ASAP advice please

[S2G]

So I go to my fish store today to get some food & on my way out I see some people trying to release what I thought was a turtle. Well after a closer look it's a female hermann's tortoise I believe. Petco wasnt very knowledgeable, but they gave me a box with some dirt.

What size basking bulb do I need to grab & i think they need uv? Sorry I usually have a chance to have everything ready.

I keep all kinds of saltwater fish & fresh. I've also kept dart frogs so I'm not a total newbie, but this is my first reptile. I have a big tub I can use until tomorrow then I can build a box for her. Just need help until I can research more tonight & tomorrow. Thanks

 

[Tom]

That is a fantastic looking tortoise. What a lucky find!

Here is all the current and correct care info. Most of the info you find on tortoise care is all wrong.

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...

tortoiseforum.org

Welcome to the forum and please feel free to ask lots of questions.

 

[Hutsie B]

congratulations on your new addition

 

[TeamZissou]

Man, what a lucky day!

 

[KarenSoCal]

You say they were trying to release her? Where did she come from? She could be someone's pet.

It might be a good idea to put up some flyers, or at least watch for a "lost tortoise" posting somewhere.

 

[TaylorTortoise]

How did you get the tort out of everybody else looking?
Were they selling this guy or did they find it?

 

[Aloysius Taschse]

Welcome to the forum! What a lucky day! Releasing captive animals into the wild is almost never a good idea, so you most likely did the right thing.

Tom's guide has everything you need to set up a tortoise paradise, but if you have any questions/concerns feel free to post.

Good luck on your tortoise adventure!

 

[S2G]

You say they were trying to release her? Where did she come from? She could be someone's pet.

It might be a good idea to put up some flyers, or at least watch for a "lost tortoise" posting somewhere.

The story I got was it was a relative that couldn't care for it anymore. They kept calling it a turtle. I guess they thought it was a box turtle like you see down here. I told them I would take care of it or find a good home. I'll keep an eye out on the area pages though. I have no clue the age.

How did you get the tort out of everybody else looking?
Were they selling this guy or did they find it?

They said it was a family member whom couldn't take care of it anymore. I actually joined yesterday, because I was researching for a redfoot.

 

[Yossarian]

The story I got was it was a relative that couldn't care for it anymore. They kept calling it a turtle. I guess they thought it was a box turtle like you see down here. I told them I would take care of it or find a good home. I'll keep an eye out on the area pages though. I have no clue the age.



They said it was a family member whom couldn't take care of it anymore. I actually joined yesterday, because I was researching for a redfoot.

Its a juvenile (*maybe 3-5 yrs) based on its size, it looks really good, the shell is perfect and its beak, skin, and eyes all look great. We see a lot of torts in bad shape here so its rare and surprising to see circumstances like yours with such a healthy tort, you really are lucky.

It is probably still too young to know the sex still.

 

[Yossarian]

*Maybe because torts grow at very different rates and it is difficult to say an age. THis tort looks healthy so I think there is a good chance it is in that range, no guarantee though.

 

[Maggie3fan]

The story I got was it was a relative that couldn't care for it anymore. They kept calling it a turtle. I guess they thought it was a box turtle like you see down here. I told them I would take care of it or find a good home. I'll keep an eye out on the area pages though. I have no clue the age.



They said it was a family member whom couldn't take care of it anymore. I actually joined yesterday, because I was researching for a redfoot.

Absolutely most people call 4 legs and a shell a turtle. My Bob was over 100 pounds and people called him a turtle, they just don't realize they are 2 different things.

 

[ZenHerper]

Don't we have a member who was sent a Hermann's from TTown instead of a box turtle?

(So if they did it once, why not again?)

 

[Maggie3fan]

Don't we have a member who was sent a Hermann's from TTown instead of a box turtle?

(So if they did it once, why not again?)

I don't remember where from, but I too remember a Hermanni for a box turtle, yep

 

[S2G]

Its a juvenile (*maybe 3-5 yrs) based on its size, it looks really good, the shell is perfect and its beak, skin, and eyes all look great. We see a lot of torts in bad shape here so its rare and surprising to see circumstances like yours with such a healthy tort, you really are lucky.

It is probably still too young to know the sex still.

Oh ok. It has a really short tail & flat plastron so I thought female. Shes been basking & eating really good. Very outgoing.

 

[Yossarian]

Oh ok. It has a really short tail & flat plastron so I thought female. Shes been basking & eating really good. Very outgoing.

They all look female until they dont.

 

[S2G]

That is a fantastic looking tortoise. What a lucky find!

Here is all the current and correct care info. Most of the info you find on tortoise care is all wrong.

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...

tortoiseforum.org

Welcome to the forum and please feel free to ask lots of questions.

Very helpful thanks. I have a 5x4 wooden crate I'm fixing up today when I get home. Where do you buy your UV bulbs from if you dont mind? The only pet stores for reptiles are chain stores which are outrageous. I'm grabbing some 65w flood lights today.

 

[TaylorTortoise]

FEMALES have fat chubby tails. Males are more thin. You can usually tell the sex by looking at the tail.
At least for me, I can tell even with a youngling.
Some are not good at judgement maybe.

 

[TaylorTortoise]

Female are chubby and shorter, males are longer.

 

[Tom]

Very helpful thanks. I have a 5x4 wooden crate I'm fixing up today when I get home. Where do you buy your UV bulbs from if you dont mind? The only pet stores for reptiles are chain stores which are outrageous. I'm grabbing some 65w flood lights today.

I get the Arcadia 12% HO tubes in a reflector hood from Lightyourreptiles.com. They are very strong so its best to use a meter to gt the mounting height correct, but usually somewhere around 18-20 inches will do it. I only run the UV bulbs for 1-3 hours mid day. That's all they need. I run the basking bulbs and ambient light for 12-13 hours, and any ambient heat is on a thermostat.

 

[Ink]

Is it a Western Hermanns? I am just asking