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I don't think I was ever meant to have a pet in a cage, it's really hard to deal with. Fortunately, when it is big enough to live outside, it will have a large outdoor habitat on my mom's desert property. We don't have a name yet. I want to name him Dooley, my son doesn't like that. We're looking for a unisex name since you cannot tell the sex of a tortoise until they are about 15 years old. I prefer something Celtic or Gaelic in origin to go with my dogs names, Darra & Dolan. Any suggestions??? ~ Alison
DENBY BEARS
personally, I love Dooley. That is a great name. I had a pet turtle outside when I was a kid and we called it Toby. I had it in a cage outside on the ground and he loved tomatoes and lettuce. Ah those were the days.
But enjoy your new pet, he really is a beauty.
When my kids were young they had a tortoise they named Toby. He really liked lettuce and dandelion leaves and apple, I think. He lived in an enclosure in the garden. In the winter we would put him in a box with straw and he slept like that inside the house until the Spring. Tortoises in the UK are darker in color and I forget which country they originate from. I know they don't like being confined and even though they're slow they like to walk a lot.
:hug: :hug:
We had a tortoise of some sort who lived in our backyard in Southern California. We named him Speedy. He seemed to hibernate over the winter, even though it was pretty mild where we lived; he would disappear for a couple of months each winter. He loved lettuce and green grapes and wet cat food. 
Have fun with your tortoise!
The Littlest ThistleHaw about Astarach, Gaelic for speedy 
Carlyle Bear Co.You know I didn't think that I'd ever say this about a turtle but he/she is adorable! Dooley seems like it fits him.
Lisa,
I'm laughing because I am just not a reptile kind of gal. But this little hatchling is too cute and just melted my heart. The wrinkly little neck, everything about it, I find adorable. I find myself going to check on it every 15 minutes like it's a newborn baby. Here I am at the pet store with 101 questions for the reptile specialist who was trying to assure me that it would be fine. Never owning a pet of this sort, I'm a bit worried that I might kill it. I'm going to let my son read this post so he can see the name suggestions. I told him that if he wants a unisex name, we can always call him/her Pat.
Hugs,
Alison
We had an aquatic turtle when my daughter was young and his name was Smartie!! He was smart as he was always getting out of the tank and we would find him in strange places when we got home. One day I couldn't open up the front door and used my shoulder to give it a good shove to open it and Smartie was the one blocking the door. I was really scared to look because I was sure I probably cracked his shell - but he was fine!!! :dance: :dance: I also like Dooley!!
That is so neat! He/she is so adorable! I'd love to be able to see such a cutie every day! Of course... I'd also love to be where it is warm enough to have one outside. That isn't happening here!
Past Time BearsA very lovely turtle . . . nice color! We have several box turtles that come to the back door to be fed. Haven't seen any yet as we've had an unusually cool spring, but I love to watch them come and go throughout the day. All sizes from baby to teenager to adult.
We are still undecided on a name for our tortoise. But, I did get confirmation from our game and fish department that this is definitely a desert tortoise. We will have to go through steps to legally adopt him/her. When you adopt a desert tortoise, you are not the owner, just the care taker and you must agree to surrender the tortoise if you leave Arizona or can no longer provide a home. I think that we should do like Joanne does with some of her bears and name it after a city in Arizona. We'll see how that goes over with my son!
Hugs,
Alison
Bubble Up Bears!My Desert Turtle, Big Guy died a few months ago at the age of 55. I have had him since I was 5. He went through several name changes over the years but that was because I was a little kid when I got him. By the time I became a teenager "Fluffy" just wasn't a good name for him anymore and he underwent his first name change. Yes "Fluffy". I was only 5 when I got him!! :)
By the time I was 20 he was named for the last time. Truthfully I don't think he really cared one way or the other what his name was as long as I had food in my hand he was happy.
If yours is a true Desert Turtle you should be able to sex him between the ages of 5 and 10. 15 years for those in the wild.
More importantly you want to be sure you feed him right with lots of variety. I never fed Big Guy commercial foods and his absolute favorite food was rose petals. He would go to the rose trees and hit the trunk as hard as he could to make the petals drop.
They are a lot of fun to own and will follow you like a dog once he gets to know your voice. Big Guy also loved to play ball. I would throw the ball and he would go get it and hit it back to me. Big Guy was never a biter either which was nice. Most Desert Turtles are not. It's the small Box and Snapping Turtles that like to get you.
Big Guy had a huge yard in which to roam, he burrowed his own den and loved to sun bathe with a lizard friend on his back.
He was a great turtle. :)
I sure do miss him. 
Cindy,
We have apple trees in the yard and Dooley (I think I might have got the name to stick) has found the fallen apple blossoms. He found a weed in our grass that he seems to prefer so I told the family not to pull it. Plus, we've been feeding him spinach and carrot tops from our garden. Our game and fish department has a great information on the care of these guys. We just need to get him big enough to live at mom's. I've heard many positive things about keeping desert tortoises as pets. But, I still wish he could live in the wild. Sorry about your Big Guy. I guess these animals really become part of the family because they live so long.
Hugs,
Alison
Posts: 751Oh cute, cute, cute. I just adore Dooley.
I had an Spur Tortoise for 32 years - she DID bite, but I think she was very short-sighted. She has been gone about twenty years but I still think of her every now and then. She was called Tina.
Karon
Bubble Up Bears!Unfortunately he can't live in the wild now. As you know.
I'm sure you know too but just a reminder be sure what he eats in your yard is pesticide and fertilizer free.
My gardener would always ask for an OK before fertilizing.
