Thank you for saving him!
Just a thought: look at the care sheets here and decide if you think you will realistically have space for proper care. If not, he’s probably native to your area and you can either contact a wildlife rehab or consider allowing him to live in the wild.
My husband lined our wooden tortoise enclosure with plexiglass. It provides a water barrier so the substrate doesn’t rot the wood. Ours is only bottom lined and I mist the substrate to keep it damp - we have an adult Russian who spends time outside as well (no humidity there).
I don’t know if...
My Russian tortoise has red patches on both sides of his neck. They’re small but I soaked him today and noticed when he stretched his neck out. Thoughts on what’s going on?
I’m also wondering about overall shell health. Do I have anything to be concerned about?
He’s about 15 years old and gets...
I'm not an expert and I'm sure you'll get more information from others soon... I'm wondering what type of light you have for this guy? Also, possibly send pictures of his set up so other aquatic turtle people might have some insight.
My husband and I went out with our two kids, even though they should’ve been in bed. It was 75% covered, we watched until the moon disappeared and then came back in. Quick but it was very cool to see!
Bernie, just give him a name and an enclosure in your backyard! Tortoises are so cool, and this one seems to like you two. You could try the app Tortoise Table and refer to Tom’s care sheet for recs on safe foods. :)
Greens and leaves, weeds like dandelion (as long as they’re safe from chemicals) will be ok. Other things, in moderation. I downloaded an app called tortoise table to see which plants in my yard are safe. Currently the lilac leaves are in the mix for my tort.
Hi Bernie and Jeannie!
I love that this guy just showed up at your place! Could he have a home nearby? Maybe post on Nextdoor or a local FB page to find his home?
There are care sheets here that will be helpful if you end up keeping him.
Welcome to the forum! I wish tortoises would just show up at my house like that! 😂
An outdoor enclosure is a great start but make sure he can’t climb over or dig out. As mentioned, they are escape artists and can travel far.
A red tail hawk had one of my chickens, and had killed several of my neighbor's chickens as well. Luckily I came home in time to intervene. They don't always carry their food away, but will kill and eat it in place.
Gaby is much smaller than a chicken!
Gaby has an outdoor enclosure but it’s not covered. I’m wondering if I should cover it with some fencing because we have red tailed hawks nesting nearby and magpies (savage) in the tree next to the enclosure.
Has anyone had trouble with birds of prey or other scavengers hurting your torts?