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Help! Tortoise!

7 replies

Habibtihayatiii · 29/10/2022 10:07

Anyone with tortoise knowledge who may be able to help?
We found a little tortoise on our main road a couple of hours ago... we've brought it inside for safety and have posted on our community FB and WhatsApp groups trying to find the owners but what do we do meanwhile?

It's been roaming the downstairs and continuously bumping into walls and corners all morning like a mini Roomba! The cat is simultaneously fascinated and petrified of it - can't stop watching it but it comes anywhere in his direction he reverses at speed 🤣 (Actually this is his reaction to the robot vacuum too so maybe he thinks it's a new and improved vacuum in disguise 😂).

It's refused spinach leaves which is pretty much all I have in that might be remotely suitable until groceries are delivered this evening... help!! It's just pooed on the floor and managed to get it all over itself so we've popped in a cm of tepid water after a quick google to try and hydrate and clean it a little but I don't want to harm it and I'm worried it might be hungry/thirsty/scared...

Any advice?

OP posts:
Caaarrrl · 29/10/2022 10:12

Don't feed it spinach. It depends on which species of tortoise it is as to what its diet should be. Google for pictures and try to identify the species and follow advice from some of the tortoise websites. Some eat fruit, most can eat kale, dandelion leaves, clover. Keep putting it on a bath of warm water to hydrate as they absorb water through skin as well as drinking it. They like dark cosy spaces, so can you put a box down for it to hide in?

Caaarrrl · 29/10/2022 10:13

My cats react the same to mine!

AnApparitionQuipped · 29/10/2022 10:21

There are tortoise groups on Facebook (not on FB myself but we have a tortoise in the family) who might be able to help you. The tortoise may be microchipped so if you can get it to a vet, scanning may reveal its owner. Lettuce is the mainstay of 'our' tortoise's diet, he also likes cucumber but as pp said, diet does depend on species. Agree with advice to give it a hiding space.

AnApparitionQuipped · 29/10/2022 10:24

This is a useful website:

www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk

Habibtihayatiii · 29/10/2022 10:26

Thanks everyone! After 4 hours of nothing, someone has already claimed it and will collect in an hour 😊

OP posts:
AnApparitionQuipped · 29/10/2022 10:30

Great news, OP! It's surprising how easily tortoises can escape - anyone who calls a tortoise slow hasn't seen a determined tortoise!

Caaarrrl · 29/10/2022 11:28

Mine climbs to escape her enclosure. And she's really fast!

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