i have found a tortoise

[walker-1234]

hi i need some help please i have found a tortoise in my garden ive been around some houses near my house and put a add in the shop window but until the owner comes for it i need to know how to tace care of the little fella please help heres 2 pictures

[hullreptilelover]

Its a male Horsefield tortoise

[fantapants]

he will be fine if you can warm him up with a desk lamp. just the type with a normal round bulb in,not an energy saving one cos they dont heat up!

may also be worth you putting him in a bowl with a few centimetres of water in there so he can have a drink. if you still have him tonight he will be ok sleeping in a carboard box or an underbed storage box. then tomorow he will eat some grass and dandelions as well as some other weeds.

before you give him over to anybody, ask for some proof that the tortoise is theirs. maybe a photo or something. youwill be suprised at how many people come forward to claim a tortoise as their own!

[walker-1234]

thanks for your help if nobody comes for him in a week iam going to keep him its strange as my garden on 2 sides as a 6 foot wall there a steam with a 10 foot drop so i dont know how hes got in the garden do birds pick these up?

[Nerys]

birds do pick them up yes, i do know of people in the past who have gained a tortoise thanks to it being stolen and dropped into their garden by something from above.. there have been posts on various forums over the last 8 years of me using them lol..

N

[Tina]

Birds have been known to pick them up but he certainly doesn't look like he has any damage on him. Horsfields are great burrowers so he could have got in that way.

Did you manage to give him a bath as mentioned by pm? It's quite important to make sure he's hydrated. As said before a box or underbed box (with some topsoil in if you have some) will be fine for him overnight and he won't need any additional heating. A bask under a desk lamp - if you have one - in the morning will be appreciated by him though. If you have a thermometer you're aiming for a temp of around 30 degs C under the basking light.

There's some links for you to look at here which will help you out with
basic housing and feeding until you find his owner:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/newbi...ful-links.html

Have you reported your find to the police yet?

[Jadeypop]

like tinkerbruce said, keep in cardboard box at night then feed lettuce and various weeds and maybe cucumber or cabbage

[walker-1234]

yes he's been in then bath i now have him in a box with a lamp over him and he's eating cucumber i think he thinks hes at butlins lol

[courtneysmum]

I found a tortoise a few weeks back..I had a lot of advice from other members on here on how to find owners, i.e chelonian society, police, dogs homes, vets, pet shops, and flyers round doors..tried all of this and still failed to find the owner!! She is now living happily with me..good luck with finding owner, if not enjoy your new housemate, they are wonderfull little people!!

[netty.ray]

hi courtneysmum iv been wondering how the one you found was doing