Help! Found a Tortoise

zippybungle

My Mum found a Tortoise whilst out Dog Walking today.

I am looking after it and will possibly keep it, if no one claims it.

I have no experience of looking after a Tortoise, haven't got a clue! I will take a photo of it later (when the batteries have charged) and put a picture on here.

It's on our (secure) garden at the moment, and we have given it a saucer of water. It seems very lively and friendly.

Any advice?

Zippy x

alared

Lettuce,cucumber,tomatoes,grapes,peaches and our`s even eats the odd wetabix after it`s been soften with cold water.
They hibernate about Oct to April but need to be put in a box with shredded newspaper and brought INDOORS.

INT1

Who did you report to say you found it, sounds like it will have a good home now, they are a life long commitment!

Happy_Girl_2

Which part of the country are you in? I've heard of someone who has lost a tortoise a couple of days ago

zippybungle

Happy_Girl wrote: »

Which part of the country are you in? I've heard of someone who has lost a tortoise a couple of days ago

Chesterfield

ClareEmily

Nobody will have dumped a Tortoise as they are too valuable, so someone is probably missing one.

I would contact your local vets and put some notices up.

lfckerry

Lettuce has not got much nutritional value and tomatoes etc should only be given occasionaly. They should have a diet of things like dandelions,clover,pansies. I really would suggest trying to find the owner, if i lost any of mine i would be gutted.
try this website for help and advice
www.tortoisetrust.org

jha

Please do not feed it anything except dandelions untill you have checked what species it is with a vet.

They need specialist care and lighting when indoors. Husbandry and vetinary care have improved massivly since the "blue peter " way you will have seen torts cared for say in the 1980's .
They are also very expensive so please be careful if you do return it that it is going back to its original owner if you see what i mean.

Different torties have a variety of different diets.

Also it might be microchipped. I second Ifckerry and beg you to contact the tortoisetrust and or a vet as a matter of urgency.

Mine was braught to my door asking if i would take it in by someone that "found it on the road" i took it in thinking i just needed to stick it in the garden and feed it lettuce - wow was i wrong.

a £300 trip to the vet later as he was dragging his back legs when i got him and was wriddled with worms with a cracked shell. Another £90 for a light and £80 for a tortoise pen (no glass) and sand soil mix to go in it - water bowl etc and then his food (mainly home grown weeds - some lettuce) and vitamins and cuttlefish. And i had to tortoise proof the garden (the one i have can did very deep)
It will also need to be hibernated which is a tricky business as mentioned by alared.

I notified all local vets, put posters up and put an ad in local paper and got him checked for a microchip.

I wouldnt swap him for the world but please get ready for a bit of a steep learning curve.

Wishing you all the very best

Here is a photo of mine (it is a horsfield) Piccy removed as zippybungle has seen it - lol

Hintza

My mother found a tortoise years ago and we were never fast enough to hibernate him. He found his own spot and sorted himself out and reappeared every spring. Until my mother decided without thinking to put down some weedkiller and that was then of him

INT1

Surely he wouldn't of wondered very far from where he lives, they not that quick are they?!

superrachy

alared wrote: »

Lettuce,cucumber,tomatoes,grapes,peaches and our`s even eats the odd wetabix after it`s been soften with cold water.
They hibernate about Oct to April but need to be put in a box with shredded newspaper and brought INDOORS.

if you follow this advice then the poor tortoise will die. this is NOT a suitable diet, and the hibernation period is far too long - not all species of tortoise hibernate, so you really need to find out what species this is first. Get in touch with tortoise trust, they will be able to help, and if you do get to keep it, then they will be able to advise what you need to do in order to look after it.

I also hope that the stupid idiot who feeds theirs weetabix will also got to the tortoise trust website and read some care sheets!!! :mad: