Soaking for more than 3 hours.

[SSSaunders]

Hi all my baby tort Ralph has gone into his water bowl and been soaking in there for more than 3 hours now, I am worried. Is that normal and can anyone tell me what kind of tort he is? He just walked into out garage one day and he became a new family member.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum.

Terribly sorry I cannot help you. Let us get help from the experts here. @Yvonne G @Tom kindly help. Thanks.

 

[SSSaunders]

Gosh I am so worried, thank you @Gillian Moore .

 

[Gillian M]

Gosh I am so worried, thank you @Gillian Moore .

Do not worry, someone will hopefully answer soon.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

With the nature of the photo (poor light and out of focus) I'd guess that is a yellow foot tortoise.

It would be "normal" for them to soak for hours at a time, no worries on that.

 

[SSSaunders]

Thank you @Will and also @Gillian Moore, I will try to get a better photo and post it.

 

[TammyJ]

Hi, what a cute baby tortoise. Can you tell us more about how you keep him, what you feed him, and how long have you had him? And of course, if you can post some more pictures?
And Oh yes - welcome to the site!

 

[SSSaunders]

Hi @TammyJ thank you.

1- I keep him in an enclosure that my husband made out of wire and lined with kite paper.

2- I feed him cucumbers, actually that is the only thing he eats. I tried him with shredded carrot, shredded pommeycithere (local fruit), tomato, banana, kale, lettuce and cabbage all of which he refuse to eat, I don't know why.

3- I have had him about two weeks now. I mentioned before not sure if you saw it that I live in a forested area and he walked into our yard looking for refuge what he did not know is that I have four dogs and they were going to make him a meal but my husband rescued him and I decided to adopt him.

This is a first and very new experience to me so I have two options 1- keep him and try to raise him with help and guidance or put him back into the forested area that he came from.

 

[TriciaStringer]

Please don’t put him back. He is not a native species, I don’t think. If after finding out his care, and if deciding you don’t want him, please find someone in here or a tortoise rescue in your area.

 

[TriciaStringer]

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/information-about-redfoot-and-yellowfoot-tortoises.149274/

This could help you.

 

[SSSaunders]

Thank you @TriciaStringer. I do not want to put him back and I hope I do not have to. I am going to try my best to take care of him as best as I can. I appreciate the link you sent me and I will read everything there and use the info. I am guessing that he might be a redfoot or a yellowfoot based on the link you sent me?

 

[Tom]

San Fernando California?

 

[SSSaunders]

No @Tom

San Fernando -- Trinidad (the Caribbean)

 

[Gillian M]

Gosh I am so worried, thank you @Gillian Moore .

You are most welcome.

 

[TriciaStringer]

No @Tom

San Fernando -- Trinidad (the Caribbean)

Ooooooh. That makes a lot more sense. I thought you were in California.

 

[SSSaunders]

I wish I was @Tom then I could have given him to one of you guys because I think I am failing to give him the care he needs though I am trying very hard. I got him to start eating a grape this morning but then I put the calcium on it and he stopped eating and have not eaten anything else for the day. His shell has started to look kinda white-ish and I don't know what to do. I called several vets and none of them have the expertise to attend to a tortoise because it is not a very common practice here in Trinidad to have a tortoise as a pet. Most people have dogs and cats and that is what the vets specialize in, now I am babbling and crying cause I really do not know what to do.

 

[ColaCarbonaria]

Try banana most torts love it. It’s not real good for them all th time but just to get th Lil guy to eat something would be good. Another thing to try and stimulate appetite would be to moisten some cat or dog food so it’s kinda mushy or mix th two together. Again it’s not good for them all th time but to get it eating something, then you can start mixing better food items (like local weeds, greens and fruit) w th banana and dog food and then slowly lower th content of banana and dog food if wanted to keep th tort or get s/him a full belly and release back to th forest, because don’t you guys have these torts living naturally on th island? I thought Trinidad was one of th islands they were introduced by sailors in th 19th century. If you do not have them naturally occurring then don’t release, obviously.

 

[SSSaunders]

Thank you @ColaCarbonaria I will try it.

I offered him the cucumber which he loves and he is eating that, I was hoping to get him to eat other food varieties besides just cucumber. But for the moment he is eating the cucumber. My next challenge is to get him to take the calcium.

Question: if I put the calcium in his soaking/drinking water will that help his calcium intake?

To be honest with you, I do not know much about if they live here naturally or not I will have to research that. I do know the most common things/animals we have down here are dogs, birds, fishes and cats. And those are what most people have as pets. If tortoises do live naturally down here it will be more in the wet lands and highly forested areas.

 

[ColaCarbonaria]

I wouldn’t do th water, honestly I would just get him eating a little better then start worrying about th powders. For calcium you should be able to find cuttlebone bars (sold for pet birds) just break it up into chunks put in his enclosure. If he loves cucumber finely chop it up or blend it and then put that on a mixture of chopped weeds and greens, mix it all together well. That way he can’t pick out th cucumber. And yes these animals come from very humid, forested places and especially at that age. Im sure you have looked but at th top of this page there are guides to housing and diets.

 

[SSSaunders]

I love you @ColaCarbonaria thank you soooooooo much. I am almost certain imma get him to eat that way because he just loves the cucumbers. I did not even think about that, thank you. The cuttlebone if you say it is sold for birds then I am sure I will get it. Yes I have been directed to all the links and I am studying them all, thank you again. Will keep you posted.