Found a desert turtle behind my house.

[Control-Z]

My girlfriend, for many years, had a turtle so I know how to feed him/her, but she now lives in Mexico, so I'm coming to you, my DU family, for advise.

I haven't been to the lounge in a few years. So, hi all!

Anyway, I'm sure he/she must belong to one of the neighbors behind us, and the family is going to go door to door looking, but in the event we don't find the owners right away I'm not sure how to contain him. I live in a condo without a suitable back yard to let him wonder in. We have a cat in the house. Leaving him out front alone is not an option. There is a busy road and lots of bushes to get lost in.

I thought about maybe a box, but that seems cruel. It would have to be a pretty big box for him to be comfortable and have room to move.

I'm going to go put together a salad for him and check back in a few minutes. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

UPDATE: Owner has been found. Turtle is back home with his family. :)

[joeybee12]

1. If it's only temporary, I'd say a box would be fine...

long-term, no. Do you know anyone who could take him/her if you don't find the owenr? Someone with a big back yard. Oh, and i hear they love broccoli.

[Control-Z]

2. Thanks for your reply.

One of the neighbors helping us found the owner! I knew they would be close by. This turtle looked to be somewhere between thirty and forty years old, and healthy. I was headed out to take a pic when my daughter came in with the sad face. Now, of course, she wants a turtle.

So, no pic, but turtle is back home with his family!

Thanks again.

[joeybee12]

4. Glad to hear there's a happy ending!

Not for your daughter, though. Tell her the turtle is happy to be back with the people he knows!

[elleng]

6. We acquired turtle in a similar manner, kind of just happened!

Glass box; kale.

Interesting experiment.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. They are cool... (edited)

My buddies in Phoenix have one. It is my understanding you have to have a permit or some sort of documentation to keep them.

Anyway, my friends named theirs "Lightning" and he is totally cool. He will actually come when you call him from clear across the room! You pick him up and start talking to him and he bobs his head up and down, like he is agreeing with everything you are saying! Lightning also hibernates for a good chunk of the year, by just finding a quiet corner of a closet somewhere.

He's really neat and they are interesting lil' fellas. Down here in SW FL we have Gopher Tortoises that get about as big as the Desert Tortoise..


Edited because I included a link for their diet but you already know how to feed him so never mind!

[Control-Z]

5. They are really cool!

This lost turtle today looked right up at me when I started talking to him. It surprised my daughter, I think, that he heard and responded to me.

My girlfriend had a turtle that was over 80 years old. He was huge! And he was very responsive to her after living with her for so many years. (I think she had him for about 25 years but he'd been in her family from birth.) She has a beautiful parrot that used to ride around on the his back. What a sight!! Sadly, he died a few years ago.

She got another one, Charlie, who is about 25. Now Charlie spent as much time as possible hiding in her back yard. I spent many hours helping her look for that little bugger under bushes and plants.

I don't think I would have a turtle though, because of that rolling on their back thing. When my friend's turtle was hiding she was always afraid she would find him dead on his back. I guess it's difficult for them to right themselves after they've rolled over and they can only last about 4 hours that way.

[elleng]

7. We 'hibernated' ours winter months, in basement,

straw lined container, took him out weekly for water.

[applegrove]

8. I almost drove over a turtle on a parkway. I couldn't turn around to go save him and I assumed

he would get crushed by the time I got back to where he was. When I finally got back to that part of the parkway he was upside down the road. So I turned him over and set him on the grass. That is one very Lucky turtle.

[applegrove]

9. I almost drove over a turtle on a parkway. I couldn't turn around to go save him and I assumed

he would get crushed by the time I got back to where he was. When I finally got back to that part of the parkway he was upside down the road. So I turned him over and set him on the grass. That is one very Lucky turtle.