Tortoise death 😭

[PixiePie]

New here not sure if I’m doing this right but I’m so stressed and upset 😭 today I realised my younger tortoise died and I’m unsure why (the end of last year I thought I was going to lose him but thought he was attempting to hibernate not sure 😭)

He always slept a fair bit so didn’t think much of his lack of movement, today I went to move him and found that he is dead 😭 I’m so upset and I feel so awful 😭.

I think something has started sort of living inside him as his nostrils have become 1 and I can see liquid moving around a bit - I can’t look properly as dead things really freak me out so my dad will check in the morning 😭 I’m very upset and distressed.

I have taken my other tortoise out but I’m concerned as I’m not too sure when the other one died 😭 but he seems ok and happy eating kale- but could there be things eating his insides?! I feel like a terrible owner, my parents got them for me when I was about 11 because I have always absolutely loved animals but foolishly I didn’t ever do research so I still feel lost and confused years later even after trying to research about them

Any advice would be amazing as I really don’t want the same to happen to my other little man 🥺

I’ve ordered seeds that are a tortoise mix to try grow him some foods he would be eating in the wild and once my dad has sorted my other poor babies body I will be fully cleaning and disinfecting the house before my tortoise returns there

Very stressed and upset that it’s too late 😭😭

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm so sorry your tortoise died.That's always hard to go through, Probably what you're seeing moving inside are fly maggots. The alive tortoise won't be infested with these.

 

[PixiePie]

I'm so sorry your tortoise died.That's always hard to go through, Probably what you're seeing moving inside are fly maggots. The alive tortoise won't be infested with these.

It has been a distressing evening, especially hearing noises that sounded like breathing but more likely maggots 😭 but also Thankyou! I’m now paranoid as I’ve had a bump on my neck since Sunday and I read about not fly which was a mistake!! 😭

 

[wellington]

So very sorry. If the tortoises were housed together this may have been a big part of the death. Tortoises should not be housed together.
Also be very sure it is dead. We have seen a few that the owners thought were dead but with some care the tort was alive. Just be sure it's really dead. Trying giving it a long warm soak if any doubt.

 

[Yvonne G]

I doubt there'd be a human bot fly infestation in Surrey. You're good!!

 

[PixiePie]

So very sorry. If the tortoises were housed together this may have been a big part of the death. Tortoises should not be housed together.
Also be very sure it is dead. We have seen a few that the owners thought were dead but with some care the tort was alive. Just be sure it's really dead. Trying giving it a long warm soak if any doubt.

They had been together for about 14 years. I think the place my parents got them from wasn’t very good they seemed knowledgable but they told us not to hibernate them and to feet them lettuce and tomato which we later discovered was not good we also had a certificate saying she was a girl but later discovered she was in fact a he 🥺…. And my dad has had a look before I woke this morning and she is now gone- I’m pretty sure I saw stuff moving in her nose which started to decay 😭 I now need to become more educated to keep my other boy safe 🥺 Thankyou for the reply!

 

[Ink]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[wellington]

They had been together for about 14 years. I think the place my parents got them from wasn’t very good they seemed knowledgable but they told us not to hibernate them and to feet them lettuce and tomato which we later discovered was not good we also had a certificate saying she was a girl but later discovered she was in fact a he 🥺…. And my dad has had a look before I woke this morning and she is now gone- I’m pretty sure I saw stuff moving in her nose which started to decay 😭 I now need to become more educated to keep my other boy safe 🥺 Thankyou for the reply!

So sorry. Yes, unfortunately you were given all the wrong info and that happened all the time years ago. Not on purpose but that's what was known back then, bad info.
Read up on this forum for the right way so you can improve the life of the one you have left.
Again very sorry.

 

[Tom]

They had been together for about 14 years. I think the place my parents got them from wasn’t very good they seemed knowledgable but they told us not to hibernate them and to feet them lettuce and tomato which we later discovered was not good we also had a certificate saying she was a girl but later discovered she was in fact a he 🥺…. And my dad has had a look before I woke this morning and she is now gone- I’m pretty sure I saw stuff moving in her nose which started to decay 😭 I now need to become more educated to keep my other boy safe 🥺 Thankyou for the reply!

Sorry that you lost one. Here are some tips to help with the survivor:
1. They should never be kept in pairs.
2. Kale is okay once in a while, but not a good staple food.
3. Here is the correct care info for your species:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

 

[zolasmum]

They had been together for about 14 years. I think the place my parents got them from wasn’t very good they seemed knowledgable but they told us not to hibernate them and to feet them lettuce and tomato which we later discovered was not good we also had a certificate saying she was a girl but later discovered she was in fact a he 🥺…. And my dad has had a look before I woke this morning and she is now gone- I’m pretty sure I saw stuff moving in her nose which started to decay 😭 I now need to become more educated to keep my other boy safe 🥺 Thankyou for the reply

I am so very sorry. These things happen. But if you send photos of your other tortoise (what's his name, by the way )
and of where he lives,temperatures of his environment, and what he eats, people here will be able to advise you how to improve things.
Best wishes from Angie

 

[Quixx66]

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[PixiePie]

Sorry that you lost one. Here are some tips to help with the survivor:
1. They should never be kept in pairs.
2. Kale is okay once in a while, but not a good staple food.
3. Here is the correct care info for your species:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

Thankyou so much! Today I took my dog out and used my plant app (maybe a bit lame 🙈) and picked some stuff which is meant to be Herman tortoise friendly! But I will look at that information you sent, Thankyou!

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Aw'www I'm so sorry for your loss, there are many here that have been in your place, losing a beloved Tort Companion. I lost my Herman's (Gigantor) about a year and a Half ago, So, I know how hard it is.
Best thing to do now is concentrate on caring for your other Tort the best you can....

 

[LeoTheWaywardTortoise]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Helen Ruff]

So very sad…. Please feel supported by the knowledgable members on this forum. I live in the very north of England and it’s quite a challenging environment at times with changeable weather etc. hope all goes well with your other baby.

 

[Dragon]

So sorry for your loss, unfrountly there is a lot of misinformation out there. Im so glad i found this sight as all the research i did and the information i got from the pet store where i got my russion was wrong! It took awhile but i think we finally have everything set up proprly for her. My sissy spends a lot of time in her cave and that worries me off ad on but the people here are very helpful and kind and most of all paticent! Im sure they can help you with the one you have left.

 

[PixiePie]

So sorry for your loss, unfrountly there is a lot of misinformation out there. Im so glad i found this sight as all the research i did and the information i got from the pet store where i got my russion was wrong! It took awhile but i think we finally have everything set up proprly for her. My sissy spends a lot of time in her cave and that worries me off ad on but the people here are very helpful and kind and most of all paticent! Im sure they can help you with the one you have left.

Yeah I get so worried about being judged because I didn’t do any research because I was 11-12 when I got them and then grew up thinking what we were doing was right, but alas realised so much it wrong! So glad I found this page! And the app “seek” to identify weeds then the app “tortoise table” to search if they are tortoise friendly!

 

[Dragon]

Dont worry so much about being judged. You do the best YOU can do, we ALL learn from our mastakes. I researched for months before i got my sissy....and guess what? pretty much everything i read was WRONG! my poor sissy's house was to small, I didnt have the right lamps, and I didnt have enough bedding for her house either. Also no where did i find anything that said anything about soaking your tort! Frountly I found this sight the day after I got sissy and they were able to help me get everything right. Im still learning...a very wise woman (my mother) told me you never stop growing and learning. Im 64 years old and like you i did everything wrong when i first got sissy....and thats ok....because I corrected that by find a place filld with people who do know how to take care of torts...so i could correct my mastakes. Sissy is now a happer tort, and shes already started training me. lol Every day between 4 and 5 she climbs over her food dish and pushes her head up againsst the windo....to let me know she wants to spend some time with me and soak. lol if i dont get up right away to get her soaking tub she walkes to a different spot on the windo and pushes her head up against the windo until I get her tub and put her in it. then I rub her shell with a tooth brush and even gently her head and legs. lol and today i used my finger to gently rub her head....she was scared at first but soon relaxed and almost fell asleep!! lol So I put her back in her house and she crawled into her cave and is now sleeping peacefuly. lol Remember no one can ask you to do more then your best. As long as you KNOW your doing your best thats all that matters. Dont beat yourself up for making mastakes correct them and learn from them then move on.

 

[PixiePie]

T

Dont worry so much about being judged. You do the best YOU can do, we ALL learn from our mastakes. I researched for months before i got my sissy....and guess what? pretty much everything i read was WRONG! my poor sissy's house was to small, I didnt have the right lamps, and I didnt have enough bedding for her house either. Also no where did i find anything that said anything about soaking your tort! Frountly I found this sight the day after I got sissy and they were able to help me get everything right. Im still learning...a very wise woman (my mother) told me you never stop growing and learning. Im 64 years old and like you i did everything wrong when i first got sissy....and thats ok....because I corrected that by find a place filld with people who do know how to take care of torts...so i could correct my mastakes. Sissy is now a happer tort, and shes already started training me. lol Every day between 4 and 5 she climbs over her food dish and pushes her head up againsst the windo....to let me know she wants to spend some time with me and soak. lol if i dont get up right away to get her soaking tub she walkes to a different spot on the windo and pushes her head up against the windo until I get her tub and put her in it. then I rub her shell with a tooth brush and even gently her head and legs. lol and today i used my finger to gently rub her head....she was scared at first but soon relaxed and almost fell asleep!! lol So I put her back in her house and she crawled into her cave and is now sleeping peacefuly. lol Remember no one can ask you to do more then your best. As long as you KNOW your doing your best thats all that matters. Dont beat yourself up for making mastakes correct them and learn from them then move on.

Dont worry so much about being judged. You do the best YOU can do, we ALL learn from our mastakes. I researched for months before i got my sissy....and guess what? pretty much everything i read was WRONG! my poor sissy's house was to small, I didnt have the right lamps, and I didnt have enough bedding for her house either. Also no where did i find anything that said anything about soaking your tort! Frountly I found this sight the day after I got sissy and they were able to help me get everything right. Im still learning...a very wise woman (my mother) told me you never stop growing and learning. Im 64 years old and like you i did everything wrong when i first got sissy....and thats ok....because I corrected that by find a place filld with people who do know how to take care of torts...so i could correct my mastakes. Sissy is now a happer tort, and shes already started training me. lol Every day between 4 and 5 she climbs over her food dish and pushes her head up againsst the windo....to let me know she wants to spend some time with me and soak. lol if i dont get up right away to get her soaking tub she walkes to a different spot on the windo and pushes her head up against the windo until I get her tub and put her in it. then I rub her shell with a tooth brush and even gently her head and legs. lol and today i used my finger to gently rub her head....she was scared at first but soon relaxed and almost fell asleep!! lol So I put her back in her house and she crawled into her cave and is now sleeping peacefuly. lol Remember no one can ask you to do more then your best. As long as you KNOW your doing your best thats all that matters. Dont beat yourself up for making mastakes correct them and learn from them then move on.

Thankyou for that sweet reply! I’m glad you managed to improve Sissy’s life!🥰 im definitely going to do some reading on here to see what I can do!☺️☺️

 

[Dragon]

T

your welcomed. Just take your time and do what you can do as you can do it. your tort might not have everything just the way its supposed to be right away but with each thing you correct the better he will feel. and try not to get to worried if your tort stays in its hidy cave for a long time. by the time we got everything the way it was suppose to be sissy spent like 3 weeks in her cave with out comming out and i drove people nuts asking if she was ok. lol