NEED TO RESCUE TORTOISE IN AZ

[DevilDog5mom7]

Please meet Elvis. Of course I have not even consider turning over a tortoise to see what sex he/she is.

 

[DevilDog5mom7]

Another Elvis showing his enclosure.

 

[Yvonne G]

I hate to have to tell you this, but that tortoise is in great shape. That old lady did a wonderful job of raising him up to adulthood. Yes, it would be nice if there were weeds and grass to graze on, but she must have been feeding him good food for him to be looking so good. The water gets bad only a few minutes after the keeper refreshes it. The tortoise has a built in radar telling it to go foul the clean water. I sometime have to change my Sulcata's water two or three times a day. And with the old lady not being home, it is to be expected the water would be pretty bad by now.

He (yes, it's a boy) looks really great! Anyone should be proud to have him. I wish I lived in Arizona. I'd take him in a heartbeat!

(I love the way "they" punched a hole in the wall for the air conditioner. Oh well, at least she was able to keep cool)

 

[DevilDog5mom7]

I hate to have to tell you this, but that tortoise is in great shape. That old lady did a wonderful job of raising him up to adulthood. Yes, it would be nice if there were weeds and grass to graze on, but she must have been feeding him good food for him to be looking so good. The water gets bad only a few minutes after the keeper refreshes it. The tortoise has a built in radar telling it to go foul the clean water. I sometime have to change my Sulcata's water two or three times a day. And with the old lady not being home, it is to be expected the water would be pretty bad by now.

He (yes, it's a boy) looks really great! Anyone should be proud to have him. I wish I lived in Arizona. I'd take him in a heartbeat!

(I love the way "they" punched a hole in the wall for the air conditioner. Oh well, at least she was able to keep cool)

Thanks for the info. I am relieved to know Elvis is probably healthy. And thanks for the water info. He's cute isn't he? I think his neglect began in the last two years. Her husband died, her health took a bad turn and she just couldn't keep up. Her daughter lives a good ride away and does not visit as often as she should. She thinks that if Elvis has water and straw/hay he has everything he needs. That is simply not the case. I hope I can convince her to allow an adoption. She is going to have her hands full with a dog, and 4 huge birds. The kind that talk and repeat what they hear. Plus Elvis so this is a lot of work for her while dealing with the passing of her mother.

 

[Yvonne G]

Let's send a shout out to @Neal . He's in Arizona, and if he's not interested in the tortoise maybe he knows someone who would be.


(Yes - he's very cute!!!)

 

[DevilDog5mom7]

I have been reading posts on Sulcata tortoises. Elvis used ot have a child's wading pool but is damaged. Do I need to get something he can soak in? What do I buy for a tortoise that is about 3' long and 2' wide? Any suggestions would be great. He is very dirty. covered in dust and dirt. I think he could really use a soak.

 

[mike taylor]

A washing machine drain pan from Home Depot . To answer your question yes they do need a soaking .

 

[DevilDog5mom7]

Thank you so much! I would never have thought of that. I'll be shopping tomorrow.

 

[DevilDog5mom7]

I keep forgetting to ask this question. I have never been around a tortoise, ever. Elvis is the first tortoise I have seen close up. Yes I am making excuses. I need to go into the enclosure. It needs cleaning and the removal of the green water pan. I also need to put in a washing machine pan so Elvis can soak.

Ok here it is. I am scared to go into the enclosure. Could he bite me? Should I put down food to distract him? He can move fast when he wants to. Elvis is big. so it's ok to snicker (I can take it) but is there anything I need to know before I go in? As always thank you for the help. I appreciate it more than I can tell you'll.

 

[jaizei]

How big is big? A large tortoise could ram you and actually hurt you.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

He is a lovely big sulcata. What a gorgeous animal.

 

[DevilDog5mom7]

How big is big? A large tortoise could ram you and actually hurt you.

Elvis is 3' long and about 2' wide. Should I have help?

 

[wellington]

Bahahahaha. Sorry, couldn't hold it
He can't move faster then you guarantee.

 

[DevilDog5mom7]

Bahahahaha. Sorry, couldn't hold it
He can't move faster then you guarantee.

I don't know. My hubby says I run like Captain Jack Sparrow, arms up in the air, running for dear life. I love being the butt of a great joke. If a person can't make fun of themselves they are missing out on some joy.

 

[Tom]

With large reptiles, or other potentially dangerous animals, we exotic animal trainers always use the buddy system. There is no reason why you can't have someone go in there with you until you feel more comfortable. Dropping a head of romaine, or a pumpkin, or something like that, will probably distract him, but sulcatas are very personable and depending upon how hungry he feels, he might be more curious about the hairless ape in his enclosure than the food. They are usually not aggressive toward people, but they are certainly able to ram you or bite you. Just watch his mouth and if he begins to open it and move it toward you, then move out of his way. Don't let him get you between him and a wall or other hard object.

You are probably worried for nothing, but there is no harm in being cautious.

 

[beasy910]

I hope someone can adopt him soon , he looks like he would make a great addition to anyone's back yard !

 

[wellington]

I don't know. My hubby says I run like Captain Jack Sparrow, arms up in the air, running for dear life. I love being the butt of a great joke. If a person can't make fun of themselves they are missing out on some joy.

I always told my son he could run, but I'd still catch him. Well, a couple years ago we had a race. My arms were swinging way faster then my legs. LOL. Almost like I was standing still. Boy what my head thinks I can do, my body doesn't. But really, even my fastest, which is pretty fast, but that's fast for a tort, which still isn't very fast at all. Most could be them in a crawl.

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

Very nice of you to look after her tortoise in this very unfortunate situation. He looks great though she must really love her tortoise. It's a shame she might not recover though

 

[DevilDog5mom7]

The tortoise I am feeding and working on an adoption has always lived outdoors; The woman who owns him did not have room in a small house to bring him in during the winter; I live in Phoenix. To me it is a joke to say we have a winter. If Elvis has always lived outside, for years, do I need to worry about the cooling temps? Mind you I am not adopting Elvis. But I am well aware that he has not been properly cared for in the last 2 years. He does have a large burrow. But how do I know that is enough? We believe, don't know for sure, that Elvis is at least 40 years old, give or take a few years. What is the easiest way to provide heat? He cannot come inside. He's too big.

 

[Tom]

The tortoise I am feeding and working on an adoption has always lived outdoors; The woman who owns him did not have room in a small house to bring him in during the winter; I live in Phoenix. To me it is a joke to say we have a winter. If Elvis has always lived outside, for years, do I need to worry about the cooling temps? Mind you I am not adopting Elvis. But I am well aware that he has not been properly cared for in the last 2 years. He does have a large burrow. But how do I know that is enough? We believe, don't know for sure, that Elvis is at least 40 years old, give or take a few years. What is the easiest way to provide heat? He cannot come inside. He's too big.

Bringing them inside is not not a reasonable option in my mind. Living inside a human habitat, loose on the cold floor is very dangerous and potentially deadly for a tortoise. Anyone in the Southern US just needs a heated night box. Like these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/