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 #1759342


TurtleBites
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 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

So i have a friend at work that has a little tort (there was 2 of them). Hes going out of town and asked if i would babysit the tort, of course i said yes. i knew the tort wasn’t the healthiest tort just because i know he doesnt have a clue what hes doing ( i gave him stuff to help the shell last year,he said it was soft). well he brought the tort to work today and im just shocked this tort is even still alive. its a sad site. breaks my heart i have to give it back next week. im going to try and see if he will let me care for it for a few weeks so i can help it. its shell is so soft its not funny. its very think and lethargic. iv never seen a tort in this bad of shape.

hes seen my 3 sullys before and said "oh mine looks just like that". yeah right! mine are thick and healthy.


im going to try and convince him to let me keep it so it doesnt die. poor think lives in a shoe box and drinks its water from a bottle top. another kid i work with hangs out with and told me that.

his name is Frog..why?? because when he thumps on the shell it hops. im just shocked. its so sad to me.
here is a pic of this poor thing. keep in mine this tort is over 3 years old. that’s a AAA battery for size comparison.

im not really sure what type it is because of the poor condition. im here in Vegas so i think its something he took from the wild or got from someone that took it, not really sure. hes been feeding it some type of sprouts for the last few years.



if he lets me take care of it for a while what do you all suggest i do for it? like i said i cant believe its even alive. makes me wanna cry.
06/12/08  10:53pm

 #1759420


TurtleBites
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1759342


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

poor little guys shell is so soft and thin you can see all its organs when its wet. can even see the heart pump...
06/13/08  12:08am

 #1759511


RepticTay
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1759342


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

Thats in a bad way SICK and horrible!

You should really do something, maybe get intouch with a rescue or animal center that knows what theyre doing with tortoises and something like that.

or i dunno! its sad.

All you can do for the next however long hes with you is feed him the correct food, give him the correct lighting or whatever you can do for him.
When you give him back, you wanna explain whats wrong and stuff and if nothing is sorted he will die or get mega mega sick if he isnt already. and you can provide the proper care for him and stuff, and even tell your friend he can visit the tortoise when ever he wishes!
06/13/08  06:32am

 #1759724


TurtleBites
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   Message To: RepticTay   In reference to Message Id: 1759511


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

yeah im gonna see him today at work.im gonna talk to him and see if i cant just keep the tort or at least keep it for a little while just to help out.

i know he loves his tort he just doesnt know any better. he thinks its supposed to be that way. im gonna print out some type of list of things it can eat that will better its life. im sure it will never be healthy looking like it should but at least it can have better foods or something. i dunno. makes me sad everytime i look at the poor thing. hes too weak to even get out of its water dish. poor little guy.

im gonna go buy it a bigger Rubbermaid this weekend. something he can take home with him when hes ready. i dont mind spending a few bucks to better the poor things life.

anyways. wish me luck. pray he just gives it to me. i might even offer him some money just to keep it.
06/13/08  11:58am

 #1759831


RepticTay
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1759724


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

good luck!
06/13/08  02:17pm

 #1760114


Gottee guy
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   Message To: RepticTay   In reference to Message Id: 1759831


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

can it even move around? i would put it in sunlight for at least 6 hours a day.what does it eat? dust the food with d3 calcium dust.does it eat any meat like crickets or worms? has it ever seen sunlight? thats really sad. how soft is the shell? like a sponge?
06/13/08  06:54pm

 #1760308


TurtleBites
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 1760114


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

they dont eat meats, its not part of their diet. iv been feeding him dandelions and wheat grass the last day. he seems to be more active today. was sitting in his water dish when i came home. seems more alert then before.

When i was at work today the guy asked right away about his tort, i told him flat out its not healthy and was going to die. he looked like he wanted to cry. i felt bad but he needed to hear it. he didn’t even have a clue its shell was soft. i dont think he ever even picks it up (i pick mine up almost daily just to check them over and what not). I convinced him to let me take care of it for a few weeks just to help him out. he told me thank you and gave me a hug.

id still like to get him to just let me keep it. id hate to get him healthy only to have him go right back the way it was...

im almost half tempted to just say it died then keep it. im not normally the kinda person to lie like that but it would be in the best interest of the tort. its been thru a lot. i dunno. im gonna see how interested he is in learning how to care for it properly. im gonna try my best to educate him.
06/13/08  11:03pm

 #1760539


RepticTay
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1760308


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

Thats good, at least the guy is willing to let you help at least.

Maybe over time you could try and make it so he lets you keep him longer to make it even more healthy and so on.

All you can do right now is do your best for athe next few weeks and get his shell slightly stronger, get his care up to scratch!
06/14/08  08:25am

 #1760560


Gottee guy
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   Message To: RepticTay   In reference to Message Id: 1760539


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

what kind of tort, a gopher or something? well, just feed it good. and take it outside alot when you’re home.have you tried alphalfa sprouts? i had water turtles in my mind when i said "does it eat meats".
if you do say it died, he might want a burial or something....
06/14/08  09:22am

 #1760775


TurtleBites
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 1760560


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

its a Desert tort. they live wild out here. not something you can get from a pet store last i checked. Can only get them thru rescue/adoption.
06/14/08  02:46pm

 #1760835


Reptilefreak23
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1760775


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

im so sry.......:[
I hope he gets better!!!! im glad people like you are willing to spend the time and money to save an abused animal like this
Good Luck!
06/14/08  03:46pm

 #1761038


TurtleBites
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   Message To: Reptilefreak23   In reference to Message Id: 1760835


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

i just hope im able to help. hes much more active today then the other days. 1st day he couldn’t even get out of its water dish. now hes all over and eating well. he went out for some sun today for a few hrs. it seems to help.

think maybe 2 months in my care and i should be able to give him back to his owner. just hope he takes the time to listen to me and learn how to care for it properly.
06/14/08  07:30pm

 #1761190


EkoGeko
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1761038


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

turtlebites,
U said its a desert tort? i might be thinking of a different species, but i though desert torts were really big? hm, well, im probably just thinking of a dif species.
06/14/08  10:59pm

 #1761268


Reptilefreak23
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   Message To: EkoGeko   In reference to Message Id: 1761190


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

ITS A BABY
06/15/08  12:20am

 #1761303


EkoGeko
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   Message To: Reptilefreak23   In reference to Message Id: 1761268


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

oh, sry



06/15/08  12:56am

 #1761312


TurtleBites
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   Message To: EkoGeko   In reference to Message Id: 1761303


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

its actually 3 years old but yes they do get very large. when i was a kid we had 6 large adults living in our backyard. they were well over a foot and im sure they get bigger then that. this little guy has probably never seen a uvb light till i got it so its pretty tiny for its age.
06/15/08  01:10am

 #1761315


Qw23e
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   Message To: EkoGeko   In reference to Message Id: 1761303


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

That poor creature! It goes to show u need to know the right care and everything about an animal before taking it as ur own.Turtle bites ur doin good. Good luck!

Nate =D
06/15/08  01:14am

 #1761969


TurtleBites
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   Message To: Qw23e   In reference to Message Id: 1761315


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

thank you!
06/15/08  06:42pm

 #1762551


Ballpythongirl
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1761969


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

i feel so bad for that turtle! i dont understand people like that at all! even if i dident know how to take of a desert tort,i wouldent put it in a shoe box!!!! i mean gosh,thats just COMMON KNOWLEDGE! i dont understand how someone can have a clean consience keeping a turtle in a show box and having no idea how 2 care for it
06/16/08  09:54am

 #1762744


RepticTay
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   Message To: Ballpythongirl   In reference to Message Id: 1762551


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

well little no-name tortoise is in great hands now.
06/16/08  02:21pm

 #1762973


Gottee guy
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   Message To: RepticTay   In reference to Message Id: 1762744


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

*hint*
06/16/08  05:31pm

 #1782392


JackAsp
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 1762973


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

Aren’t desert tortoises protected by law? You might be able to find a good nature center that’ll do the rehab, and you won’t have the previous owner banging on the windows yelling "Give me my tortoise back!" Just say "I just brought it in to be looked at, and they started threatening to call the state on me!"
I mean, scope the place out first, obviously; I’m seen some serious fleabag wildlife agencies. But it is a possibility that might be workable.
07/03/08  11:32pm

 #1782551


Scaly
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   Message To: JackAsp   In reference to Message Id: 1782392


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

Desert tortoises are protected by the state and the federal government and by the endangered species act, it doesn’t look like a desert tort to me, but it has been so malnourished who can tell. If it is a desert tort a nature center wouldn’t be allowed to keep it either without a permit from the department of fish and game, even if animal control gets one they cant keep it or adopt it out, I have one that I adopted from the California turtle and tortoise club, and I got the permit from them and sent it, then they send you back a tag that your suppose to attach to the tort, the permit isn’t that hard to get if you’ve acquired the tort in the right way to begin with.



07/04/08  05:30am

 #1789258


Dragongirl6
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   Message To: Scaly   In reference to Message Id: 1782551


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

Hey, great job helping out the poor thing. Just wanted to say that my move would be to educate the owner rather than lie and keep the tort. If he gets another tortoise in the future, you’ll be back to square one. It would be a lot more rewarding, helpful, and useful to get him set up with the right enclosure, lighting, and diet so he knows how much work they are and how to care for one properly. Perhaps tell him you’ll hang onto the animal until it’s healthier and in the mean time help him set up a better environment for him.

Good luck!
07/09/08  11:51pm

 #1790610


SiouxsieQ
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   Message To: Dragongirl6   In reference to Message Id: 1789258


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

That picture looks like a sulcata that has had it’s shell sanded. If it was vitamin deficient, he may have sanded down the pyramids. I have seen that done and it makes thin spots like what you described.
Good luck with him. Poor thing...
07/10/08  10:52pm

 #1792209


Amphibiandude
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   Message To: SiouxsieQ   In reference to Message Id: 1790610


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

untill u can get him some help dust allllll emphasis on the alll his food with calcium powder
07/12/08  09:19am

 #1792259


Reptilefreak23
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   Message To: Amphibiandude   In reference to Message Id: 1792209


 Babysitting friends tort (sad)

did you read the post amphibiandude?
07/12/08  10:47am


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