HELP! HELP! HELP! (soft desert tortoise)

[Ashlee Harrington]

Hello, my name is Ashlee. I have a turtle that I have had for three years in October, my neighbors turtle had babies and she brought one over for me to have. I am not exactly sure what type of turtle it is! recently my turtle has gotten sick, it's shell has started to get soft and I don't know what to do! Please help me! Also if anyone knows the exact type of turtle I have? Anything helps!

 

[spanna]

That looks like a Sulcata tortoise...

 

[stojanovski92113]

What kind of set up/housing, lighting, diet does your tort have, & do you give your tortoise calcium? Can you take a better picture of its face? How big is your tortoise? It almost looks like a red footed tortoise but I'm so tired I'm seeing double?!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Ashlee welcome to the TFO from AZ . But you shouldn't feed it on the carpeting it will get little pieces of fuss and unlike cats torts cannt spit up fur balls . But have a great tort day!


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[ZEROPILOT]

It looks JUST LIKE a red footed to me, too. However there is absolutely no red. I know that they exist. He already has the start of shell pyramiding. Make sure you up his humidity and calcium.

 

[mike taylor]

Where are you like what state? Because that looks like a baby gopher tortoise witch is illegal to breed and you have to get a permit to keep .

 

[mike taylor]

Sorry forgot to help you . You need to get him some uvb and calcium . Get him outside in the sun .post pictures of its setup we will help you fix it .

 

[TeguBuzz]

Agreed with @mike taylor , looks like a gopher tortoise.

 

[tortadise]

Welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ashlee:

Your baby is in big trouble and you need to act quickly to help him. It is a baby desert tortoise - Gopherus agassizii. It is ok for you to have it, however, once you get it well again, you'll have to apply for a permit to keep it.

New tortoise-keepers don't realize that in order for tortoises to grow and stay healthy, they need the sun. As you have now found out, without the sun the shell soon grows soft and eventually the baby dies.

Here is a good care sheet for desert tortoises:

http://www.donsdeserttortoises.com/2.html

The guy who wrote this care sheet is in Bakersfield and he really knows his stuff about desert tortoises.

To give your baby immediate help, you need to get calcium-rich foods into him, then real sunshine which will give him UVB and that converts to vitamin d3 inside the baby. The vitamin d3 makes the calcium work, making the shell and bones strong.

Good luck, and please keep us in the loop on your baby's progress.

 

[Ashlee Harrington]

What kind of set up/housing, lighting, diet does your tort have, & do you give your tortoise calcium? Can you take a better picture of its face? How big is your tortoise? It almost looks like a red footed tortoise but I'm so tired I'm seeing double?!

I have a UV light (day and night) in a 55 gallon fish tank (set up as a terrarium). I have the broken down bark in there but my smallest turtle choked on it and died so I have a people grass in there until my turtle gets a little bit bigger. My turtle is about the size of a fist. I will post another picture once I get home! Thank you for your help!

 

[Ashlee Harrington]

Hello Ashlee welcome to the TFO from AZ . But you shouldn't feed it on the carpeting it will get little pieces of fuss and unlike cats torts cannt spit up fur balls . But have a great tort day!


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum

Thank you that is good to know, I was trying anything to get him to eat, I will remember this!

 

[Ashlee Harrington]

Where are you like what state? Because that looks like a baby gopher tortoise witch is illegal to breed and you have to get a permit to keep .

I am in California

 

[stojanovski92113]

I have a UV light (day and night) in a 55 gallon fish tank (set up as a terrarium). I have the broken down bark in there but my smallest turtle choked on it and died so I have a people grass in there until my turtle gets a little bit bigger. My turtle is about the size of a fist. I will post another picture once I get home! Thank you for your help!

Ok...I'm going to be real honest...I know nothing about gopher torts! I was wondering why there was no red on the limbs & head!! But I do know that I'm not feeling the glass aquarium. I only say that because he can get too hot since its almost enclosed. Even if you have your light on one side of the aquarium it's still heating the while aquarium, however I don't know their environment & needs. When I got my first red foot, I set my 55 "aquarium" like the pet store until I realized...Bad choice!!!!! I did a lot of research. and yes, it was an impulse buy! I wanted a red foot, I had $200 & I had a big aquarium. But since you live in California, can you put him out for a few hrs a day. Also do you give him calcium? Please post pictures so others can help you that are more experienced with gopher torts. Also include his diet. We want to make sure that he gets strong & gets healthy!!I'm sorry to hear about the other tort you lost from choking

 

[Ashlee Harrington]

Here is a picture of his face and his cage, I put him out in the sun to see if that will help, I also have been putting calcium on his food. I feed him romaine lettuce, tomatoes, blueberries, and a veggie mix (peas, corn, etc)

 

[tortadise]

I would leave him outside as long as possible. Put hi. In a tub with some earth(dirt) in it. He also cannot get any of the water from that device. A good soaking needs to be In order with those guy, he doesn't look good at all. I must say I hope he turns a corner. But that last photo looks like he might be too far gone. But it is a photo. Does he respond when placed in the sun? Remember they need UV from the sun but too much direct exposure during summer can kill them within 10-15 minutes. So outside would be best. But with plenty of areas to hide from direct sunlight.

I'd soak him immediately and try to get some liquids in him. If you have some pedialyte or canned carrots use the Juice for the can and soak him in some Luke warm water for 20-30 minutes. As far as the terrarium. We can go through what to change in that later. Being in California the weather is permissible to keep him out, he needs to be out.

 

[stojanovski92113]

I agree with the water situation. Do you have a saucer you can put in his home. So he can willingly go in & soak at will too & drink? I'll put a pic. I really hope that he gets better. Is his eyes open? His eyes looked shut or swollen in the picture.

 

[stojanovski92113]

Something for him to soak in. It doesn't have to be that huge. I'm outside & that's what I took a pic of.

 

[stojanovski92113]

View attachment 93357

 

[Yvonne G]

Just to be sure you read my post - it's a desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)