet to check it out.

 

[Apollo]

Thanks for your replies.
We have been feeding him on salad so far but Im off to the pet shop in a bit to get him some suppliments and proper grub Whatever that is

Not a tortoise?? Really?? Blimey, I wouldnt have thought he would have been anythings else...you can tell Im a novice cant you! Im in tenerife, up in the mountains. I just assumed he had been a pet and "done a runner".

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Il go and get another pic of him walking, bear with me

 

[yagyujubei]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Mauremys+caspica+pics&qpvt=Mauremys+caspica+pics&FORM=IGRE#x0y0
This is just a guess. Does it look like any of these?

 

[Apollo]

OOOH, Actually he does. Quite similar to the first one and a few of the others....hmmmmm, whole new ballgame then maybe??

I took ages trying to find him and then when I did the camera was flat so going to pop out again now and get a snap or 2 of him.
Thanks for all this help everyone, I really want to make sure he is as happy and healthy as possible

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don't know what kind, but it's a water turtle, maybe mud or musk? if you are going to keep him outside he needs a place where he can be in the water and also be able to get on dry land if he wants.

from the pic, i can't see anything wrong with left eye. if it does get worse you may need to take him to the vet to check it out.

Sorry, didnt see this

The pic was taken the day we got him, the eye thing started a couple of days later. It opens now but it looks like its cloudy...blind maybe? What could have caused that? Lack of natural light? He hasnt been anywhere dangerous.

I just took some more photos of him and I introduced him to a tray of water which was deep enough to go underwater but also put stones at one end in case he drowns!!!!
He seemed quite happy dipping hiss head under and when I went over he went under completely and lay at the bottom. I got nervous though and pulled him out after 30 seconds!! I put him back on the stones.

Pics coming in a mo......

Thank you all again for all this help

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Okies, heres some more pics of the little chap:

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Apollo:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know your name?

You have a water turtle. They actually live in the water, only coming out onto land to warm up in the sun, or look for a place to lay eggs. So leave him in the water. He's not going to drown.

There may be laws regarding picking up the native water turtles. Was there a body of water near where you found him?

 

[Apollo]

Hi Emysemys

Thanks for your post. My name is Steph

Aaah, a water turtle. Thank you. Its strange really as there is no water for a very long time. We dont have any lakes or anything, just water resevoirs on the mountainside. I cant imagine where he must have come from. Its a real puzzle. It was a baking hot day and he was literally sat in the middle of the mountain road. What do they eat, do you know? He must be hungry if I havent been giving him the right food,

 

[yagyujubei]

Put him in a big pan of water. Most aquatic turtles can only eat while in the water. Try bugs,worms, a piece of raw fish etc...Good Luck.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Steph:

Usually bugs, worms, that sort of thing. Water plants like water lettuce or water hyacinth. But water turtles usually have to eat in the water, as they can't swallow their food unless they're submerged.

 

[GBtortoises]

Looks like a very old and rough (probably female) European Pond Emy obicularis subspecies. Unusually light colored but could easily be a geographical variation, there are many. There is a very good chance that she may be far from water because she is either on her way to or from laying eggs.

 

[Apollo]

Thanks to you all.
Well we are much better aquanited now (me and (s)he)
I got a pot of supermenu pellets, salad and havencreated a nice watery and land kingdom
As soon as the pellets went in the water it was "grubs up!!" and a very happy turtle.

I wondered if it was a male as the base is very flat, possibly slightly concave, nails are long and the hole on the tail is nearer the tip than the shell (Iv been studying )

He/she looks very happy indeed now

 

[GBtortoises]

Could be a male, if so it's a big one, or from a population of one of the larger races or subspecies.

 

[Apollo]

Thanks GBtortoises. Im no expert so very grateful for the info provided by kind folk like yourself.
I dont know if our environment here in Tenerife makes for larger/paler etc turtles...I would still love to know where s/he came from

 

[SILVERSTAR]

wut a cool find, who woulda thought a water turtle that far from water,they have been known to travel, he may even like a small wading kiddie pool if you decide to keep,the minute i saw him i knew his shell was way to flat to be a tortoise from the mountains anyway.....good luck you lucky duck good find....!!!!!!!!

 

[HLogic]

I'm guessing M. leprosa and male (from the 3rd pic - unless that turt has 5 legs!)

 

[Apollo]

wow, thank you. such a cutie s/he is
I could watch for hours!

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thank you HLogic