TMK1971
Member
So, I have been sort of thrusted into this ownership thing.
I do like pets and animals, so it isn't a bad thing.
My wife is a teacher and one of her kids brought in a tortoise in a very small glass tank. It wasn't doing well and the student didn't know what to do and needed to get rid of it.
Skip to me doing some research on line...and luckily finding this place.
I believe it to be a Russian Tortoise about 8 to 10" long. Unfortunately the shell is soft and it has a beak. I believe they were only feeding it lettuce.
Last weekend I built an outdoor enclosure. It is about 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. 3 of the four walls are part of my house, so they are solid. The third is wire mesh but I have put rocks up and the tortoise does not try to climb. There is also a wire mesh top, some ceramic heat lights over a basking spot, edible plants (Kale, Sage, Cabbage, and some collard greens) planted. I have been dusting them with vitamins and he is really enjoying the kale. Yes, all are pestiside free. The ground is a sand dirt mix, more on the dirt side. I also have a nice hole built with for a hiding spot.
The sun hits 3/4 of the enclosure from about 11am to 2pm...it creeps in so there is more sun through out the day. I would say from 10am to 3:30pm on at least 1/4 of the area. My house overhangs the whole enclosure...and I hope to keep him out there full time eventually.
I bring the tortoise in a night and put him in a 40 gallon tank with heat lamp. I do not want him to hibernate yet...I know he isn't strong enough yet.
I live in So. Cal...so it isn't that cold but a thermometer probe in the hiding drops down to 56 degrees in the middle of the night (I checked because I wanted to know). Again, at this time the tortoise is inside our house and warm.
I have dogs...no way they can even get close to "it". Also some fish, leopard geckos, three young boys (probably the hardest of all my pets to raise).
So, I am on a long journey to get this tortoise back to health...open to suggestions. I do not want to take him to the doctor, so yell all you want. I will nurse him/her back to health on my own.
The first time I put it in the enclosure, it hid in the corner. Only 5 days later and it is walking around and eating the plants.
Oh, I have also given it two soaks in warm water and both times it pooped. I could go on for a lot longer but this is my first post and well...
Good day! Thanks for reading if you made it down this far.
I do like pets and animals, so it isn't a bad thing.
My wife is a teacher and one of her kids brought in a tortoise in a very small glass tank. It wasn't doing well and the student didn't know what to do and needed to get rid of it.
Skip to me doing some research on line...and luckily finding this place.
I believe it to be a Russian Tortoise about 8 to 10" long. Unfortunately the shell is soft and it has a beak. I believe they were only feeding it lettuce.
Last weekend I built an outdoor enclosure. It is about 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. 3 of the four walls are part of my house, so they are solid. The third is wire mesh but I have put rocks up and the tortoise does not try to climb. There is also a wire mesh top, some ceramic heat lights over a basking spot, edible plants (Kale, Sage, Cabbage, and some collard greens) planted. I have been dusting them with vitamins and he is really enjoying the kale. Yes, all are pestiside free. The ground is a sand dirt mix, more on the dirt side. I also have a nice hole built with for a hiding spot.
The sun hits 3/4 of the enclosure from about 11am to 2pm...it creeps in so there is more sun through out the day. I would say from 10am to 3:30pm on at least 1/4 of the area. My house overhangs the whole enclosure...and I hope to keep him out there full time eventually.
I bring the tortoise in a night and put him in a 40 gallon tank with heat lamp. I do not want him to hibernate yet...I know he isn't strong enough yet.
I live in So. Cal...so it isn't that cold but a thermometer probe in the hiding drops down to 56 degrees in the middle of the night (I checked because I wanted to know). Again, at this time the tortoise is inside our house and warm.
I have dogs...no way they can even get close to "it". Also some fish, leopard geckos, three young boys (probably the hardest of all my pets to raise).
So, I am on a long journey to get this tortoise back to health...open to suggestions. I do not want to take him to the doctor, so yell all you want. I will nurse him/her back to health on my own.
The first time I put it in the enclosure, it hid in the corner. Only 5 days later and it is walking around and eating the plants.
Oh, I have also given it two soaks in warm water and both times it pooped. I could go on for a lot longer but this is my first post and well...
Good day! Thanks for reading if you made it down this far.