Why wouldn't it work out for him? Have you taken turtles with you traveling? I have a lot and I have not ever seen a stressed out turtle because of traveling. They sleep in that dark box.
tortoise going camping
- Thread starter bulbasaurthetort
- Start date
TaylorTortoise
Well-Known Member
I bring my Russian down the shore almost every weekend. He got used to his travel christmas container I pack him in with his lights. I fill up the container with substrate, bring his favorite food, and favorite hide. He is content for the weekend. He also gets out and walks around down the shore and then takes his angel naps.
We forgot to ask what kind of “Camping” - in a full blown travel trailer with electricity & rooms, in tents, in cabins or a guest house? Will you be around all the time to monitor, or off hiking & biking & swimming....etc.
I still vote for setting up a good enclosure at home. Watch where/why it is flipping & try to resolve the issue.
I still vote for setting up a good enclosure at home. Watch where/why it is flipping & try to resolve the issue.
I believe they detailed the camping info in his original post.
I think the stress stuff depends on the tortoise. My two male leopards never seem stressed. They just go with whatever.
My male russian does seem to get "stressed" when he has to go in for winter. Stressed or peed off, one of the two.
My female leopards I had, one seemed to always be stressed/nervous the other not. The female? 3 year old I have now seems to adjust well to changes but seems to rather be inside then roaming outside. Her dad is the same way.
I think a lot has to do with the individual tort and how comfortable one feels in the knowledge they have and how well they know their tort.
I don't think they could survive over all these years if they stressed that easily.
That said, if its possible to leave them home, then that's what should be done. If it's not possible, then take it with you.
Cant be any more stressful then shipping.
I think the general consensus has been that this is unnecessary stress for the tort, most of which don't respond well to change or stress; also the heat-pad, which again was generally regarded as a potential risk to the tort.
When I've taken my torts on drives for various reasons, they often seem off their game for days afterwards, which is why I avoid unnecessary travel for them (which this post seems to be centered on).
I'm not saying something will go wrong, I'm saying that I hope it works out ok for the tort... which, why wouldn't you?
Jamie
QUOTE="jsheffield, post: 1947869, member: 111457"]
I think the general consensus has been that this is unnecessary stress for the tort, most of which don't respond well to change or stress; also the heat-pad, which again was generally regarded as a potential risk to the tort.
I'm not saying something will go wrong, I'm saying that I hope it works out ok for the tort... which, why wouldn't you?
Jamie
[/QUOTE]
You misunderstood me...no sarcasm meant. I moved to Oregon from Fresno Calif. 15 years ago. Since then...every year I drive animals from Corvallis Oregon to Clovis Calif. 800 miles one way, generally 2 or 3 times a year. And bring animals back. I took a bird to San Benito Texas and brought back 2 turtles and a tortoise...I forgot that I got held at the border for 8 hours as they thought I was smuggling chelonia...smuggling "rare" turtles...yep a very rare Sulcata tortoise and two extremely rare 3-toed box turtles. They tore my fully loaded car apart. Seriously? Too bad they didn't go thru my suitcase better...Tortoise smuggling? ha! they missed the drugs in my suitcase...End of story.
My point is.. I should simply not give chelonia advice because I keep turtles and tortoises the way I want to and the way is easiest for me/them. I do most things different, but somehow I mostly raise or rehab good healthy chelonia.
I imagine I am an embarrassment to my sister who goes out of her way to make totally perfect different enclosures to mimic tortoises in the wild, and she gives excellent advice. I asked you because I really want to know...what does a "Stressed Out" turtle act like? When I take animals to my sister I generally bring something back. Sept. I brought back 3 chelonia. I take one of my cats with me too. They are fine.
I think what I am trying to say and not doing a very good job at it, is for all these years I have traveled with cat and chelonia, I never noticed if an animal was stressed out, But if an animals was, I would feel and would most probably say..." Get over it"!
Someday I will tell the story of a road trip to Billings Montana and the 60 pound Sulcata I took there in my Camaro...lol
I'd better close now before my sister deletes me....
Aaaagh. I swear i missed all that! ?
daveyjones1972
New Member
I have a suggestion. Perhaps buy a Wyze camera and mount it so you can keep an eye on him. They have motion/sound sensing and night vision so you can even see him in the dark. Have someone on-call who can check in on the little guy if you notice he’s flipped. Perhaps that would solve the problem, minus the stress or leaving him at home unattended, or dragging him along?
Jan A
Well-Known Member
You misunderstood me...no sarcasm meant. I moved to Oregon from Fresno Calif. 15 years ago. Since then...every year I drive animals from Corvallis Oregon to Clovis Calif. 800 miles one way, generally 2 or 3 times a year. And bring animals back. I took a bird to San Benito Texas and brought back 2 turtles and a tortoise...I forgot that I got held at the border for 8 hours as they thought I was smuggling chelonia...smuggling "rare" turtles...yep a very rare Sulcata tortoise and two extremely rare 3-toed box turtles. They tore my fully loaded car apart. Seriously? Too bad they didn't go thru my suitcase better...Tortoise smuggling? ha! they missed the drugs in my suitcase...End of story.
My point is.. I should simply not give chelonia advice because I keep turtles and tortoises the way I want to and the way is easiest for me/them. I do most things different, but somehow I mostly raise or rehab good healthy chelonia.
I imagine I am an embarrassment to my sister who goes out of her way to make totally perfect different enclosures to mimic tortoises in the wild, and she gives excellent advice. I asked you because I really want to know...what does a "Stressed Out" turtle act like? When I take animals to my sister I generally bring something back. Sept. I brought back 3 chelonia. I take one of my cats with me too. They are fine.
I think what I am trying to say and not doing a very good job at it, is for all these years I have traveled with cat and chelonia, I never noticed if an animal was stressed out, But if an animals was, I would feel and would most probably say..." Get over it"!
Someday I will tell the story of a road trip to Billings Montana and the 60 pound Sulcata I took there in my Camaro...lol
I'd better close now before my sister deletes me....
[/QUOTE]
And then there's my prior cat that would caterwaul & drool heavily for 2 hrs in the car until he wore himself out, cage or no cage. If we stopped for gas, it started all over again. Once we started sticking him in his cage & putting him in the 5th wheel & towed him, he arrived perfectly dry, undisturbed & looking at you like, "where's dinner?"
Just like a period of cloudy cool days in the wild. This is common for people to see when you house a temperate species outdoors in a temperate climate. If there is a cold rainy spell in spring after they've come up from hibernation, they will often stay in their box for a few days until the sun comes out and the temps warm back up.
Personally, I don't do it that way. I have the lights on a timer, the heat, if any, on a thermostat, I empty the water bowl, and I leave a spineless opuntia pad or two for them to nibble on while I'm gone. A couple of days with no water and minimal food is nothing to a tortoise. Someone to check in on them once a day is a nice bonus. Or set up a wifi cam, so you can check yourself. Then you can call in help only if needed in an emergency.
Cicitina
Well-Known Member
I leave my tort on weekends when I go up to my family cottage. I bought one of those water dishes with the bottle to refill on its own for while I’m gone and I plant a variety of things in his enclosure to nibble on.
I’m always very paranoid he’ll flip over in my absence so I level out his enclosure as much as I can the day before and watch how he moves around it for a bit before figuring out what areas need to be “tortoise proofed” so he won’t flip himself. So far he is always right side up when I get back and seems content enough.
I still spend a lot of my time worrying about him while I’m gone but so far that’s seemed to be a waste of time since he’s always fine.
I’m always very paranoid he’ll flip over in my absence so I level out his enclosure as much as I can the day before and watch how he moves around it for a bit before figuring out what areas need to be “tortoise proofed” so he won’t flip himself. So far he is always right side up when I get back and seems content enough.
I still spend a lot of my time worrying about him while I’m gone but so far that’s seemed to be a waste of time since he’s always fine.
OMG...read what I wrote...not leave your tortoise at home in the dark. I said "I carry them in my car ...CAR...in a dark box with a lid if you take a tortoise with you in a car."
NO NO NO. Read what I wrote
Prize007
New Member
I did... You wrote: "...you are only being gone for 2 days? Leave him home in the dark and he will sleep almost the whole time you are gone. For some reason I thought you were gonna be gone a week."
Did I misinterpret that somehow?
wow...I guess not. I'm sorry.
Prize007
New Member
No biggie. Lots going on in this thread. Just keeping an eye out for my lil guy in case I was wrong.
