Pet Store Rescue?

[Uberspooky]

Sunday I went into a local pet store of the big box variety. They had two male(!) Russians, approximately 4.5-5" in an enclosure the size of a ten gallon aquarium or smaller. Food bowl, water bowl, log, leaving no place to walk. Both tortoises were under the log looking rather miserable. It was the type of enclosure in which you'd normally see anoles.

I can't leave them there. I've been thinking about them since I left. I think tomorrow I'm going to buy them both. I currently have a young female Russian in a large 5'x4' outdoor habitat. I plan on building another over the weekend.

In the meantime, I have a large tortoise-shaped sandbox with smooth edges. I drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. If I make sure it has adequate sun exposure and all the necessary fixtures (I plan on burying an exercise pen around it for added security) will it be okay until we can build something larger for them? We live in Florida right now, so the temperatures are warm, obviously, and I have a covered patio that gets almost full sun for five hours every day. I'd put the log in there for shade.

It has to be a better scenario than they have now. The very nice employee said they had been there for a very long time like that. She seemed sad about it, but that too many animals forced them to take them out of their larger habitat. After I get them, I plan on writing an email to corporate.

 

[alysciaingram]

I'll tread lightly here, since I don't believe in purchasing animals from these conditions, but is there anyway you could write corporate tonight about the tortoises? I know your heart is in the right place in wanting to buy these animals and giving them a better life, but on the other hand it just makes the company believe that the animals will sell regardless of their in between living conditions. I don't condone any species being subjected to live in these too small habitats, competing for space to walk amongst each other, but buying them and then complaining will do no good. You might get the tortoises at least discounted, offsetting your habitat prices. I would go back tomorrow, take pictures, talk to management, and try to see if any good comes from that. If not, them rescue the tortoises outright. Just my opinion. I hope things work out well.

 

[wellington]

Your temp enclosure sounds good to me. Just remember, it is possible, that once the two get into a larger e closure there may be bullying. So just keep that in mind.

 

[Uberspooky]

I did think about that. The employee indicated that this is not normally the way they operate, but that they were shipped an aquatic tortoise that didn't fit into their planogram (oh, the horrors of pet retail) and thus they gave the much larger tortoise enclosure to the aquatic turtle. Essentially they were shipped one extra reptile and the two Russians are paying the price. So, all indications is that this was an ordering issue, but there are no plans to separate the tortoises or give them space until that aquatic turtle is sold, because the aquatic turtle and its need for water takes priority.

My fear is that by involving corporate, they'll simply ship one of the tortoises back to distribution and then who knows what horrors await a tortoise who has been in inventory a year or more. When I was much younger, I worked for Petco and while some of the employees really do have the best of intention, corporate treats the animals the same as an aquarium ornament.

The employee says these are CB and less than a year, but to me they look as old as 3-5.

I guess I just worry that even if corporate leans on the store to "fix" the issue, the tortoises might end up worse off than they are now. Maybe that's not possible, but the thought of them in there for months and months is awful.

---

Good to know re: the bullying. I'll keep a close eye on it. I may rehome one of the males early on, as I don't want to breed them and I know they prefer to be loners. I just want to make sure they're healthy first.

 

[lynnedit]

Sounds like you have a good grip on the situation.
You do what you need to do for the poor little guys.

 

[WillTort2]

If they have a inventory error they may be willing to accept a lower price.

I went into a box store about 6 months ago and they had 2 enclosed in a small 2' x 1' enclosure and they had them for $49.95 each. I bought the small under nourished one as a sympathy purchase. I figured it would do both of them good to be separated and the one I bought appeared to be female. I named her Charlotte, and she has become one of my most trouble free Russians. She eats almost any of the advised foods and has become very curious and out going. Seems to enjoy climbing her ramp and shows a steady weight gain every month.

So, a sympathy purchase can work out OK, but be careful or you will have to set up extra space for your torts!

Good luck.

 

[Uberspooky]

Yeah, I went back and forth about buying one or buying both, but an animal loving friend I was talking to about the situation Paypaled me $100 to help and that kinda sealed the deal. I might still rehome the second male, but at least I know they're out of there. Going into those stores makes me a little nuts. When I worked at one, we were fastidious about chopping up the produce every day and making sure it was appropriate, but the other day I was in there and there was just prepackaged, pea-filled mix and it makes my OCD crazy, lol. I get that these animals are supposed to be sold and it's not a permanent arrangement, but then you get situations like these where they end up there for a very long time. Part of it is the display--I actually had to bend way over and read the tiny shelf card to see that there were tortoises in the habitat. It was all log. It struck me as a snake tank. At least when I stopped at a Petco closer to my home a few months back they had two Russians in a large end-cap display that was surprisingly large for the environment (maybe 100gal. It was bright and well lit and "RUSSIAN TORTOISES!" was festooned across the top. Fresh produce in the enclosure. I was actually somewhat impressed.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Thanks for the advice. Assuming they're still there (wouldn't that be funny if they're gone) I'll be bringing them home after lunch.

 

[Uberspooky]

They're home. The employee was so excited to see them get to leave. They couldn't discount the tortoises (I get that; it is almost an admission of sorts) but they did give me a percentage off on the substrate and logs and other supplies, which was nice.

The one tortoise, tentatively named Sherlock, has significant wear on his shell. I think the other one was literally living on top of him.

This is them in the outdoor run.

 

[alysciaingram]

At least they helped out some. That was nice of the employees. Glad to hear you have two new friends. They look very happy.

 

[Uberspooky]

At least they helped out some. That was nice of the employees. Glad to hear you have two new friends. They look very happy.

They seem happy. Right now Sherlock is sitting on the top of the log like Yertle the turtle, surveying the new kingdom.

They say they're both under a year old. My guess would be 3-5 years at best.

 

[theelectraco]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those 2 tortoises are just going to be replaced in a week with two new ones. I'm a manager at one of the chain pet stores, and certain (most) reptiles are on auto replenishment.....you buy one, and once it is out of the system it is replaced automatically on the next order.


0.1.0 Dachshund
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1.0.0 Greek

 

[Uberspooky]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those 2 tortoises are just going to be replaced in a week with two new ones. I'm a manager at one of the chain pet stores, and certain (most) reptiles are on auto replenishment.....you buy one, and once it is out of the system it is replaced automatically on the next order.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek

I have that same worry, but at least I helped these two. They had been there close to a year, apparently. I can't help every poor tortoise, but at least these got their sentences reduced.

The problem in this scenario is that there's no guarantee that there's an adequate enclosure for two new tortoises. That's where I feel like contacting corporate. They're sending tortoises to a gecko enclosure, essentially, and not the large enclosure they're meant to be in. I can't control how many tortoises are replenished, but the fact that they're going against guideline in terms of the enclosure is an issue that could be addressed. I used to front-end manage at Petco and we wouldn't have passed with those animals in that enclosure.

 

[theelectraco]

They actually aren't meant to be in the bottom aquatic turtle tank unless the store has no turtles in stock. My store had our tortoises in the bottom for close to 6 months and then once turtles came in, they got the big tank on the bottom, and the tortoises got moved up to a 15 gallon. The animals all have set locations on where they are suppose to go, and since the bottom one is the only one that is watertight and has plugs for filters, that's where the turtles go. Not justifying that it is anywhere near appropriate, but if you want to contact corporate, I would focus more on them being improperly housed and not about them having the larger enclosure taken away from them. I would love to stop selling turtles and start only selling tortoises that can stay in the bottom enclosure.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek

 

[Uberspooky]

They actually aren't meant to be in the bottom aquatic turtle tank unless the store has no turtles in stock. My store had our tortoises in the bottom for close to 6 months and then once turtles came in, they got the big tank on the bottom, and the tortoises got moved up to a 15 gallon. The animals all have set locations on where they are suppose to go, and since the bottom one is the only one that is watertight and has plugs for filters, that's where the turtles go. Not justifying that it is anywhere near appropriate, but if you want to contact corporate, I would focus more on them being improperly housed and not about them having the larger enclosure taken away from them. I would love to stop selling turtles and start only selling tortoises that can stay in the bottom enclosure.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek

Good insight, thanks. It makes sense given the placement of the turtle habitat, but I'd hazard to say the enclosure the tortoises were in was smaller than a 15. They were near the top. Are they all 15s? Maybe it was just because the log took up almost the entirety of the enclosure.

Anyway, I might write an email. I'm not sure if it'll help. I'll feel better. Even if they kept one off the sales floor until the other sells. I know there's limited space in the back, but it'd be much more humane all the way around. Two male Russians with zero ability to move. Not hyperbole. The log was large (although both couldn't fit under it) and the dishes took up the rest of the space.

 

[theelectraco]

I would personally just talk to the pet care manager at the store. Also inform them they aren't captive bred, and are adults when they get the store.

As far as the tank sizes, the bottom is about 40g, the next row up about 15, next row up 8, top row, 4 or 5.


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1.0.0 Greek