Wild tortoise rescue etc

[pavlvsrex]

So I live in a remote mountainous area in southern Turkey in a fenced off plantation. I had a few tortoises on the land already but rescued a couple more from a highway nearby last year. This summer is starting off terribly hot and dry, so I’ve found some of the critters quite underweight and listless. One in particular seemed to have one eye permanently shut and looked worse for wear and underweight. I gave it water for about an hour and it drank a hundred or two millilitres to the point where it felt significantly heavier. I gave it some greens and then placed it in a lusher part of the garden where it rested for the night. After barely moving during the day, i gave it more water and greens, and although the closed eye is now open, it seems like it’s gone blind and only reacts to food brushed up against its mouth. It has difficulty navigating against a wall and doesn’t instinctively move towards grassier areas, instead staying on the paved landing. I’d like to treat this creature before letting it on its way, but need some advice.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello and welcome!

I think you should continue what you doing now - helping it rehydrate (daily bathing) and feeding it leafy greens (like hibiscus, mulberry or young grape leaves). However, this tortoise may be sick - please exercise caution for a while, keep it isolated from your other tortoises, don't share dishes. I hope in a couple of weeks her vision will recover but you should decide what to do if it stays blind (no chance for it to survive in nature).

You do a great deed helping them! However, it would be better, if possible, not to take them from the wild - just help them to cross the highway, offer water and some food and let them go. There is a small risk of transmitting diseases when you take them home and put back. These diseases may do many harm to other wild tortoises.

And let's wait for other members opinions too.

 

[wellington]

I agree, keep doing what you are doing. Give it a warm soak in tub of water and leave fresh water out daily and feed
If you can after a few more days let her go in your fenced in area to live a wild life, but yet confined to your area, this would be best then putting her outside the fenced area. This way you can be sure there is always water available.

 

[pavlvsrex]

Hello and welcome!

I think you should continue what you doing now - helping it rehydrate (daily bathing) and feeding it leafy greens (like hibiscus, mulberry or young grape leaves). However, this tortoise may be sick - please exercise caution for a while, keep it isolated from your other tortoises, don't share dishes. I hope in a couple of weeks her vision will recover but you should decide what to do if it stays blind (no chance for it to survive in nature).

You do a great deed helping them! However, it would be better, if possible, not to take them from the wild - just help them to cross the highway, offer water and some food and let them go. There is a small risk of transmitting diseases when you take them home and put back. These diseases may do many harm to other wild tortoises.

And let's wait for other members opinions too.

Thanks. I should add that the two I rescued from the highway (about 3km from my property) were emaciated, covered in ticks and not long for this world, which is why I took them, de-ticked them (believe me that was a hard job) and fattened them up with broccoli, mulberry leaves and ubiquitous grape leaves. They are still on the property, feisty as ever when I see them every few weeks. That said, there are several gaps under the fencing through which a few have come and gone. Unlike the surrounding wheat fields and cedar forests, we have a lot of shade from walnut trees, which allow for more lush pasture and no risk from tractors or ploughs, hence… tortoise haven.

 

[pavlvsrex]

…on the subject of ticks, can you recommend a better way to remove clusters of small (tiny) ticks that would be more efficient than plucking them out one by one? The big ones are easy, but some of the tortoises I have treated have patches of 30-40 or more tiny ticks all clustered together on the neck and shoulders

 

[Yvonne G]

Try gobbing on Vaseline to suffocate them. I've heard this causes them to back out.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

…on the subject of ticks, can you recommend a better way to remove clusters of small (tiny) ticks that would be more efficient than plucking them out one by one? The big ones are easy, but some of the tortoises I have treated have patches of 30-40 or more tiny ticks all clustered together on the neck and shoulders

Besides using vaseline and removing them one by one, Merck Veterinary Manual suggests Permethrin (10%) spray (there are reptile use approved sprays and probably, you can find it in general pharmacy store as anti-lice treatment, but make sure it doesn't have any additives). Use it in open air, be careful not to spray in eyes and nostrils.

Also, this page can be helpful:

Tortoise Trust Web - Common diseases

Tortoise Trust Web - A site dedicated to the conservation and captive care of Chelonia

www.tortoisetrust.org

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Some of these quicker methods may cause the tick to vomit and aren't recommended in my country and removing them one by one is preferred.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Some of these quicker methods may cause the tick to vomit and aren't recommended in my country and removing them one by one is preferred.

Yes, that's true. Any method involving clogging their breathing pores can result in tick regurgitaing in the wound (vaseline and permethrin and bathing work the same way if I'm not mistaken). Yet, it's hard to remove them from neck/shoulder area, for example, if tortoise is not "cooperating". And sometimes there are just too many of them.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Yes, that's true. Any method involving clogging their breathing pores can result in tick regurgitaing in the wound (vaseline and permethrin and bathing work the same way if I'm not mistaken). Yet, it's hard to remove them from neck/shoulder area, for example, if tortoise is not "cooperating". And sometimes there are just too many of them.

Yeah, you are correct. I just wanted to point that out so OP has all the information. If there are multiple ticks and the tortoise isn't co-operating it is of course best to get the ticks out any way possible.

 

[pavlvsrex]

OK so rather than resort to chemicals, I’ll just keep picking at them with my fingers while giving Roderick a bath each day. He is improving, drinking a lot and getting heavier, and enjoys lettuce but refuses most other foods including the ubiquitous grape leaves growing everywhere along the fences. He still has a 3-4 months to fatten up before needing to hide from the snow.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Oh! He has a name and a nice one!

Lettuce, unfortunately, won't let him to gain enough nutrients for the winter sleep (it's mostly water and some fiber). Did you try offering him rocket salad (aka ruccola or arugula) or endive (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endive)? Hibiscus leaves and flowers are usually more preferred over grape leaves (older grape leaves are high in tanins and not that "tasty").