Watsons mom
New Member
Hi, we adopted a 5 year old male desert tortoise less then 36 hours ago. The rescuer checked our yard for escape routes,toxic plants and shrubs (we don't use pesticide or fertilizer) and adequate shading. We are using a terra cotta saucer as a watering dish/shallow pool. We were told free roaming the tortoise in the yard was fine and that he would create his own burrow ( we live in the desert, he was free roamed before and made his own burrow). The rescuer suggested we bring him in at night for a couple of days. He was very active in the yard yesterday but did not eat his greens or have a bath (he may have eaten hay and flowers but I didn't see it). He found a hiding spot under a chair with a outdoor cover over it. He won't come out to eat, drink. bathe, sun himself or anything today. This morning he would not eat his dandelions unless I hand fed them to him. He got spooked and wouldn't eat anymore. Also, he whistles when he walks. There is no discharge, labored breathing, panting, nothing to indicate a infection. I called the rescuer the night we adopted him and again this morning and she said it was fine. She also said he would eat more when he warmed up but he only took a couple of bites of greens and its 80 degrees outside. I intend to enclose a large area for him and make him a burrow as I am concerned we were given the wrong info. about free roaming him. I am very concerned about his wellbeing. I don't know if I should just leave him alone for a few days, soak him, get him pellets. I don't know what to do. He is being fed the exact same thing as before plus timothy hay and orchard grass. He has not been active since he found the hiding spot. If we put him in the sun he just walks back to the spot. There is plenty of shade, and edible shrubs and flowers to hide under if he wants. He was living with the rescuer for atleast a month. She has several adult desert tortoises and he was just fine with her. Am I overreacting? Will he eat hardily and bathe in his own time?