What to do when your tort arrives?

[jerm42991]

So I just ordered a red foot that I will be getting in the middle of next week (don't worry I will post pictures). It is a baby, just a couple months old and my question was when it arrives what do I need to do? I will have its enclosure all set up and ready to go, so I will obviously put him in there and have water ready. But should I offer food, wait until what will be the normal feeding time, just leave him alone to explore and get comfortable for a day or so, mist him right away.

any help is appreciated,

thanks

 

[Neltharion]

RE: What to do when your tort arrives

So I just ordered a red foot that I will be getting in the middle of next week (don't worry I will post pictures). It is a baby, just a couple months old and my question was when it arrives what do I need to do? I will have its enclosure all set up and ready to go, so I will obviously put him in there and have water ready. But should I offer food, wait until what will be the normal feeding time, just leave him alone to explore and get comfortable for a day or so, mist him right away.

any help is appreciated,

thanks

Not sure if you're getting it shipped or picking it up. But if we're talking about shipped, first thing I do when I receive any reptile is examine it. Make sure that its feet have all of the toes or digits. Make sure its tail is not nipped (more so for lizards, than tortoises). Check that the eyes are clear, not cloudy or sealed shut, no discharge. Check the nostrils for discharge. Inspect the entire animal for any open wounds.

This will be important, since most sellers will require you to report any problems within a certain timeframe of receipt. Some sellers may require that you notify them within one hour of receipt. If there are any injuries or if you receive a DOA, take pics (ideally, date stamped) and e-mail the seller immediately.

Next thing I do, assuming a healthy tort with no issues, there's a good chance that its defecated or passed urates during shipping. In all likelihood the waste is stuck on the tort. I give it a soak in lukewarm water for 15 to 20 minutes to clean the waste off and to help rehydrate, since it was in a dry container for quite some time. After that, the tort goes into its enclosure. I leave a little bit of food, which is usually not eaten. Most often, the tort will go to the hide and not come out for awhile. It is not unusual for a tort to not eat for the first several days, while it acclimates to its new home. I've also had newcomers that would not eat in front of me for several weeks.

Also, you don't mention having other redfoots currently, so I don't think this pertains to you. But when acquiring new additions to add to an existing group, its always good practice to quarantine new specimens for some amount of time before adding them to your existing group. I quarantine 45 days, but have been told by a few people that my timeframe is excessive.

 

[jerm42991]

RE: What to do when your tort arrives

Thanks for the info. Yes this is my first tortoise but not my first reptile. It is being shipped but I have received a bunch of pics from every angle and everything looks good, but I will of course double check everything when it arrives.

 

[Jacqui]

RE: What to do when your tort arrives

I quarantine 45 days, but have been told by a few people that my timeframe is excessive.

I hate to know what they would say about my year long quarantine on some tortoises I get.

I do the soaking first thing and while soaking I call the shipper to let them know it arrived. They are often even more worried, then me about their safe arrival and I want to relieve them as soon as possible.

After all the soaking, the checking and the placing in the enclosure, then for mine it's time to step back and give them as much peace and quiet as I can so the can relax and de-stress.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I have had two torts shipped and I soak as soon as it arrives. Then put it in it's outside enclosure and offer a pile of food. Don't worry if it doesn't eat at first it could still be stressed. Oh yeah and ENJOY

 

[Neltharion]

RE: What to do when your tort arrives

I quarantine 45 days, but have been told by a few people that my timeframe is excessive.

I hate to know what they would say about my year long quarantine on some tortoises I get.

Funny . I've heard from a lot of tort owners, that a 30 day is more than enough. Some feel two weeks is sufficient.

This is quite a bit less than the 60 day minimum that they recommend for snakes. When I was keeping pythons and constrictors, I quarantined for at least 60 days; and oftentimes left them in quarantine indefinitely until a new arrival was coming in.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

So I just ordered a red foot that I will be getting in the middle of next week (don't worry I will post pictures). It is a baby, just a couple months old and my question was when it arrives what do I need to do? I will have its enclosure all set up and ready to go, so I will obviously put him in there and have water ready. But should I offer food, wait until what will be the normal feeding time, just leave him alone to explore and get comfortable for a day or so, mist him right away.

any help is appreciated,

thanks

First thing I ALWAYS do is give the new tort a long soak...minimum of 30 minutes, and usually fresh water after about 10 minutes (traveling makes 'em dry and frequency slightly constipated).

Next I give the tort a careful look-over, to get some idea of what condition the tort is in, then I offer it some food, to see what kind of appetite it has...some immediately dig in, some need time (anywhere from a few hours to a few days) before they'll eat.

After all that, I put the new arrival in quarrantine for at least 30 days and give it space, until it's comfortable around me, which depends on how shy it is. (if you've only one tort, quarrantine is unneeded, of course).

 

[Jacqui]

RE: What to do when your tort arrives

Funny . I've heard from a lot of tort owners, that a 30 day is more than enough. Some feel two weeks is sufficient.

This is quite a bit less than the 60 day minimum that they recommend for snakes. When I was keeping pythons and constrictors, I quarantined for at least 60 days; and oftentimes left them in quarantine indefinitely until a new arrival was coming in.

I just have heard of too many times somebody got a new tortoise, put it right in with the old one (or did a short quarantine) and the entire group got wiped out. Tortoises I think hide sickness better then other reptiles (just my opinion) added to that, my tortoises are just too valuable for me to risk them. The year just gives me a full cycle to get to know my tortoises and all his or her little unique factors before adding it into the herd.
I am not a patient person, but in this area I think patience is called for.

 

[musuoka]

Chinese Crafts
Chinese Porcelain
cheap moncler