Travelling with a tortoise

Use this forum to discuss general questions about any aspects of tortoise care.
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Teddy28
Posts: 156
Joined: 06 May 2017, 10:57

Travelling with a tortoise

Post by Teddy28 » 26 Jun 2017, 19:45

Hi there,
Would welcome advice on the topic of travelling by car with a tortoise please.
We 're taking a week's holiday in the UK and the holiday cottage we 've booked is happy for us to bring tortoise along in his temporary enclosure (a guinea pig cage). We 've chosen to take him along as he s quite new to us, so don't feel its fair on friends just yet to leave them with the responsibility.
It's a journey of about 4 hours and he has a travel box (cardboard box) which he has travelled in from his previous home and to the tortoise vet, journeys of about an hour. I 've used a warm hot water bottle on previous journeys - just wondering if anyone has any tips? He's a pretty chilled little soul so i 'm not unduly concerned but always open to good advice
Thanks

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Nina
Posts: 2003
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Travelling with a tortoise

Post by Nina » 26 Jun 2017, 22:07

Hi,

What species is your tortoise? If he is a Horsfield then I would change the cardboard box to a plastic one. I once took my Horsfield to the vet -- about a 40 minute drive -- in a cardboard box that was on the back seat of the car, and when I arrived the box had a tortoise-sized hole in it and no sign of the tortoise (but I found her within a minute or two). Horsfields are demon diggers, so that is why I thought I'd check on the species first.

If I were taking a tortoise on a long journey, I would try to ensure that the box he is in is dark and as cool as possible, as those conditions will hopefully limit his activity and he will be less stressed (you can warm him up when you get there). If he is warm he will be active and basically spend the whole journey trying to get out, and that will be stressful. You could use shredded newspaper in the box (short shreds not long ones that could get wound around his neck), so that he can burrow into them and feel secure. Or you could try an old towel that is nice and soft. And I wouldn't put him in too big a box so that he could be jostled around as the car moves. That's about all I can think of now, but maybe others will come in with more ideas.

Nina

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lin
Posts: 1034
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Travelling with a tortoise

Post by lin » 26 Jun 2017, 22:11

Hi Teddy.
I thought I answered something similar to your question the other day - lol.

If your are going to travel with your tortoise in a box then I would make sure the box is sitting in a plastic carton with no lid so if he decides to pass water it will not seep through the box.
During the journey is would be best if he were to travel without the water bottle in case he overheats, especially in this weather and a few hours of cool will not harm him it will only allow him to sleep and move around less leading to less stress.
During the week away, he will be in surroundings that he has been in before so I think he will be fine.
I am sure someone else will be along and add their thoughts when they see this.

Lin

Teddy28
Posts: 156
Joined: 06 May 2017, 10:57

Re: Travelling with a tortoise

Post by Teddy28 » 26 Jun 2017, 22:37

Hi Nina and Lin, thanks to both of you for your helpful replies.
Yes he is a horsefield so i will definitely heed your advice Nina, that scenario you described made me chuckle, although I m guessing it was no laughing matter at the time!

I 've noted about not using the water bottle and keeping him dark and the plastic box, with or instead of the cardboard one for any mishaps en-route.
Funnily enough he has his own little green hand towel which I put him in in his box when transferring from indoors to outdoors so he can take that with him for the journey. He does seem to have a tendency to bury himself in it. His box is about A5 size so big enough to stretch his legs but not too big to slide about in.
Thanks again to you both

gary45
Posts: 1
Joined: 17 Nov 2018, 04:42

Re: Travelling with a tortoise

Post by gary45 » 17 Nov 2018, 05:07

Hello,

It's possible when you remember tips while you travel with the tortoise. Tortoise-like animals are quickly suffering from stress in a strange surrounding.so the advice is to use a bigger box than a tortoise. it's comfortable for them don't give more space in the box & facility of the deep substrate for shock absorb during travel. Use cold water & dark place because tortoise are slept according to that condition & we easily travel with them.
Hope you satisfied with them.
Thanks...

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