Life changes

[Chasen]

So I'm moving. First I'm going to Provincetown, Ma for summer and then back to California. I'll be driving and I'm concerned about how my little one is going to fare. There will be periods of 3 days and up of travel time between the driving and staying with family and friends along the way. Am I being unfair and unrealistic to think that he will handle this ok? Is this just too much stress to put on him? If this is doable, how do I go about it? I've transported snakes and lizards across the country with absolutely no issues, but none have had the daily requirements that this guys does. He's doing so well now and after working hard to make him healthy again, I don't want this to cause drama in his little life. Thank you

 

[Tom]

Well first of all, I'm sad that you have to leave a free state and move to a commie hell hole, so condolences on that.

Driving cross country will be hard on your tortoise. I'd leave it at home, drive to each destination, set up a new enclosure, and then have the tortoise flown to you as pet cargo. This will minimize stress on the tortoise and also make your life a heck of a lot easier.

Where in Cali are you going to end up?

 

[Yvonne G]

I've never moved across country with a tortoise, so I really can't give you the best advice, but what sprang to mind was: If I'm remembering correctly, you have a fairly young/small leopard tortoise??? What I would do is to take the tortoise in his enclosure. It shouldn't make any difference to him that he's moving across country because his four walls are the same ones he's been living in most of his life. It might be hard to keep a steady temperature in the enclosure, and you may have to drive with you heater on much higher than is comfortable for you, the driver, but that's the only thing I see that may be hard to do. There's a product called "Hot Hands." It's chemically activated hand warmers. I think the heat lasts about 12 hours. You can buy several packages of those and use them to keep the temperature inside the enclosure warm enough for the little guy.

 

[TammyJ]

Good people here helping you out with some good ideas!

I have none, but glad to see your kind concern for your little one.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

 

[TammyJ]

Will you miss Galveston? Will you still hear the sea waves crashing?

 

[jsheffield]

I have an emergency kit, in case we lose power and heat during the New Hampshire winters ... it's designed around the idea of keeping Darwin warm in my car.



Everything fits inside a 20g Tupperware container.



The heating comes from a gardening sprouting heating pad (waterproof), a thermostat, and an inverter that runs off my car's power.



I have a couple of smaller Tupperware totes nesting, one with a cutout doorway for a tortoise hide, the other holding enough cypress mulch to cover the bottom of the bigger container over the heating pad.

This type of set up should be able to maintain your tortoise's heat and humidity levels as you cross the country.

Jamie

 

[Chasen]

Well first of all, I'm sad that you have to leave a free state and move to a commie hell hole, so condolences on that.

Driving cross country will be hard on your tortoise. I'd leave it at home, drive to each destination, set up a new enclosure, and then have the tortoise flown to you as pet cargo. This will minimize stress on the tortoise and also make your life a heck of a lot easier.

Where in Cali are you going to end up?

Since you live in SoCal, I'm not sure if you are trying to be funny or if you are serious. I'm from California. I love California and California will always be home. So if you're serious, I'm sorry you feel that way.

I don't know that having someone ship him to me will be an option, so I will either try to re-home him or take Yvonne's suggestion and transport him in his own little RV. Actually, I'll just set him up in a more travel friendly tote now. This might well be an interesting build.

I will go back to Palm Springs to start and decide from there if I will stay or move to the coast.

Thanx for your respected input.

 

[Chasen]

I've never moved across country with a tortoise, so I really can't give you the best advice, but what sprang to mind was: If I'm remembering correctly, you have a fairly young/small leopard tortoise??? What I would do is to take the tortoise in his enclosure. It shouldn't make any difference to him that he's moving across country because his four walls are the same ones he's been living in most of his life. It might be hard to keep a steady temperature in the enclosure, and you may have to drive with you heater on much higher than is comfortable for you, the driver, but that's the only thing I see that may be hard to do. There's a product called "Hot Hands." It's chemically activated hand warmers. I think the heat lasts about 12 hours. You can buy several packages of those and use them to keep the temperature inside the enclosure warm enough for the little guy.

View attachment 267176

Yes, he was 115 grams last weigh in.

Your suggestion might just work. I can move him now into a more travel friendly tote instead of his glass tank. Then when we hit the road I can plug the basking bulb and CHE into an inverter I already have.

I've had those handwarmers on hand before and would be a good idea to do it again.

Thanx for your suggestion

 

[Chasen]

Good people here helping you out with some good ideas!

I have none, but glad to see your kind concern for your little one.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

Thank you. Yes, I will still hear the sea waves crashing. Only in another state. lol

 

[Chasen]

I have an emergency kit, in case we lose power and heat during the New Hampshire winters ... it's designed around the idea of keeping Darwin warm in my car.

View attachment 267210

Everything fits inside a 20g Tupperware container.

View attachment 267213

The heating comes from a gardening sprouting heating pad (waterproof), a thermostat, and an inverter that runs off my car's power.

View attachment 267214

I have a couple of smaller Tupperware totes nesting, one with a cutout doorway for a tortoise hide, the other holding enough cypress mulch to cover the bottom of the bigger container over the heating pad.

This type of set up should be able to maintain your tortoise's heat and humidity levels as you cross the country.

Jamie

Thank you for your ideas. I think I'm going to combine your's and Yvonne's suggestions. Using CHE and basking bulb. Have you run the thermostat heat pad in the car already?

 

[Wright78]

Since you live in SoCal, I'm not sure if you are trying to be funny or if you are serious. I'm from California. I love California and California will always be home. So if you're serious, I'm sorry you feel that way.

I don't know that having someone ship him to me will be an option, so I will either try to re-home him or take Yvonne's suggestion and transport him in his own little RV. Actually, I'll just set him up in a more travel friendly tote now. This might well be an interesting build.

I will go back to Palm Springs to start and decide from there if I will stay or move to the coast.

Thanx for your respected input.

I'm here in MA if you need to rehome, while you are here.

 

[jsheffield]

Thank you for your ideas. I think I'm going to combine your's and Yvonne's suggestions. Using CHE and basking bulb. Have you run the thermostat heat pad in the car already?

I did a proof-of-concept run ...

To get and keep the needed temp, I had to run the car with the heater blasting for a bit ... the pad and thermostat worked great, but had an easier time keeping the heat constant with an insulating blanket on top of the whole assembly ... the wet cypress mulch provides some useful thermal mass and helps the humidity.

Jamie

 

[Chasen]

I did a proof-of-concept run ...

To get and keep the needed temp, I had to run the car with the heater blasting for a bit ... the pad and thermostat worked great, but had an easier time keeping the heat constant with an insulating blanket on top of the whole assembly ... the wet cypress mulch provides some useful thermal mass and helps the humidity.

Jamie

I'm thinking the CHE will put out more heat, but I'll wrap the enclosure in a blanket too. Thanx

 

[Tom]

Since you live in SoCal, I'm not sure if you are trying to be funny or if you are serious. I'm from California. I love California and California will always be home. So if you're serious, I'm sorry you feel that way.

The weather here is great and so is most of the environment. What is horrible is the taxes, government nannying and tyranny, and criminally corrupt people that are mis-managing this great state into bankruptcy. I love California too, but I hate was has happened to it and what is happening to it with these lunatic politicians.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Since you live in SoCal, I'm not sure if you are trying to be funny or if you are serious. I'm from California. I love California and California will always be home. So if you're serious, I'm sorry you feel that way.

I don't know that having someone ship him to me will be an option, so I will either try to re-home him or take Yvonne's suggestion and transport him in his own little RV. Actually, I'll just set him up in a more travel friendly tote now. This might well be an interesting build.

I will go back to Palm Springs to start and decide from there if I will stay or move to the coast.

Thanx for your respected input.

Let me know when you get to Palm Springs. You might enjoy a CA Turtle & Tortoise Club (CTTC) meeting. They are held in Palm Desert, at The Living Desert.

 

[Gijoux]

The weather here is great and so is most of the environment. What is horrible is the taxes, government nannying and tyranny, and criminally corrupt people that are mis-managing this great state into bankruptcy. I love California too, but I hate was has happened to it and what is happening to it with these lunatic politicians.

You are so correct!

 

[Chasen]

Let me know when you get to Palm Springs. You might enjoy a CA Turtle & Tortoise Club (CTTC) meeting. They are held in Palm Desert, at The Living Desert.

Thanx Karen. I used to go to those meetings back in the early 90's

 

[KarenSoCal]

Thanx Karen. I used to go to those meetings back in the early 90's

Yes, but not as MY guest!

 

[Chasen]

Yes, but not as MY guest!

True that.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Random comment but I love the Living Desert!