What to do with a tortoise on vacation?

Dorothy L

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What do you do when you go on a vacation and can't take your tortoise? I'm not going on a vacation, but I'm just planning ahead. Do you have someone to care for it? Do you simply take it with you, and if so, how? I'm asking about both longer (1-3 weeks) and shorter (1-3 days) vacations. Please post your advice.
 

Billna the 2

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What do you do when you go on a vacation and can't take your tortoise? I'm not going on a vacation, but I'm just planning ahead. Do you have someone to care for it? Do you simply take it with you, and if so, how? I'm asking about both longer (1-3 weeks) and shorter (1-3 days) vacations. Please post your advice.
If someones there you trust I'd say tell him/her about the tortoise and tell them everything about the tortoise and care
 

SweetGreekTorts

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I have a friend who comes over daily when I'm out of town, to feed my tortoises and change their water, clean up after them, etc. Of course I have nearly 20 total, so it's needed.

No matter the length of time of vacation, it's always a good idea to have someone check in on them. In case the tortoise ends up on its back, or eats all the food you left, or dirties up the water dish (which mine do daily).

I also have cameras in all of my enclosures so I can check in with my phone at any time to see how they are doing.
 

Blakem

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My neighbor watches him. I always portion out the meals for each day in bags. I also type out what to do daily and how often to do things, like giving him water, putting water in his burrow, etc.
 

Minority2

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I have a friend who comes over daily when I'm out of town, to feed my tortoises and change their water, clean up after them, etc. Of course I have nearly 20 total, so it's needed.

No matter the length of time of vacation, it's always a good idea to have someone check in on them. In case the tortoise ends up on its back, or eats all the food you left, or dirties up the water dish (which mine do daily).

I also have cameras in all of my enclosures so I can check in with my phone at any time to see how they are doing.

I used to be that friend (subordinate*) a long, long time ago. He suckered me into taking/raising heaps of them.

Make sure your tortoise sitter is properly taught to watch over them. Last minute help is not going to be reliable nor will they be able to know what signs to watch out for.
 

Tom

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For a trip of a few days:
  1. Soak the tortoise the day you leave, or the day before if leaving early in the morning.
  2. Remove the water bowl.
  3. Leave enough spineless opuntia pads to last the tortoise a few days.
  4. Soak upon your return and replace the water bowl.
For longer trips:
  1. Get a friend, family member or caretaker to come over and do food, water, soaks, and cleaning as needed.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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I used to be that friend (subordinate*) a long, long time ago. He suckered me into taking/raising heaps of them.

Make sure your tortoise sitter is properly taught to watch over them. Last minute help is not going to be reliable nor will they be able to know what signs to watch out for.
No worries, I leave very detailed instructions (7 pages worth) and go over everything with her to show her what is needed. I've only ever been gone about 4 days max, and she has always done an excellent job. And since I also pet-sit for her we just swap the sitting duties straight up when needed.
 

Minority2

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No worries, I leave very detailed instructions (7 pages worth) and go over everything with her to show her what is needed. I've only ever been gone about 4 days max, and she has always done an excellent job. And since I also pet-sit for her we just swap the sitting duties straight up when needed.

The second sentence was meant for the original poster. I should have mentioned that.
 

vicky219

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What do you do when you go on a vacation and can't take your tortoise? I'm not going on a vacation, but I'm just planning ahead. Do you have someone to care for it? Do you simply take it with you, and if so, how? I'm asking about both longer (1-3 weeks) and shorter (1-3 days) vacations. Please post your advice.
Was One time my tourtoise with me when i am going for long travel...
Everywhere he is with me ...
 

jsheffield

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For a trip of a few days:
  1. Soak the tortoise the day you leave, or the day before if leaving early in the morning.
  2. Remove the water bowl.
  3. Leave enough spineless opuntia pads to last the tortoise a few days.
  4. Soak upon your return and replace the water bowl.
For longer trips:
  1. Get a friend, family member or caretaker to come over and do food, water, soaks, and cleaning as needed.

How does the age of a tortoise affect/alter this advice, Tom?

My RF was hatched this summer, but is closing in on 80g. My wife and I are going away Friday to Sunday next weekend, and then longer over Christmas.

The enclosure temp and humidity seem pretty-well dialed in 72-76F on the cool end and 84-90F on the warm end, 80% or better humidity, lights on 12 hours day cycles. Darwin seems to enjoy, and thrives in his daily soaks, and is eating lots of a diverse diet (mostly during the soaks, but I see him roaming the enclosure and eating from the feed-station at other times as well).

I know hatchlings are more delicate than adults, but he seems to be settling in well (I know he's not a he, that I've anthropomorphized him into Darwin, my male tortoise), and although my son enjoys taking care of him when I cannot, the upcoming trips got me thinking.

Can a hatchling go a 3 days without a visit from a helper, an adult a week?

I was wondering about the cost/benefit of a well-meaning helper possibly not replacing the lid, or switching the lights on fulltime, as opposed to an essentially closed system running smoothly for my absence, with some makeup soaking and feeding upon my return.

Thanks,

Jamie
 

Tom

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How does the age of a tortoise affect/alter this advice, Tom?

My RF was hatched this summer, but is closing in on 80g. My wife and I are going away Friday to Sunday next weekend, and then longer over Christmas.

The enclosure temp and humidity seem pretty-well dialed in 72-76F on the cool end and 84-90F on the warm end, 80% or better humidity, lights on 12 hours day cycles. Darwin seems to enjoy, and thrives in his daily soaks, and is eating lots of a diverse diet (mostly during the soaks, but I see him roaming the enclosure and eating from the feed-station at other times as well).

I know hatchlings are more delicate than adults, but he seems to be settling in well (I know he's not a he, that I've anthropomorphized him into Darwin, my male tortoise), and although my son enjoys taking care of him when I cannot, the upcoming trips got me thinking.

Can a hatchling go a 3 days without a visit from a helper, an adult a week?

I was wondering about the cost/benefit of a well-meaning helper possibly not replacing the lid, or switching the lights on fulltime, as opposed to an essentially closed system running smoothly for my absence, with some makeup soaking and feeding upon my return.

Thanks,

Jamie

I don't think age matters much for this, although a larger tortoise will have a large margin of error. 3 days should be fine. Much longer than that, and I'd want someone to come by daily and do the water, feed more "normal" foods, check temps, and make sure no bulbs have burned out. I've stretched it to 5 days, but longer than that starts to make me nervous.

Murphy just waits for us to go on vacation and then he goes to work...
 

jsheffield

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Thanks so much ... that was my instinct, but it's nice to hear from experience.

Jamie
 

digibond

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For a trip of a few days:
  1. Soak the tortoise the day you leave, or the day before if leaving early in the morning.
  2. Remove the water bowl.
  3. Leave enough spineless opuntia pads to last the tortoise a few days.
  4. Soak upon your return and replace the water bowl.
For longer trips:
  1. Get a friend, family member or caretaker to come over and do food, water, soaks, and cleaning as needed.
Can you expand a bit on "for longer trips". We will be gone for two weeks and have a 1kg Sulcata. There is plenty of grass in his large outside area/enclosure (he likes grass but doesn't eat the opuntia pads yet). Trying to understand how often I need someone to come by to soak, feed, clean up.

BTW, surprised by the water bowl comment. I was thinking we would just have the irrigation system in that zone fill up the bowl every day.

Thanks
 

jsheffield

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All of my tortoise enclosures are on timers and thermostats, so for up to a week I just let them rough it... More than a week, I'd start thinking about having someone come in every few days to check water and add some food.

Jamie
 

Tom

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Can you expand a bit on "for longer trips". We will be gone for two weeks and have a 1kg Sulcata. There is plenty of grass in his large outside area/enclosure (he likes grass but doesn't eat the opuntia pads yet). Trying to understand how often I need someone to come by to soak, feed, clean up.

BTW, surprised by the water bowl comment. I was thinking we would just have the irrigation system in that zone fill up the bowl every day.

Thanks
If the tortoise is living outside full time with a heated shelter, and it has access to grass, I'd have someone stop by once a day and make sure the water was filled, the tortoise was right side up, and that's it. No harm in leaving some opuntia pads strewn about, but not a necessity.

We have cold nights where I am, so someone has to lock them in every night and open the doors every morning. Not really needed where you are this time of year.
 
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