New tortoise owner

[Javier13562]

Hey guys I just got these two tortoise about 3 weeks ago from a family friend. One of them is 2 years old and the other is one year old. I need help figuring out what species they are and what would be the best inclosure for them. From the research I’ve made so far I know they are pyramiding due to lack of dehydration. I’ve been spraying them down twice a day and putting them in a tub with water right bellow their head ones a week for about 20-30 min.

 

[Mr. RussianTortoise]

Hey guys I just got these two tortoise about 3 weeks ago from a family friend. One of them is 2 years old and the other is one year old. I need help figuring out what species they are and what would be the best inclosure for them. From the research I’ve made so far I know they are pyramiding due to lack of dehydration. I’ve been spraying them down twice a day and putting them in a tub with water right bellow their head ones a week for about 20-30 min.

Hello welcome to the forum! I don’t know what this species is but that is some real heavy pyramiding. Two shouldn’t be kept together, you will need to separate them. Professional tortoise keepers will eventually answer you and correct your care

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I don't know if those are Sulcata or Desert tortoises.
But no. They should not be together.

 

[Javier13562]

Hello welcome to the forum! I don’t know what this species is but that is some real heavy pyramiding. Two shouldn’t be kept together, you will need to separate them. Professional tortoise keepers will eventually answer you and correct your care

Thank you for the feedback will separate them asap.

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome to the forum! They are not in good shape, but if you stay with us and try to follow the advice given by our experts, they will have the best possible chance to grow healthy and thrive from now on! Thanks for coming here.

 

[ecachuh]

I would start soaking them daily. Like the others said, the experts will let you know. They are great and have helped me improve my sulcatas health. The whole forum has great insight and are wonderful! It's a nice place here.

My rescue has pyramiding (amongst other things) from 5 years of being in an enclosure with a sibling. The sibling eventually died. 😢. So glad you are here early.

Welcome to the forum, glad you are here!
They are beautiful babies ❤️

 

[Tom]

Hey guys I just got these two tortoise about 3 weeks ago from a family friend. One of them is 2 years old and the other is one year old. I need help figuring out what species they are and what would be the best inclosure for them. From the research I’ve made so far I know they are pyramiding due to lack of dehydration. I’ve been spraying them down twice a day and putting them in a tub with water right bellow their head ones a week for about 20-30 min.

We need more pics to properly ID the species. They appear to be desert tortoises. Those are not allowed to be sold, if that is what they are. They can be given as gifts for free though.

The family friend doesn't know the species?

They should never be kept in pairs. They are likely the same age and that is why one is so much larger than the other. I could be wrong about that, but either way, they can't live together as a pair.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. They need damp substrate, high ambient humidity, and a humid hide for sleeping.

Here is the correct care info. Read through this at least a couple of times. Questions are welcome:

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

 

[EppsDynasty]

Thank you for the feedback will separate them asap.

You have just inserted yourself into a situation that is going to require a lot of Time and Work to remedy. PLEASE don't get upset at the information you are going to receive. NO ONE here wants your tortoises to suffer any more than they have already. You are going to hear how wrong everything is, and most of all you are going to get correct info on how to house and care for these tortoises. If you can just remember no one is against you they just want the best for your tortoises. Hope ya stick around, we would love to see how they do.

 

[Javier13562]

We need more pics to properly ID the species. They appear to be desert tortoises. Those are not allowed to be sold, if that is what they are. They can be given as gifts for free though.

The family friend doesn't know the species?

They should never be kept in pairs. They are likely the same age and that is why one is so much larger than the other. I could be wrong about that, but either way, they can't live together as a pair.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. They need damp substrate, high ambient humidity, and a humid hide for sleeping.

Here is the correct care info. Read through this at least a couple of times. Questions are welcome:

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

Thank you started reading last night very informative. The person that gave them to me had Ben given to them about 6 months ago. They moved to Alaska and couldn’t keep them anymore that’s when I took over. I had been given them in a 10 gallon tank as sol. I got them I got a bigger I closure but felt like it was too small. Ones I got them in my hands I tried doing research but it was hard to find when I was never told the species. This are some pictures of rocky.

 

[zovick]

Thank you started reading last night very informative. The person that gave them to me had Ben given to them about 6 months ago. They moved to Alaska and couldn’t keep them anymore that’s when I took over. I had been given them in a 10 gallon tank as sol. I got them I got a bigger I closure but felt like it was too small. Ones I got them in my hands I tried doing research but it was hard to find when I was never told the species. This are some pictures of rocky.

Those are CA Desert Tortoises. Follow the advice given on this forum (only) to get the proper husbandry in place. There is a lot of incorrect info posted daily on the internet. This forum is the only truly reliable site.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, desert tortoises - Gopherus agassizii. They are protected by the State, cannot be bought and sold, bred or moved out of the State. It is perfectly ok to adopt them if legally acquired, as you have done. Look on line for "how to register desert tortoises in California" and do so. It's free and protects your right to have them.

 

[SinLA]

Thank you started reading last night very informative. The person that gave them to me had Ben given to them about 6 months ago. They moved to Alaska and couldn’t keep them anymore that’s when I took over. I had been given them in a 10 gallon tank as sol. I got them I got a bigger I closure but felt like it was too small. Ones I got them in my hands I tried doing research but it was hard to find when I was never told the species. This are some pictures of rocky.

This is the best place to start. Bit things right away though is not keeping them together and getting them the space they need

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

 

[EppsDynasty]

Thank you started reading last night very informative. The person that gave them to me had Ben given to them about 6 months ago. They moved to Alaska and couldn’t keep them anymore that’s when I took over. I had been given them in a 10 gallon tank as sol. I got them I got a bigger I closure but felt like it was too small. Ones I got them in my hands I tried doing research but it was hard to find when I was never told the species. This are some pictures of rocky.

It is very good you are willing to do what is needed. It will just take time and patience to learn how to properly care and house these 2.

 

[Tom]

Thank you started reading last night very informative. The person that gave them to me had Ben given to them about 6 months ago. They moved to Alaska and couldn’t keep them anymore that’s when I took over. I had been given them in a 10 gallon tank as sol. I got them I got a bigger I closure but felt like it was too small. Ones I got them in my hands I tried doing research but it was hard to find when I was never told the species. This are some pictures of rocky.

This care sheet is made for your species. Its also at the bottom of the other thread, but I'll link it here for convenience:

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...

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