New to Gopher Tortoises, please help

[Lolasbuddy]

Hello everyone, I found a very old gopher tortoise in the middle of a dangerous intersection. I brought her home and planned to relocate, but she seems like she just doesn't feel well. Gave her water, strawberries and cukes, and that woke her up, lol. I've had her 8 hours and she hasn't moved much, but she eats out of my hand, so I think she was someone's turtle?
She appears dehydrated, but I'm not sure. Offered water and drank some of it.

I know they are protected, but I can't release her if she's not well. Also, I think she's domesticated, so that won't work. I built her an enclosure with a burrow and lined it with fresh hay. There are no animal rehabbers here, so all she has is me, lol.

I have RES turtles for years in my backyard ponds, but a land turtle is a lot different. How much do I feed her? What do I feed her? Can she eat orchard grass that I feed my guinea pigs? How do I give her water? Thank you in advance! Deb

 

[Tom]

Its not a "gopher tortoise" Those occur in Florida. Yours is a "desert tortoise". Gopher tortoises can't legally be kept in captivity, while desert tortoises can in some cases.

The first order of business is to give it a good warm soak for 30-40 minutes. I would do this daily for a couple of weeks and then gradually taper down to twice a week.

Keep it warm at night.

Don't feed it fruit. That messes up their GI tract flora and fauna.

Realize that info found outside out our forum here is old and wrong and will likely result in death if followed. Here is the correct care info. Please read through each of these a couple of times for the right info and questions are welcome.

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

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

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[Yvonne G]

Try to find the tortoise's keeper. It sounds like your tortoise has escaped from his yard (garbage man or pool cleaner left gate open, etc.) Advertise "found tortoise" but make the responders describe the tortoise, don't give out too much information. Someone is really missing this guy, and is quite saddened by his absence.

In the meantime, using a tub with tall sides so he can't climb out, fill with enough water so it comes up to the middle of his sides. Let him soak for about a half hour. Eventually, once he's rehydrated, you can just make do with s large plant pot saucer sunk into the ground for water and let him drink on his own.

Desert tortoises can be fed orchard grass hay, but it's better to get the hay from a livestock feed place than from a pet store. The pet store stuff is old and hard and really not palatable. They are grazers, so if you have grass, he'll be fine eating the grass. You can also give him mulberry tree leaves, grape leaves, any edible plants and weeds.

He will need a shelter to get away from your hot Arizona sun.

Good luck. You have a real treasure there. . . one of my very favorite species of tortoise!

 

[Ray--Opo]

Here is a gopher tortoise that lives behind my house.

 

[Lolasbuddy]

Its not a "gopher tortoise" Those occur in Florida. Yours is a "desert tortoise". Gopher tortoises can't legally be kept in captivity, while desert tortoises can in some cases.

The first order of business is to give it a good warm soak for 30-40 minutes. I would do this daily for a couple of weeks and then gradually taper down to twice a week.

Keep it warm at night.

Don't feed it fruit. That messes up their GI tract flora and fauna.

Realize that info found outside out our forum here is old and wrong and will likely result in death if followed. Here is the correct care info. Please read through each of these a couple of times for the right info and questions are welcome.

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

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Wow! Your knowledge of Tortoise is very impressive! I am so glad you sent me this information, it's invaluable to this Desert Tortoise. You were right, she is a desert tortoise and it's legal for me to own her.
"Per Arizona Game and Fish Commission Order 43, “Possession limit is one desert tortoise per person per household.” AZGFD Rule (R12-4-407) states it is illegal to breed desert tortoises.:
I soaked her last night and this AM for 40 mins. I thought she would object, but she loved it! I have a large enclosure for her in the backyard, and an indoor enclosure when the temp gets in the 100's here. I set up a humid hide with a metal dome covered in dirt. She appears quite happy! She is tired though, been through a major ordeal.
Deb

 

[Lolasbuddy]

Try to find the tortoise's keeper. It sounds like your tortoise has escaped from his yard (garbage man or pool cleaner left gate open, etc.) Advertise "found tortoise" but make the responders describe the tortoise, don't give out too much information. Someone is really missing this guy, and is quite saddened by his absence.

In the meantime, using a tub with tall sides so he can't climb out, fill with enough water so it comes up to the middle of his sides. Let him soak for about a half hour. Eventually, once he's rehydrated, you can just make do with s large plant pot saucer sunk into the ground for water and let him drink on his own.

Desert tortoises can be fed orchard grass hay, but it's better to get the hay from a livestock feed place than from a pet store. The pet store stuff is old and hard and really not palatable. They are grazers, so if you have grass, he'll be fine eating the grass. You can also give him mulberry tree leaves, grape leaves, any edible plants and weeds.

He will need a shelter to get away from your hot Arizona sun.

Good luck. You have a real treasure there. . . one of my very favorite species of tortoise!

Hello Yvonne, thank you for reaching out. As soon as I found her I put her on FOUND section of Craigslist and the Facebook LOST and FOUND in my area. So far no one has claimed her. I will care for her as long as necessary.
You are so right! She is a treasure. She now has a large enclosure with a Humid hide, dirt and hay floor. She knows what a food dish is! She's got to be someone's baby, she is so tame. I will continue to soak her for 40 mins daily.
I have 2 RES turtles that have an out of pond schedule and walk around the yard for a couple hours, separate times (they don't get along), so Lola will be put on a schedule for her separate time to walk around the yard (when she feels up to it). The ponds are secured by gates so we are all good.
I will continue to find her parents, I'm sure they are very upset.
Thanks, Yvonne
Deb