Good evening,
till a few days ago we knew nearly nothing about tortoises... then one wandered off the street and into our life. The vet confirmed she is a Golden Greek, about 18 months old, approx 10-12cm long shell (weighs 250g). We have been reading a lot, but have some questions still... As a background, we live in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Outside temperatures range from mid teens centigrade in the winter, to high 40s (C) in the summer (occasionally touching 50 C). So...
J&A.
till a few days ago we knew nearly nothing about tortoises... then one wandered off the street and into our life. The vet confirmed she is a Golden Greek, about 18 months old, approx 10-12cm long shell (weighs 250g). We have been reading a lot, but have some questions still... As a background, we live in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Outside temperatures range from mid teens centigrade in the winter, to high 40s (C) in the summer (occasionally touching 50 C). So...
- Could she live outside all year, or is the summer just too hot? We can ensure shade.
- We have a small stony/gravelly front yard, no sand or earth - would that area be OK for her, or does she need something softer? She wanders happily around at the moment and can dig herself small holes to hide in. We've arranged a number of large stones and boulders to enable her to shelter under a hard roof (stones on 3 sides and a large flat stone on top), or so she can dig in under the corners of one of the bigger boulders. There is a large cactus (over 6 foot high) growing in the middle, around which the stones are arranged. 8 foot high walls on 3 sides, and a temporary wooden wall on the 4th side to keep her in. About 6 foot by 5 foot in total.
- We need to go away next weekend for 48 hours. If we scatter an abundance of lettuce leaves about the enclosure (we've read up about what types of leaves she can and cannot eat), and ensure lots of water is there, will she be OK for that time, or do we urgently need to find a tortoise carer for the weekend? We're still sorting out plans for future absences, but are not sure for how long long she can cope on her own.
- There are some semi-tamed stray cats living in our compound, which are fed by neighbours a few doors up. They don't normally come into our yard, but we could not stop one jumping over the wall at night if it really wanted to. Do we need to create a safe "house" with a cover, or are the stones and her shell enough to keep a cat away?
J&A.