Help - tortoise found ...

[JamesHenley]

Hi

Hoping that someone can help as I don't currently have time to search around for info. I've just been handed a tortoise (Stoke Row, Nr Henley in the UK) which was found near me. Never kept one before, and just want to make sure (s)he's comfortable until I can find the keeper ...

I've bathed it for 15 mins, fed it some romaine & iceberg lettuce, red pepper & sweet potato I had in the fridge. Now crawled under my fleece on the floor and has been there for about an hour or so.

I think he's a greek tortoise and is about 5 inches long.
Indoors: its 27 degrees C here during the day and drops to about 12 degrees in the evening.

I can get it together to make an enclosure tomorrow and raise temperatures / UV light / put on 12/12 timers etc.

I'll read up on it when I have time later tonight but just wanted to check I'm not doing anything wrong in the meantime ...? And temps tonight won't be too cold (though I imagine better than outdoors where its can drop to 6 or so)
Thanks,
James

 

[Yvonne G]

Hey, James: It's actually a horsefield's tortoise, what we call Russian here in the States. And he's been raised in indoor, dry conditions his whole life. I can tell that because he's got a bumpy shell. It's not easy to easy to get a Russian tortoise's shell to grow bumpy, so that means he's been raised in quite poor conditions. The best thing for this tortoise is to live outside in a safe, secure yard. I know you probably can't do that, so get the largest plastic tub you can find, a light that will provide warmth, and some bark to walk around on. Hopefully you can find his owner before tyou have to spend too much money setting him up correctly. They are excellent escape artists and can go quite a far distance in very little time, so no telling where he came from. . . might be around the corner, might be several miles away!

 

[JamesHenley]

Hey, James: It's actually a horsefield's tortoise, what we call Russian here in the States. And he's been raised in indoor, dry conditions his whole life. I can tell that because he's got a bumpy shell. It's not easy to raise a bumpy shelled Russian tortoise, so that means he's been raised in quite poor conditions. The best thing for this tortoise is to live outside in a safe, secure yard. I know you probably can't do that, so get the largest plastic tub you can find, a light that will provide warmth, and some bark to walk around on. Hopefully you can find his owner before tyou have to spend too much money setting him up correctly. They are excellent escape artists and can go quite a far distance in very little time, so no telling where he came from. . . might be around the corner, might be several miles away!

Thanks Yvonne. I can set him up outside ... we have a lot of red kites around us (and cats) ... would they be an issue?
James

 

[zolasmum]

Thanks Yvonne. I can set him up outside ... we have a lot of red kites around us (and cats) ... would they be an issue?
James

Thank you so much, James, for rescuing and trying to take care of this tortoise. He obviously feels quite comfortable with you. I think if you can provide a covering of wire netting or something similar for his temporary box or tub -fixed down firmly at the sides, that would protect him from cats and kites, and also prevent him from getting out himself (he will be a surprisingly good climber ) !
Best wishes from Angie in Devon

 

[JamesHenley]

Amazingly her owner has been found. 2 miles in 5 weeks across Chilterns fields and woodland. Not bad going.
Even more amazing was that it only took an hour from posting for the seven degrees of separation to kick in, and the owners Mother got in touch with me ...
Shame, I was looking forward to looking after the little critter ...!

 

[TammyJ]

Now you will have to console yourself by adopting another one!??? You would make a good tortoise Mom.

 

[Tom]

Now you will have to console yourself by adopting another one!??? You would make a good tortoise Mom.

...or Dad.

 

[TammyJ]

Now you will have to console yourself by adopting another one!??? You would make a good tortoise Mom.

Tammy!!! Why do you keep imagining these experiences as if they happened to you? See where it got you now. Calling a potential Tortoise Dad a Tortoise MOM. Sheeesh!!! Sorry, James! Thank you Tom.

 

[JamesHenley]

It was a sweet reunion ... Mum brought her kids who'd been crying about it when they lost it (it was a present from a well-known actress - apparently she gives all her godchildren tortoises when they turn 7!!!), and they had no idea that tortoise had been found ... more tears.

Now I just have to deal with my wife who also going to cry as she wanted to keep the tortoise ...!

I have had a tortoise before btw, in Kenya, but a different beast altogether! This one wondered through the gate one day and decided to stay. He was happy standing under the sprinkler and very much looked after himself ... no idea what type he was though!!! Big though.

 

[zovick]

It was a sweet reunion ... Mum brought her kids who'd been crying about it when they lost it (it was a present from a well-known actress - apparently she gives all her godchildren tortoises when they turn 7!!!), and they had no idea that tortoise had been found ... more tears.

Now I just have to deal with my wife who also going to cry as she wanted to keep the tortoise ...!

I have had a tortoise before btw, in Kenya, but a different beast altogether! This one wondered through the gate one day and decided to stay. He was happy standing under the sprinkler and very much looked after himself ... no idea what type he was though!!! Big though.

That one looks like a youngish Aldabra Tortoise which would not be native to Kenya. It was probably an escapee also.

 

[zolasmum]

It was a sweet reunion ... Mum brought her kids who'd been crying about it when they lost it (it was a present from a well-known actress - apparently she gives all her godchildren tortoises when they turn 7!!!), and they had no idea that tortoise had been found ... more tears.

Now I just have to deal with my wife who also going to cry as she wanted to keep the tortoise ...!

I have had a tortoise before btw, in Kenya, but a different beast altogether! This one wondered through the gate one day and decided to stay. He was happy standing under the sprinkler and very much looked after himself ... no idea what type he was though!!! Big though.

Maybe now you really should consider getting one - I would suggest a Hermann's like our Zola - as being best for our climate - and get a young one so you have the fun of seeing it grow.
Angie

 

[Ray--Opo]

Amazingly her owner has been found. 2 miles in 5 weeks across Chilterns fields and woodland. Not bad going.
Even more amazing was that it only took an hour from posting for the seven degrees of separation to kick in, and the owners Mother got in touch with me ...
Shame, I was looking forward to looking after the little critter ...!

Do the tortoise and any others she gives as gifts and make her aware of this forum. It is obvious they are not caring for them properly. As Yvonne said it must be being raised dry because of the pyramiding of the shell. There be other methods of care they are not aware of.

 

[Ray--Opo]

It was a sweet reunion ... Mum brought her kids who'd been crying about it when they lost it (it was a present from a well-known actress - apparently she gives all her godchildren tortoises when they turn 7!!!), and they had no idea that tortoise had been found ... more tears.

Now I just have to deal with my wife who also going to cry as she wanted to keep the tortoise ...!

I have had a tortoise before btw, in Kenya, but a different beast altogether! This one wondered through the gate one day and decided to stay. He was happy standing under the sprinkler and very much looked after himself ... no idea what type he was though!!! Big though.

Wow! wish a aldabra would wonder into my yard. 😁