New Family Member

[ME Tort]

Hello All,

I'm after some advice please.

I live in the Middle East and bought two tortoises from a pet shop, I was only going for one but the conditions they were being kept in were pretty poor.

I got them home and they've got the run of the ground floor of the house with a heat lamp for them. Being in the Middle East, it's pretty warm (about 23-25oC inside), I'm planning on letting them settle a bit and will then put them in the garden (its winter so temps are about 27oC in the shade). At the moment, they're active for about 30 minutes and then sleep the rest of the day.
I did a lot of research into food so bought organic mixed leaf salad and carrots, however, they're not touching it but as soon as I put lettuce down, they're on it.

Any ideas how I can get them to eat a better diet and is it normal for them to be so inactive.

Also, can someone tell me what "model" of tortoise they are and their rough age, the shop had no idea :-(

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello and welcome!

Unfortunately, I'm not knowledgeable enough, to tell the age and specie. They look like Greek tortoises to me, but don't take my words for granted.

But even without knowing exact specie, we can adjust a few things:
1. You need to give each tortoise it's own space (divide the pen in the garden and indoors space). They don't get along in pairs and always stress each other (even without obvious aggression). This may result in sickness and death of one of them.
2. Only rare tortoise species eat fruit and sugary foods, so no carrots, tomatoes and berries.
3. Lettuce isn't good food for them (much water, less nutrition), but it's probably a familiar food for them. Introducing something new might be a long and windy road, but stay persistent and you will succeed. Usually, fine chopping and mixing of a tiny piece of a new product and a familiar one works. Then gradually increase the ratio of a new food.
3. There are some foods, which they can readily consume - try and see if it works. Out of the grocery store greens it could be radicchio, chickory, arugula (rocket salad), bok choi. Maybe you can find hibiscus leaves, opuntia cactus pads or malva (mallow) growing nearby.

Also, you can take a look at this post for extensive general tortoise care info: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/
and the temperate species care sheet at the bottom of that post.

Welcome again and please ask any questions you might have!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

Is Muscat in the UAE?

Please post pictures of the bottom of the tortoises - the underside.

 

[Tom]

I got them home and they've got the run of the ground floor of the house with a heat lamp for them.

This is not safe and cannot be made safe. Injury, sickness or death is likely if you keep doing this. Make them two large enclosures for indoors, or make a heated shelter for each, or a divided one for outdoors and let them live outside full time.

Read the threads that Alex left for you for more explanation.

 

[ME Tort]

Hi, and welcome!

Is Muscat in the UAE?

Please post pictures of the bottom of the tortoises - the underside.

Thanks for replying Yvonne. I was told they were two males.

Muscat is in Oman, next to UAE.

 

[Yvonne G]

I think they're too young yet to sex them. As of now they look female, but that could change as they get bigger. I'm going to send an alert to @TeamZissou . They're real good at the I.D. for Mediterranean species!

 

[ME Tort]

I think they're too young yet to sex them. As of now they look female, but that could change as they get bigger. I'm going to send an alert to @TeamZissou . They're real good at the I.D. for Mediterranean species!

Thank you. The conditions they were kept in were awful and these two no longer have to endure it. I want to give them the best and they will live in the garden but I'm worried about cats. A few friends have tortoises and they all live happily in the garden so I'm hoping mine can explore, sun bathe and dig to their hearts content!
The garden is walled and safe so I'm not keen on putting them in an enclosure because in the summer it gets too hot (can reach 50oC) and they'll need to be able to move around under the plants and dig.

I'm sure they're an arid species but I want to be 100% sure and if I ever leave Oman I might need to apply for a permit, depending.