Need Info!!!!!!

[Jentortmom]

I am starting my research now!! I just found out last night that I am going to be having a desert tort come to my house.. It is under a year I think? I don't know much about the tort that is coming, other then it is young.

1. Can it be in the same room as my other torts? Like in the bottom section of my new tort enclosure.

2. Does he need to be on soil or can he go on asen? either way doen't bother me, just want to make sure I have it on hand.

I will come up with more as I do my research, but if you can think of anything that would be helpful.

 

[AWAaviatrix]

Hi Jen!

Yvonne, who is a member of this forum, is very experienced with Desert Tortoises. You might want to start a new thread with Desert Tortoise as the subject. Might catch her eye better.

Misty

 

[Josh]

jen,
i use coconut husk for my DT babies but im considering moving to the play sand/soil mixture. i dont see why you couldn't keep the little desert tortoise on the bottom of your new enclosure. i have a uvb10.0 bulb and a 95 degree basking area. etc etc.

 

[Jentortmom]

I was reading a caresheet that said they could have squash and stuff is that true??? What are you feeding yours.

 

[Crazy1]

Jen, I am fostering adult DT they eat about everything, squash, Butternut is one of their favorites, Pumpkin, zucchini, summer squash, dandelions, cactus, succulents like Jade and they liked the wondering jew and of course zinnias, sunflowers, leaf lettuces, geraniums, spider plant etc.

Here is a quote from the Tortoise trust web site; "If you keep Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) with minor modifications, as their requirements are very similar indeed to the Mediterranean Testudo species. The Russian tortoise, Testudo horsfieldii, though geographically not a Mediterranean tortoise, also has near identical dietary requirements."

 

[Josh]

i decided tonight that im going tortoise plant shopping this weekend.
i added a few of those you mentioned to my list, robyn...thanks!

 

[Jentortmom]

See I was reading a different care sheet last night and it said not to keep water in there all the time just every couple days put it in for a little while so they can drink. And it said no squash, carrots, and a bunch of other stuff. I will pull it up again and give you the link and you can give your opionon to it.

 

[Crazy1]

Thanks Jen, I would love to see the link. Like all foods they should be varied. I don't feed the DT squash all the time but they do get it and seem to be doing fine. I also leave water in their enclosure all the time. And they love the sprinklers. I was a little afraid at first to use the sprinklers on them but it seems to stimulate them to drink water.
When I got these big guys I spoke to the Pres of my CTTC chapter. He is the one who has given me a lot of advice on the food and care the DT. He has had his first one for about 45+ years now and many since he got his first. He also fosters DT when there is a need. He reminded me that we need to look at the environment these creatures come from to get an idea of their diet and habits. Things like dandelions, wild squash, Growing grass, weeds, Opuntia cactus, and rose all grow in the wild here in CA. Supplement this diet with vegetables such as endive, escarole, squashes such as zucchini, Pumpkin, chopped carrots, mixed vegetables, small amounts of kale, romaine and other dark-green leafy vegetables with the added supplement of Calcium and a vitamin will all round out the DT diet. In the wild DT have been seen making a scrape in the dirt when it rains and drinking from the whole. They do the same things when I put the sprinklers on. They seem to really enjoy a rain now and then especially in the heat of the summer.
Check out the CTTC site for care sheets on DT at: http://www.tortoise.org/general/descare.html

 

[Jentortmom]

The link is http://www.turtlestuff.com/cdtdiet.html I don't know how knowledgable this sheet is, and of course I will not use just one.

 

[Jentortmom]

Well I am suppose to be getting the DT sometime this week or next. The lady is trying to decide what she wants and what everyone else wants and who she trusts and who just wants one so they can say oh I have a tort. For sure I am getting one but could get three (yikes) I don't know...I am not holding my breathe if it happens it happens, if not there are plenty that need homes.

 

[Yvonne G]

1. Can it be in the same room as my other torts? Like in the bottom section of my new tort enclosure.

It is ok to be in the same room, but you want to be sure to wash your hands between handling the different species.

2. Does he need to be on soil or can he go on asen? either way doen't bother me, just want to make sure I have it on hand.

Whatever kind of substrate is easiest for you. Aspen is fine. I don't like to use soil because of the danger of ingesting it and becoming impacted.

I will come up with more as I do my research, but if you can think of anything that would be helpful.

The VERY BEST diet you can feed your desert tortoise is to allow it to graze on weeds and grasses. They will eat everything you put in front of them, but that doesn't mean its good for them. If you have to have the tortoise in the house and it can't graze, then the next best thing would be to feed it dark, leafy greens or Spring Mix. You can buy clean, cut up hay from Carolinapetsupply.com. Its called "Salad style hay" and its cut up small. I wet the greens then sprinkle a bit of the hay over the top and mix it up. They won't eat the hay by itself, but if you wet the greens the hay sticks to it and they eat it "accidently."

You can also find salad-style hay at Oxbow.com, but I like the stuff from Carolina Pet Supply better. The product is very good, but the shipping kills ya.

Yvonne

 

[Jentortmom]

Thanks!!