BEST DAY EVER!!!

[KristaAZ]

Morticia got out about 6 weeks ago. I have been walking around in 115 heat searching the desert for her. Today a girl knocked on the door to see if the tortoise that showed up in another neighbor's garage was my Morticia. The people who found her were going to put her back in the desert, but she had seen my signs/fb posts and said she would take her to see if she was mine. I am soooooo happy to have my sweet girl back!!

*her name is Morticia because when I got her 4 years ago we named her Mort. Mort the Tort. Then I found out he was a she. So it became Morticia!!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

So nice to have a happy ending!
Welcome home, Morticia!

 

[KristaAZ]

So nice to have a happy ending!
Welcome home, Morticia!

Thank you so much!

 

[Jacqui]

Boy, are you lucky!

 

[tortdad]

Cool, see.... never give up

 

[MPRC]

Yay! Lots of soaks now to rehydrate her, and figure out how she got out and make sure it doesn't happen again.

Also if you are paranoid like i am you can put your address or phone number on a piece of painters tape and stick it to her for future reference if she takes another adventure.

 

[KristaAZ]

Cool, see.... never give up

I know right?!! My husband was convinced she was gone for good. I feel like I am still on cloud nine lol.

 

[KristaAZ]

Yay! Lots of soaks now to rehydrate her, and figure out how she got out and make sure it doesn't happen again.

Also if you are paranoid like i am you can put your address or phone number on a piece of painters tape and stick it to her for future reference if she takes another adventure.

My husband thinks she got out when he had the gate open doing yardwork. I think she squeezed under the gate. He put blocks under the gate so now there is no space. Great idea thank you! I was going to write on her shell with a sharpie!

Question for you about soaking. I did last night for about 10 minutes. How often should I soak her? Also something weird was she kept pulling her head into her shell in toward the side, and so much dirt and funk was going out of her shell. Do you know if that is normal? I am so sad to say this but, I have not been a good tort owner. She was given to me with little instructions. I have only given her lettuce. I have tried kale, spinach, and strawberries. She only eats lettuce which I know has little nutrition. Now I am on a mission to do more search on her species and give her the best life possible. Thank you for any help you can give me! <3

 

[Reptilian Feline]

I think they can wriggle a bit when they soak if they're dirty. Mine usually looks funny when he poops, and he sometimes uses his front legs around his face to get rid of food or things like that.
The soak time is based on size/weight (I think), so how large or heavy is your tort?
Can you pick up your tort and examine her without her pulling in her legs? Look for some injury that might be a bit more dirty.

 

[Jbrez]

Congratulations nice to have a happy ending. Seems like most of the time we only hear the bad stories.

 

[Moozillion]

YAAYYYY!!!!

 

[wellington]

Love lost tort happy endings. So glad you got her back.

 

[MPRC]

I am so sad to say this but, I have not been a good tort owner. She was given to me with little instructions. I have only given her lettuce. I have tried kale, spinach, and strawberries. She only eats lettuce which I know has little nutrition. Now I am on a mission to do more search on her species and give her the best life possible. Thank you for any help you can give me! <3

I think @Tom and or @Yvonne G keep the link to all of the care sheets handy and can probably help you get your tort on the right track for a healthy long life. I only have redfoots so their care is different.

 

[Tom]

Here ya' go:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Alex Z]

Nothing like a happy ending!! What type of tort is that?

 

[Franco F]

Great to see that your little one is back home!

 

[KristaAZ]

I think they can wriggle a bit when they soak if they're dirty. Mine usually looks funny when he poops, and he sometimes uses his front legs around his face to get rid of food or things like that.
The soak time is based on size/weight (I think), so how large or heavy is your tort?
Can you pick up your tort and examine her without her pulling in her legs? Look for some injury that might be a bit more dirty.

thank you for the info. I think she was just really dirty! No injury thank God!

 

[KristaAZ]

Congratulations nice to have a happy ending. Seems like most of the time we only hear the bad stories.

Thank you! I am still on cloud 9 lol

 

[KristaAZ]

I think @Tom and or @Yvonne G keep the link to all of the care sheets handy and can probably help you get your tort on the right track for a healthy long life. I only have redfoots so their care is different.

Thank you so much!! I appreciate it!! <3

 

[KristaAZ]

Here ya' go:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Thank you so much Tom! I am excited that I had already seen/read the beginner mistakes so hopefully I am reading what I should so far! hahaha Morticia is a Az Desert Tortoise. Is their care the same as Russian? I am thinking the DT is similar to another species? I think it was Russian or Leopard maybe.