Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

Tenants left their marginated turtle (neighbor identified) after they had moved and I would like to keep it, but I don't know how to care for it.

Can anyone give me information...a website...anything??? I can't find a whole lot on them. Are they similiar to russian turtles?

Thanks in advance for helping out an orphan.

The Marginated Tortoise’s diet should consist of 75 to 80 percent greens such as, but not limited to: dandelion, clover, vetch grass, alfalfa (fresh and hay), the hay is good to keep available at all times for grazing or if they get a bit hungry, tree leaves (usually prefer dry over fresh), plantain, sow thistle, weeds, chicory, endive, escarole, parsley, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, bok choy, spinach (should be fed sparingly as spinach contains oxalic acid, which interferes with the metabolism of calcium), kale, and collard greens. Some good vegetables can include: corn, beans, peas, carrots, squash (with vines and leaves), pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, and many others. Fresh is considered better, but frozen is the other alternative. Flowers are should also be included in their diet. They love to eat pansies but morning glories are poisonous. Also watch for pesticides and fertilizers if picking food from yards and gardens. Fruits should only be given rarely, no more than once every week or two. They should be free choice feeding. Tortoises in the wild graze upon everything they come across.
They can be given access to a shallow water dish, for soaking. Tortoises have a tendency to use their water dish as a "toilet". If they do this, and it is not cleaned frequently, it can cause many problems and become a breeding ground for bacteria; so rather than leaving a dish available all the time, you can soak them once or twice a week in a shallow dish for half an hour.
The Marginated Tortoise is the largest tortoise in the Testudo family, when adult they get to around 12 inches long and are fairly fast growing reaching adulthood in around 5 years.