Comments on: Desert Tortoises: A Sad Week

By: Paula from the DTCC

Paula from the DTCC — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:35:15 +0000

Kristine,
Good questions. There isn’t a lot of information out there about what to feed desert tortoises or even how to care for them. Your best bet is to feed your tortoise dark leafy greens like kale and endive, but avoid spinach and any foods that contain oxalates – these can cause bladder stones in captive tortoises and they can be fatal if not removed surgically.

There are a couple of “complete” tortoise diets on the market, so if you want to feed one of those, that’s okay, but make sure it’s not a diet for a turtle – totally different critter – and be sure to supplement with natural foods.

Here at the DTCC we feed our tortoises salads full of kale, endive, green and yellow squash, cucumbers, and an occasional small treat like a bite of strawberry, avocado, or banana. They love natural plants like globe mallow and prickly pear cactus as well. And please remember, you absolutely positively must have a deep burrow available for your tortoise at all times. The shade of a bush or tree, no matter how big, does not protect them from the heat and cold the way a burrow does. Good luck on finding your tortoise’s favorite foods!

By: Kristine

Kristine — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:22:32 +0000

Do you have any specific websites/books that you recommend on diet for a desert tortoise? I inherited one when my husband found his friends wandering in the street because it had gotten out of the yard. It is about 5 years old and seems to be very active and healthy but has a few little holes/cracks in its shell (maybe from a dog). I have been feeding it things like kale and broccoli, which is what my sister was told to feed hers (about one year old) but I came accross a diet guide on the internet that said those things are not good to give a turtle. Im confused because everything is conflicting and I want to do the best thing for her. we have a perfect protected little yard for her to play in with plenty of shade and sunlight.

Moderator’s note: Paula addresses tortoise diet in comment #10 of the following post http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/04/29/desert-tortoise-team

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:47:43 +0000

We have had three desert tortoises. First one we got as a tiny baby in 2003 from a neighbor. We named it Bob. In 2004 we got a new house and Bob had free reign of the backyard. We built him a burrow under our shed that we raised up on a platform so he’d have plenty of height. In 2005 we rescued a pair of babies from a friend who had them living in a small box. We set up a fenced off area for them. One was a digger and quite the escape artist, the other just liked being with it’s sibling and hanging out. Always came running when I came to feed them. As they got older and bigger they needed more space. Bob wasn’t happy with them and tried to mate with one and kill the other. We gave up Bob to the Las Vegas rescue group last year. We didn’t know the sex of the twins until this year, both boys. Which is good because the one who comes running to me when I am outside and would rather be inside chasing our cats I had named My Little Boy. The two took over Bob’s burrow and happily spent the days digging. They had a large tub of water they could climb in and out of. Everyday they got greens and scoops of Rep-Cal pellets. My Little Boy would scratch on the back door when he was really for food. But they started fighting and the digger kicked Little Boy out of the burrow. I thought of just giving up the one but our backyard is bare with weeds and not full of the plants they need to be eating. They were growing fast but I don’t know how healthy they really were. Plus I don’t know if we will even have a house next year. As hard as it was this morning I had the rescue group take them both. I will miss my little boy, he had such a personality but I know the rescue group will do a great job finding them a home with the best of habitats and keep tabs on them. I don’t know if tortoises get attached to people, or even remember them, but I’ll never forget my little boy.

By: Diana S.

Diana S. — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:58:05 +0000

Thank you for sharing Paula. We can all pass on this info and hope that it gets out to anyone who seriously thinks about keeping a tortoise. Education is a wonderful tool.

By: Paula from the DTCC

Paula from the DTCC — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:02:14 +0000

Chari,
The gopher tortoises in Florida and throughout the southeast are cousins of the desert tortoises we have here in the southwest – they are of the same genus Gopherus. Gopher tortoises in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi were my first love of the reptile world, and I spent almost six years working with them before moving out here to the Mojave Desert.

You bring up a good point about moving turtles out of harm’s way – In many places, like Florida and here in Nevada, development is taking over a lot of habitat that is native to turtles and tortoises, so they sometimes need our help making it across roadways. It’s great to give them a helping hand, but be sure to keep your limbs away from their face and only pick them up off the ground high enough to move them (just a few inches). Most importantly, always move them in the direction they were headed – they know where they’re going and if you put them back on the side of the road they were trying to leave, I guarantee you they will try to cross again as soon as you leave!

By: Laura Bryant

Laura Bryant — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:48:22 +0000

Bless you for all you do!

By: Widget

Widget — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:26:21 +0000

Why do human beings feel they have the right to take any living thing out of its natural enviorment? If they found a turtle big enough to take, its obvious its doing well where it is. I can see if it needs help take it to the proper place, like a vet. We are our own worst enemy.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:18:42 +0000

Bless you Paula and your colleagues for caring for these poor creatures who can not care for themselves or communicate to the unknowing owners who don’t mean them any harm. Lack of knowledge is one of the most dangerous things about humans and our environment is showing the results.

Reading on any subject prior to acting on it is crucial for success. It applies to all living things, Desert turtles, reptiles, even dogs and cats, and plants.

By: Catbelly

Catbelly — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:00:16 +0000

Heartbreaking.

By: Chari Mercier

Chari Mercier — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:25:21 +0000

Hi! Turtles and tortoises are extremely hard to take care of as pets, and yes, they are fun to have and watch when people do have one. I used to have a couple of those little green turtles when I was in 5th grade in my home in Texas, and they were mostly outside when the weather was good. We fed them greens, made sure they had some water in their aquarium that had no top on it, some turtle food, and made sure their tank was cleaned up every once in awhile. Don’t really remember what happened to them, but after a few months, we didn’t have the turtles anymore. But, they were fun to watch and I enjoyed taking care of them. I haven’t had any pet turtles since then. Here in Florida, we have gopher turtles, snappers, and other types of turtles that live in retention ponds and rivers. I’ve been able to take turtles off the road a few times and take them to one of these ponds where they are safer and will get the needed food to eat. Gopher turtles are the biggest land turtle and love to open up their mouths to let you know that they don’t like to be handled! Fortunately, I’ve figured out how to catch a turtle from behind and get the turtle to where he needs to be.
You gave us some very good info on how to take care of turtles and tortoises in your article. Hopefully, those people that still want a turtle for a pet will take that info to heart and refer to it constantly. Turtles and tortoises are very good barometers of our environment, and we need to leave the wild ones out IN the wild!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL