Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Newly adopted humans

[unclewede]

I was getting ready to mow the back lawn in California. My sons had dismantled a headboard and left the wood stacked against a wall but on the grass. It had been about 3 weeks since I had mowed that portion of the lawn. I removed all but a final peice of wood, and was expecting to find a lizard under the board when I moved it. Instead there was a RES, about 10 inches long, curled up there. It seems Daniel has adopted us. No idea how it got there, nor how long he's been hanging out. The next day was my youngest son's B-day (14) so he has taken over care of Daniel.
We went and got a little pool and made him a new home. I was surprised just how fast he can move across a warmed lawn!

[steve]

Welcome to the forum. At 10" it could be a female and might have been looking to nest. Are there any freshwater sources nearby?

[unclewede]

I looked where we kept Daniel penned up for a couple days, and it seems like Daniel may actually be Danielle. There is this area about the size of the shell that the grass was pulled up to the dirt. For about 24 hours Daniel sat in this depression and didn't move, after covering with the tufted up grass. I'm starting to think that was a nest.

We bought one of the kiddie sandboxes and filled with water, with some bricks in the middle to get out.

I'm not sure if Daniel is really Danielle and we should put her back, or if Daniel is trying to brumate and we keep bugging him???

[steve]

It might not have been a nest as she was likely stressed and/or hiding from the elements. Pretty normal for some RES. Normal nesting activity wouldn't last that long. Are there any freshwater sources nearby?

[unclewede]

I read through some of the items on here and went to go check for eggs. I didn't squeeze real hard or anything, but when we turned Danielle around, she could barely cover her back end with her legs. It looks like there are golf balls on each side of her tail. I went and poked around in that depression but didn't find anything in the dirt.

We live in a community of 3 streets, each 2 blocks long. One side is the 101 freeway. The other 3 are agricultural fields. There are drainage ditches that contain frogs and insect, etc but I rarely see them being deeper than a few inches. One is completely lined concrete. We are about as far as one could get from any of those sources of water. But who's to say we don't just give off a strong turtle vibe?

[unclewede]

Oh, and when I gently run the tootbrush on the top of the shell, I have to laugh. As I move from corner to corner, Danielle kicks like a dog on that corner Maybe I'm just evil, but I'm going with the idea that she is ticklish.

[steve]

You feel for the eggs in front of the rear legs, not between the the tail and leg. How does she look? Any old injuries? Pyramiding?

[unclewede]

I don't want to get in trouble for posting inter-state RES pron, or I'd snap a picture of her hind quarters The turtle has not moved since covering itself with the grass in 4 days. No obvious injuries that I can see. Maybe a little flaking at the center top of the shell but nothing like the pictures I've found of pyramiding. Behaviour now seems a lot more like brumating?

[steve]

They normally brumate in water, though I have heard of people doing this to them before. Not normal but it can happen. She needs to be moved in to an appropriate habitat.

[unclewede]

So, back into the kiddie sandbox full of water? If she is brumating, should I place the plastic cover that snugs up onto the top as well, to protect her from predators? I have nothing like filters or heaters for the sandbox water, only a pile of bricks for a "basking" area so far. I checked out AVAR and didn't find anyone closer than about 45 miles to my house.

[penelope]

What part of California?

I am from California and some places simply don't get constant temp suitable for brumating, especially in a shallow pool.

Welcome, btw!

[steve]

Can you post a picture of the sandbox?

[unclewede]

I'm north of LA about an hour.

The sandbox is one of the crab character sandboxes you get at any of the department stores.

The turtle is still in the same place, give or take a few inches. S/he isn't dead, every now and then I go make sure there is some movement. Still hiding under the fluffed-up grass dug out of the dirt.