Moroccan tortoise hatchlings in my garden!

[ADK]

We have three tortoises that ramble in our garden. Duncan, King of the Driveway, is more likely an empress as she has produced three hatchlings. I'm guessing they are T. g. graeca. What is the simplest kind of outdoor pen to place them in so they don't meet an untimely demise from the dogs or the mower? Should I bring them inside for the winter? The three big tortoises hibernate somewhere in the garden. We are due to leave Morocco next year, and I'm not hip to taking the Three Mini-Duncans with me. I'd like to give them a safe year and give them to our successor next summer.

ADK

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

How lucky is that...to have baby tortoises hatching in your garden!! I don't know about Morocco, but here where I live, birds carry baby tortoises off, so we have to protect them with wire or netting over their habitat. I always keep my babies indoors until they're about a year old.

When you leave Morocco, where are you going?

We have another member in Morocco. @Tidgy's Dad is in Fes.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

We have three tortoises that ramble in our garden. Duncan, King of the Driveway, is more likely an empress as she has produced three hatchlings. I'm guessing they are T. g. graeca. What is the simplest kind of outdoor pen to place them in so they don't meet an untimely demise from the dogs or the mower? Should I bring them inside for the winter? The three big tortoises hibernate somewhere in the garden. We are due to leave Morocco next year, and I'm not hip to taking the Three Mini-Duncans with me. I'd like to give them a safe year and give them to our successor next summer.

ADK

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum from sunny Morocco!!!!
I'm in Fes, whereabouts are you ?
I agree with Yvonne, hatchlings in the wild or people's gardens have a very low survival rate.It's best to bring them in and set up an enclosure for them and overwinter them in the warm with lots of yummy foods.
It gets pretty cold in Fes in Dec/Jan so I wouldn't leave the hatchlings out in an enclosure even if secure.
It's great to have hatchlings in the garden, but they've chosen a bad time of year, around here and where they come from in the Atlas and Souss valley they usually seem to hatch in early spring.
Good luck!

 

[ADK]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum from sunny Morocco!!!!
I'm in Fes, whereabouts are you ?
I agree with Yvonne, hatchlings in the wild or people's gardens have a very low survival rate.It's best to bring them in and set up an enclosure for them and overwinter them in the warm with lots of yummy foods.
It gets pretty cold in Fes in Dec/Jan so I wouldn't leave the hatchlings out in an enclosure even if secure.
It's great to have hatchlings in the garden, but they've chosen a bad time of year, around here and where they come from in the Atlas and Souss valley they usually seem to hatch in early spring.
Good luck!

Tidgy's Dad,

Yes, we were absolutely shocked when our gardener brought them in to us. We live in Rabat and aren't the only people with hatchlings. I guess our college son's room is about to become the tortoise room. It's the sunniest and easiest to heat.

ADK

 

[Yvonne G]

Aw, he's so tiny. Please go back out there and try to find his litter mates. Chances are pretty good there are three or four more in the garden.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Tidgy's Dad,

Yes, we were absolutely shocked when our gardener brought them in to us. We live in Rabat and aren't the only people with hatchlings. I guess our college son's room is about to become the tortoise room. It's the sunniest and easiest to heat.

ADK

View attachment 152994

Gorgeous.
Looks like a Testudo graeca graeca from the north to me.

 

[ADK]

Aw, he's so tiny. Please go back out there and try to find his litter mates. Chances are pretty good there are three or four more in the garden.

We've found three, and they are in a big planter attached to the house. Tomorrow they're moving inside. My gardener is keeping his eye out for more.

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome !

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello ADK

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and welcome. Congrats for finding those cuties.

 

[ADK]

An update on our three hatchling: All three made it through the winter and are now in the 20-25 gram range on weight. Unfortunately, one just pooped out a 3 cm worm. I assume they all have worms now. Is there a preferred wormer?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

An update on our three hatchling: All three made it through the winter and are now in the 20-25 gram range on weight. Unfortunately, one just pooped out a 3 cm worm. I assume they all have worms now. Is there a preferred wormer?

Glad they're all still with us.
Try a message in the health section and look under there for information on worms.
I've not had this problem thankfully (nor has Tidgy.).

 

[ADK]

I'm thinking they either were infected from the time of hatching, or that some eggs came in on the wild plants we feed them. Momma Duncan laid another clutch two weeks ago.

Adrienne