Found abandoned Tortoise. Plz help Identify & have Calcium concerns

[Jabuticaba]

What a great rescue story!!! And what a gorgeous looking family! Thanks for sharing your lovely puctures! (I had a St Bernard, 20+ yrs ago and I have Dane mix, now. Great dogs!)

Have you found the sulcata care and diet sheets? If so, great! If not, here are the links.

Sulcata Diet Sheet http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Sulcata-Diet-Sheet.64290/

AFRICAN SPURRED TORTOISE (SULCATA) CARE SHEET http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/AFRICAN-SPURRED-TORTOISE-(SULCATA)-CARE-SHEET.52524/


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[wellington]

I so love the story of the movie and rescuing this tortoise. You and your beautiful family were meant to find and care for this one. Sounds like s/he will be well cared for and loved.

 

[Abdulla6169]

Wow, just wow! I couldn't read the whole thread, but you're amazing .

 

[Prairie Mom]

Hi, Prairie Mom:

I love the picture of your family. You have some beautiful kidlets. And the rescue story is tops!

Sulcata tortoises do best outside, and your new tortoise is plenty big enough now to live outside. Of course, in the cold season, you will have to find creative ways to keep this tortoise warm. For now, while it's smallish, you can create an indoor habitat. One way is to buy a couple of the largest size plastic tubs you can afford, cut out opposing ends and stick them together. Another way is to have your husband build a large wooden box. You want the sides to be taller than the tortoise when he stands on his back legs and reaches for the sky. Be sure to include the substrate in the measurement.

We have some very nice enclosure ideas in our "enclosure" section.

Thank you for your kind words and advice. I was relieved and happy when you mentioned the temporary double tupperware idea, because that is exactly what we're doing right now until we have time to do something better. We're planning to heat one end and shade the other unheated end. From what I'm reading, it does seem like you're right and she really will need to be outside. Our winters can be long and brutal. For now, we'll keep her inside and when it is warm enough we will take her out into enclosed areas in our garden. She can snack on carrot tops We have a work room attached to our garage and my husband thinks we could create a heated indoor/outdoor enclosure for Mavis. But it will take us some time. I'm grateful we found her when she is small! I'll definitely check out the "enclosure" section and look for ideas. This site is so helpful!

 

[Prairie Mom]

I forgot to mention: Once Mavis is used to living with you and your family, and is all settled into her new enclosure (don't let her wander around the house), she will eat every day and poop a couple times a day. Be sure to provide water, and for the first couple weeks soak her in warm water in a tub she can't climb out of.

Yvonne, could you please give me more detailed instructions on soaking her. This morning we took her into our bathroom and sat her in a pie plate of luke warm water, she was nervous at first and then sat and soaked. She seemed perkier after doing this. What EXACTLY do you recommend I do for her. How often and for how long should I put her in the warm water? Thanks!

 

[Abdulla6169]

The way you soak is you put them in a tub-like container (so they can't escape). It should be step something like this:
View attachment 94849
Then fill the container with warm (not hot!) water to where the plastron meets the shell carapace, which is called the bridge area:
View attachment 94847
I leave my tort soaking for 30ish minutes

 

[littleginsu]

Thank you for your kind words and advice. I was relieved and happy when you mentioned the temporary double tupperware idea, because that is exactly what we're doing right now until we have time to do something better. We're planning to heat one end and shade the other unheated end. From what I'm reading, it does seem like you're right and she really will need to be outside. Our winters can be long and brutal. For now, we'll keep her inside and when it is warm enough we will take her out into enclosed areas in our garden. She can snack on carrot tops We have a work room attached to our garage and my husband thinks we could create a heated indoor/outdoor enclosure for Mavis. But it will take us some time. I'm grateful we found her when she is small! I'll definitely check out the "enclosure" section and look for ideas. This site is so helpful!

First, you have a beautiful family; second, you have a beautiful tortoise and it sure sounds like the universe put you in the right place and the right time to rescue Mavis.

Lastly, there is a thread in the enclosures forum with details on how to build Tom's night box, which may be the perfect solution to house Mavis next winter. Some of the other Sulcata owners who live in colder climates use tool sheds to house their torts in the winter.

We love photos, so do not be shy to post lots and lots of pictures!!

 

[Jabuticaba]

Soaking video:

You can soak Mavis in a big tote, indoors, now that it's getting cold. In the summer, you could use a kiddy pool.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Prairie Mom]

What a great rescue story!!! And what a gorgeous looking family! Thanks for sharing your lovely puctures! (I had a St Bernard, 20+ yrs ago and I have Dane mix, now. Great dogs!)

Have you found the sulcata care and diet sheets? If so, great! If not, here are the links.

Sulcata Diet Sheet http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Sulcata-Diet-Sheet.64290/

AFRICAN SPURRED TORTOISE (SULCATA) CARE SHEET http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/AFRICAN-SPURRED-TORTOISE-(SULCATA)-CARE-SHEET.52524/


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

Thank you, Jabuticaba! I've bookmarked the links you posted. Hug your big pup for me!

 

[Prairie Mom]

The way you soak is you put them in a tub-like container (so they can't escape). It should be step something like this:
View attachment 94849
Then fill the container with warm (not hot!) water to where the plastron meets the shell carapace, which is called the bridge area:
View attachment 94847
I leave my tort soaking for 30ish minutes

Thanks for your response AddullaAli and your kind words. I also appreciate the illustration. I needed that!

 

[Prairie Mom]

[/ATTACH]

First, you have a beautiful family; second, you have a beautiful tortoise and it sure sounds like the universe put you in the right place and the right time to rescue Mavis.

Lastly, there is a thread in the enclosures forum with details on how to build Tom's night box, which may be the perfect solution to house Mavis next winter. Some of the other Sulcata owners who live in colder climates use tool sheds to house their torts in the winter.

We love photos, so do not be shy to post lots and lots of pictures!!

Thanks so much littleginsu! The universe really did put us in the right place at the right time. So crazy! I still can't get over it. The other thing that my husband and I are amazed about is the Sulcata's diet. A few years ago, we began a project to turn our entire backyard EDIBLE. We transplanted out anything that could be poisonous and are only growing edible flowers, veg, and herbs. We use the flowers in soups, salads, etc. My kids love it. We're shocked to see that "Mavis" can and SHOULD eat everything we're growing back there! Even the strawberry and grapevine leaves. I was destined to turn my house into a zoo..ha ha ha It got warm outside this afternoon and all of our Autumn snowstorm melted, so we took Mavis out to snack on everything that didn't freeze. She thinks my carrot garden with accompanying dandelion weeds is freakin' awesome! I'll also check out "Tom's night box" --thanks!

 

[KatieandKyle]

View attachment 95682 ascott and Jabuticaba---120lbs...200lbs! "Yikes" is right!!! I showed your notes to my husband and he just laughed and looked kind of excited. We're in! We have a 150lb St. Bernard/Grate Dane mix in heaven waiting for us to join him, so I've had a little practice herding large beasts! Finding a pet sitter could get interesting though. I think I will wait a bit on finding the vet right now. I can tell she needs to rest and feel safe for a while. Other than the worries about calcium deficiency she appears in decent shape, so we'll let her recuperate a bit. Just for fun, I'm attaching a photo of our old St. Bernard Ajax... (and some of my other favorite beasties. ha ha!)

What a great looking bunch! You all will love caring for a sulcata! Fantastic personalities! Keep us posted! We all love photos!!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Thanks KatieandKyel!

 

[Moozillion]

This whole story is soooo heartwarming and joyous!!!!

I keep coming back and re-reading it: especially anytime I've just watched the evening "news!"

 

[Tom]

Prairie Mom, Did you actually see someone dumping this tortoise, or did you just find it walking alone in the street? Chances are good that someone is pretty upset about losing their baby. They frequently escape when someone leaves the gate open, like a service person or a young child. You ought to be calling local vets, pet stores and animal control to let them know you've found a lost tortoise. Give them an approximate size, but let the person who claims to have lost it give you the description and ID the species.

As far as caring for it, here are some care and feeding sheets:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

The best substrate to use for one that size is orchid bark. It is often called "Pathway Bark" at the hardware store. Get the fine grade (smaller pieces) and it only costs about $5 for huge bag. This will be less messy for a tortoise of that size. Make a good 4-6" layer and keep it damp, not wet. This tortoise must also have night heat. Best provided by a ceramic heating element, or two, set on a thermostat. This will keep it dark at night but still warm enough for this tropical species. Its all in the threads above.

Good luck and please come back with lots of questions after you read the threads.

 

[Prairie Mom]

This whole story is soooo heartwarming and joyous!!!!

I keep coming back and re-reading it: especially anytime I've just watched the evening "news!"

Thank you, Moozillion! Your comment about the evening news made laugh...I know what you mean.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Prairie Mom, Did you actually see someone dumping this tortoise, or did you just find it walking alone in the street? Chances are good that someone is pretty upset about losing their baby. They frequently escape when someone leaves the gate open, like a service person or a young child. You ought to be calling local vets, pet stores and animal control to let them know you've found a lost tortoise. Give them an approximate size, but let the person who claims to have lost it give you the description and ID the species.

As far as caring for it, here are some care and feeding sheets:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

The best substrate to use for one that size is orchid bark. It is often called "Pathway Bark" at the hardware store. Get the fine grade (smaller pieces) and it only costs about $5 for huge bag. This will be less messy for a tortoise of that size. Make a good 4-6" layer and keep it damp, not wet. This tortoise must also have night heat. Best provided by a ceramic heating element, or two, set on a thermostat. This will keep it dark at night but still warm enough for this tropical species. Its all in the threads above.

Good luck and please come back with lots of questions after you read the threads.

Hi Tom,
Thanks for writing to me! I was up late last night and actually read a bunch of your posts I feel like I'm talking to a celebrity...ha ha ha! To answer your question about the Tortoise we found, I'll go ahead and post the long version of how we got her if you or anyone happens to be curious...

It was a dark and stormy night...just kidding...I couldn't help it!

But, it WAS 29 degrees and snowing like Christmas! This was our first Autumn snow of the year, but it had been freezing for several days. We had left the movie theater and were entering our neighborhood. My husband was following in his car behind me and the kids (we all met up at the theater after work & school). We were among traffic near the front of a traffic light (2nd car). The whole street was empty ahead as traffic was crossing in front of us, and so the truck that was pulled over on the empty street immediately caught my eye. The whole thing had an odd feeling and I wondered what the guy was doing. We noticed the guy darting back into his vehicle from the direction of some shrubbery on the side, and he hopped in his truck and sped off. It just seemed odd, but it was over quickly, so we thought nothing of it. The car in front of us started out of the light pretty fast and I noticed they made a slight swerve away from the area the truck was at. As, I was driving, I looked over at the same spot the truck was at and was confused about what I was seeing and thought some sort of pigeon was getting in the road. When it awkwardly tumbled down into the street, the tortoise started moving way faster than I was aware that they could and was speedily heading it into the middle of our lane. I quickly slowed down. Cars honked and in the blink of an eye, I had a tortoise in the passenger seat! I barely remember getting out of the car, but some moments will always be frozen in my mind... I will always remember the way she looked with neck and arms extended as she was tortoise running into the middle of the street. I will always remember the second she saw me and shrunk in her shell as I picked her up. We were only a couple of blocks from my house. And finally, I will never forget getting out of the van back home in our drive way lifting the hiding tortoise up for my husband to see as he pulled in behind us.

The guy in the truck was definitely leaving the tortoise, but it did occur to us that he may not have been thee tortoise's actual owner, so we put in a call to animal control and left a description. We even placed a second call after members on this forum helped us identify the species. I haven't taken the time to call all the vets, and honestly, am not planning on it.

 

[kmartin]

Great save. You might try to take her to your vet to see if she is microchipped . She's big enough and if bought commercially some breeders are starting to chip their torts.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Prairie Mom, Did you actually see someone dumping this tortoise, or did you just find it walking alone in the street? Chances are good that someone is pretty upset about losing their baby. They frequently escape when someone leaves the gate open, like a service person or a young child. You ought to be calling local vets, pet stores and animal control to let them know you've found a lost tortoise. Give them an approximate size, but let the person who claims to have lost it give you the description and ID the species.

As far as caring for it, here are some care and feeding sheets:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

The best substrate to use for one that size is orchid bark. It is often called "Pathway Bark" at the hardware store. Get the fine grade (smaller pieces) and it only costs about $5 for huge bag. This will be less messy for a tortoise of that size. Make a good 4-6" layer and keep it damp, not wet. This tortoise must also have night heat. Best provided by a ceramic heating element, or two, set on a thermostat. This will keep it dark at night but still warm enough for this tropical species. Its all in the threads above.

Good luck and please come back with lots of questions after you read the threads.

Hi Tom,
I have Peat Moss in there now and will look into getting some fine Pathway bark. We're still in the preparation stages and don't have the proper heating element YET. I'm doing the big "no-no" of putting a heating pad under a section of the container that she can freely move to and from. It's working for now, but we'll do better. I have read all the links you posted, except "for those who have a young sulcata" and will be sure to read that too--thanks for posting them. Right now, we have a spare aquarium hood light over her and happily, yesterday it got pretty warm and we were able to let her out into the sunshine. We'll have some nicer temps coming up this week, so we'll get her outside as much as we can. I know I will have lots of questions as we get things set up and I'll definitely be posting "Am I doing this right?" threads. Thanks for your help!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Hadn't thought of that, Kmartin! We'll check and see if she is chipped. Thanks.