Print this page (File, then Print) and stick it on your refrigerator. This is what has worked for our two. I am not a vet. Every tortoise is different, so take yours to a vet who sees reptiles.

BEFORE YOU GET ONE
• Adopt through an adoption program. Never take one from the desert. It is against the law, and the Mojave desert tortoise has been a threatened species since 1990.
• Never let a pet tortoise go in the desert. It is against the law, and it can spread sickness to wild tortoises.
• Plan for a long time. They can outlive their owners. Decide who will take them after you.

THE YARD
• Escape-proof fence. Tortoises dig and climb. Check the fence line every week.
• Fence off the swimming pool completely. Tortoises can drown.
• Shade in every part of the day.
• A burrow, with the opening facing away from the afternoon sun.
• No weed killer, bug spray or fertilizer where they graze.
• Remove oleander and any plant you're not sure is safe.

FOOD
• YES: grass, dandelions and other weeds, globemallow, hibiscus flowers and leaves, mulberry leaves, unsprayed rose petals.
• A LITTLE: squash, as a treat.
• NO: iceberg lettuce, dog food, cat food, bread or other people food, anything sprayed.

WATER
• A wide, shallow dish sunk level with the ground, about an inch deep.
• Fresh water every day.

HEALTH
• A vet checkup once a year, at the end of summer before the winter sleep.
• Call the vet for: a runny nose or bubbles at the nostrils, swollen or closed eyes, not eating in the warm months, soft spots or injuries on the shell.
• Don't pick up a wild tortoise. A frightened tortoise can empty its bladder and lose water it needs.

THE WINTER SLEEP (BRUMATION)
• October: they slow down and eat less. This is normal.
• Only healthy tortoises should go to sleep. See the vet first.
• Stop feeding about two weeks before they go down. Keep giving water.
• A sturdy box with shredded newspaper, in a cool, dark, quiet place.
• Cool, but NEVER freezing. Keep a thermometer nearby and check it.
• Look in on them every week or so. Don't wake them.
• Spring: when they wake up, a shallow drink of water first, then food.

From the home page of Sheldon & Myrtle, Baja / Trail on GeoCities.us. Questions: [email protected]