what type of tortoise is this?

RayRay

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Can you post a picture of his enclosures light? Some types can cause blindness.
 

turtlesitter

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I bet he's nervous he lives with a pitbull lol, and the reason he cant stay outside anymore is because(supposedly) a seagull grabbed him, ended up dropping him in the neighbors yard but he has a little crack on the butt end of his shell....not that "yards" have much here, because of the drought, and rwatering laws yards are either dirt or concrete. Im heading to the store to see if I can get something to make him a hidy hole and a flat water dish thats big enough for him to wade in.... ill see if trader joes has wheat grass for cheap im poor so I couldnt afford things like new lights for him but they say zoo med laboratories on them.... is there an easy to find way to give them calcium? Cuttlefish seems hard to locate, do other types of bones work?
 

Tom

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I live in Southern CA too. This is a tropical species. They come from a climate that is hot and hotter. They do not experience cool temps like what we have here in our temperate climate. They need additional warmth, especially during our chilly nights.

Also, loose on the floor is not a good place for them. Its too cold and its not safe.

Some Zoomed bulbs are good and some aren't. Is it a coil type cfl bulb? Compact florescent? Those are the bad ones.

All of this and more is explained in the care sheets I linked for you on page one...
 

turtlesitter

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I read it, the house is 80degrees and 74 at night, I think getting some exercise on the floor is better for him than staying under his lamp 24/7 my grandmother had an adult one when I was little and it lived in the yard and was healthy.... this one has a heat lamp and is obviously not healthy. So I highly doubt letting it explore the bathroom after a bath is bad for .... even Africa has cold days, night time, rain and variable climate saying that any change is harmful is ridiculous
 

dwright27

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For the cuttle bone, most pet stores sell them with their bird supplies. Otherwise there are calcium supplements which are basically ground up shells and whatnot
 

Tom

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I read it, the house is 80degrees and 74 at night, I think getting some exercise on the floor is better for him than staying under his lamp 24/7 my grandmother had an adult one when I was little and it lived in the yard and was healthy.... this one has a heat lamp and is obviously not healthy. So I highly doubt letting it explore the bathroom after a bath is bad for .... even Africa has cold days, night time, rain and variable climate saying that any change is harmful is ridiculous

In Africa they live in burrows. Average temp in my burrows when our conditions here are similar to their winters are about 80 degrees. Africa does not have "cold" days where these tortoises occur, and when nights temps drop into the 70's they are underground where its warmer.

If he's staying under his lamp 24/7, then your ambient is too cool.

Being on the floor is harmful for many reasons. Temperatures are just one of them. Just ask the member who accidentally smashed her tortoises head in the door and killed it, or the member whose sulcata swallowed a 2" sewing pin that she has no idea where it came from. Talk to my vet about the broken tortoise legs from accidentally being kicked, or all the dog mauling and impaction cases he sees.

You asked for help. I'm trying to tell you what you don't know, but will eventually learn the hard way. No one knows everything, but I was once where you are. Back in the 70's I knew as much as you know now. That is when I got my first turtle. Since that time I've raised a few hundred tortoises and learned a few things. The purpose of this forum is to share those things so that our tortoises don't have to suffer the consequences of our learning things the hard way.

I'm not trying to make your life difficult. I'm trying to help your tortoise.
 

Tom

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One more thing that occurred to me. One of the most common mistakes people who are new to this species make is not keeping them warm enough. I have heard this from many long term sulcata keepers and breeders, including all three of the guys who think they are the worlds largest producer of sulcatas.

Two of them have their compound out toward Palm Springs and they say all of their baby habitats have heat lamps, and their swamp cooler does not kick on until 96 degrees F. They do not let their baby room drop below 80, and prefer it to stay around 85-86 24/7.

The other guy is out in AZ where its always warm. His babies are outside all day every day, and brought in for the cooler nights.
 

Tom

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my grandmother had an adult one when I was little and it lived in the yard and was healthy.... this one has a heat lamp and is obviously not healthy.

What species did your grandmother have? What year are we talking about?
 

turtlesitter

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I found him a cuttlefish and a flat water he can reach. And once I confirmed with the gardener that they don't use pesticides I let him play outside and get some real sun.... He beelined straight for a dandelion but barely took a nibble...I'm not sure if he's not eating because he's sick or because He doesn't move much and isn't hungry. I got him some actual tortoise food too but once you put him in his cage he never moves. I know he's not doing well because aside from his shell being misshapen one segment of it is compressible if even slightly touched. I will try to convince his owners to take him to the vet.

Tom I didn't come here to be told I'm doing everything wrong. I can't change the turtles entire life, I can't build it a new cage or buy it new lighting or sell it to someone who isn't a 12 year old boy who thinks caring for an animal involves throwing it lettuce daily. I can only try to make it more comfortable while I'm here. Blaming me for trying to help is not helpful. I am taking the advice of people who tell me things I CAN do to help, not someone who tells me everything I try to do is wrong. If I were to listen to you I'd just leave him in the spot he's been sitting for 2-3 years and toss him some spinach which obviously isn't working. Even if there was a pin on the floor for him to eat, which there isn't, and he couldn't because He never leaves my sight when he's out of his cage (which obviously means he can't crush his head either) he doesn't eat anything so I (again) highly doubt he'd choose a pin as his first meal. Thank you for the links though they were helpful.

Thanks to the people who offered advice on things I could manage. If anyone has tips on how to get him interested in the cuttlefish or grass (I don't think he was eating the lettuce either since there was a huge dried out pile of it in his cage...which I cleaned out) he's never had calcium so I don't know if he's supposed to naturally know it's edible or not....


Also I put a garden stone in his cage, a part he never used to go to and he seems oddly fond of it, he looks at it from all angles and sleeps next to it and tries to climb it.... anyone have any ideas why he's so interested in a rock but has no interested in water or food?
 

turtlesitter

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Oh on another note the first time I picked him up to give him the bath he hid in his shell now when I pick him up to take him outside he spreads out his legs and sticks out his head like he's flying
 

turtlesitter

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Oh never mind I saw him nibble on the calcium block so he is trying it... I'll consider that he's moving around his cage now as a good sign instead of just staying wherever you set him
 

SarahChelonoidis

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You're lucky you live somewhere still warm enough for tortoise time! That poor guy could sure use some natural sun.
 

turtlesitter

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Where I live gets even hotter -_- not my type of weather, I stay inside and leave the air set on as cool as it goes. Taking him out requires some doing... sunscreen, panting in the shade while I watch for bird's... my boyfriend adopted a husky (people here getting huskies is ridiculous ) so he could stay in my refrigerated room with me and go on runs at night.... Mr. Tortoise would not like my habits.... his owners just went to Hawaii, they should have brought him he probably would have liked that
 
M

Maggie Cummings

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Do some research and look at photos of Sulcata. You will notice that this tortoise is badly deformed, probably has MBD, especially if he's soft in places, and MBD is very painful and that's probably one reason for not moving. In SoCal a tortoise like that should be outside all day. And please do not allow him to wander the floor. It's dangerous for the tortoise. Do you think that we would tell someone something like that if we really didn't know??? I don't think it's even been 2 months maybe 3 that a member closed her Sulcata's head in the door and killed him. This is serious stuff we are trying to tell you, for the TORTOISE. I don't understand why you would ask for advice then take offense and argue about it.
Nobody here would lie to you or give you incorrect advice. Please don't think you are being picked on. That's not the case at all.
Tom is simply trying to give you advice that will make that little tortoise's life a little better, that's all. Just trying to help
 

turtlesitter

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Good god... you should really read what I wrote if you want to criticize me.

THE TORTOISE CAN NOT GET HIS HEAD CLOSED IN A DOOR IF I AM SITTING TWO FEET FROM HIM WATCHING HIM.

DRYING HIMSELF OFF AFTER A BATH IS NOT SPENDING HOURS UNSUPERVISED WANDERING THE HOUSE.

I ALREADY STATED I READ UP ON THEM AS SOON AS I KNEW WHAT IT WAS, I DIDNT KNOW BECAUSE IVE NEVER SEEN ONE THIS SICK.

I CANT LEAVE HIM OUTSIDE ALL DAY BECAUSE I CANT WATCH HIM ALL DAY. I TOOK HIM OUT FOR TWO HOURS YESTERDAY AND TODAY. THATS TWO HOURS WHERE I CAN WATCH HIM.

HES NOT GOING TO EAT ANYTHING PLASTIC WHEN IM WATCHING HIM.

IM NOT GOING TO STEP ON HIM WHEN IM WATCHING HIM.

IF SOMEONE STEPPED ON THEUR TURTLE OR SLAMMED A DOOR ON IT IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERENT WATCHING IT.

Please don't treat me like an idiot because I asked for productive advice.... saying over and over "don't step on the tortoise" sounds ridiculous..."No really? I shouldn't step on the tortoise I'm watching?!?? Wow thank goodness someone told me I would have kicked him for sure otherwise "...I'm starting to think this forum is too full of trolls for any useful advice outside of the few who offered it so I'm done. I'll tell his owners to take him to a vet like I already said but they most likely Will just leave him in the tank and toss in a bag of lettuce once in a while like they have been.
 

sissyofone

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Hello turtlesitter :) I must agree with Maggie and Tom. You will need to understand that this Forum has the most up to date information you or anyone will find online. Tom has been a member here for years and has more experience with these torts than you or I, I'm sure. Toms only concern is for the Tortoises. He means you absolutely no disrespect, And I feel as though I can say that with confidence. So many have died from running loose inside and also by being chewed on by dogs. It only takes a split second for an accident to happen. I want to take time to personally Thank You for being so kind. That poor sully. You must have a big heart, to do what your doing for their pet. Do you think that maybe, the owner may be interested in finding the tortoise a home? Honestly he/she does look to be in bad shape and most definitely should be living outdoors. Could you perhaps show them the care sheets that Tom sent you and maybe explain that The Tortoises Life Is At Stake Here. Maybe they want to keep him and improve his living conditions and help him lead a better life. Do you have any idea what types of food they feed him?
 

leigti

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Knowing the owners will continue to give bad care and not even trying to change it even though you know better, in my opinion is worse then acting out of ignorance. They obviously either don't know any better or don't care. Do you?
 

Tom

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Your hyper-sensitivity and ego, are preventing you from hearing what we are saying. This is sad for you and the tortoise.

No one here has said you are doing everything wrong. We've all commended you for taking an interest in improving this tortoises life, and we are simply trying to help you do as good a job as possible at it. Isn't that why you came here? We don't want to argue or hurt your feelings. We want to help you get this tortoise back to health.

Now take your over-sensitive hat off and put your listening cap on: It is a dangerous MISTAKE to think that since grammas temperate Desert tortoise did well out in the yard, that this tropical species of tortoise will do equally well out there without some human help. Down on the floor is TOO COLD. No, a quick minute on the floor is not going to kill it instantaneously, but the more you do it the worse it is.

Outside in the yard, like grammas tortoise is GREAT, when the temperatures are good. Yesterday was a great time for outside time. Two days from now its going to be too cold. I'm not saying: "YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING WRONG!!!" I'm saying that from your choice of words here, it seems like you might not understand the temperature needs of THIS species. Accordingly, I'm trying to help you understand.

Next subject: The high horse you have have placed yourself upon is endangering this tortoise. THAT is why we keep telling you the same stuff. Do you really think that the people who end up at the vets office with sick, injured or dying tortoises were all stupid, didn't care, and didn't closely watch their tortoises while they were on the floor. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, had every intention of making the floor safe, and protecting their tortoise. ALL OF THEM claim to have been watching the tortoise carefully. NONE of the people I've encountered were stupid, and none of them thought anything bad would happen. Do you get it yet? We are not saying you are thoughtless or careless. We KNOW that you don't think anything bad is going to happen because you are watching so carefully when the tortoise is on the floor. What we are trying to tell you is that NO ONE thinks anything bad is going to happen, or they wouldn't be doing it! THAT is the point here. We are TRYING to warn you BEFORE you have to learn the hard way at this tortoise's expense, like so many others who have come before you. Some of us have made this mistake OURSELVES and that is how we know its a mistake.

Seriously. What is your deal? Everyone here, including me, has been trying to be all diplomatic and sensitive. We've been complementing your efforts and trying to be encouraging, yet all you can focus on is the couple of suggestions for improvement that were offered, and take as much offense as possible. And then you accuse people with decades of experience with this species who are taking their time to try and help you, at your request, of being "trolls"… We offer help, for free, on our own time, and we get insults for our efforts? Bad form, I say. Bad form.
 
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