Pine Tree Hill Wildlife

Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in Camden, South Carolina

Blog: A Walk on the Wild Side

Raising Fawns vs Rehabilitating Fawns

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Since January we have received multiple calls from the public and agencies about human habituated (pet) deer. This is a growing problem as more people and amateur rescues decide to raise fawns found in the Spring instead of finding an experienced, knowledgeable rescue to rehabilitate the fawns.

There is a HUGE difference in raising/keeping a fawn vs. rehabilitating a fawn for release back into the wild.

Fawns that are raised
•Do not develop instincts needed for successful survival in the wild.
•Do not know how to herd with other deer even when raised with multiple fawns.
•Do not show fear of people or pets
•Often return to the area they are raised for food/security.

If released, these deer often become a danger to people and/or themselves.

Fawns that are rehabilitated for wild release
•Learn instincts needed for survival from other deer
•Are only raised in herds
•Are NOT habituated or imprinted to their human caregivers
•Are not raised with domesticated animals that can also be predators in uncontrolled situations
•Are released able to survive in their natural habitat without needing to return for food or shelter

Rehabilitated deer should NEVER be collared at release. If a deer is tame enough to be collared it is NOT REHABILITATED and should not be released.

Always call a rescue!

Territory and Dominance in Tortoises

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Did you know tortoises are territorial and will show dominance?

Some amateur tortoise keepers think this is a behavioral issue that can be corrected or that tortoises will adjust and learn to live together. But that’s not how it works!’

Tortoises don’t have attitude problems that can be corrected with behavior therapy.

In the wild, tortoises are mostly solitary animals only interacting when it is time to mate. They do not require companionship of other tortoises.

Can tortoises ever live together? Yes, if you learn their personalities and behavior traits and about a dozen other variables before allowing torts to cohabitate.

In captivity we have to be super careful if we house tortoises together.

While some species are more territorial than others, individual personalities play a huge role in whether or not a tortoise can be housed with others.

The male to female ratio is also VERY important because a single male with a single female will overbreed her leading to stress, injury, and refusal to eat!

A good ratio is one male to every five females, but you also have to make sure none of them have dominant or aggressive personalities. And they should all be similar sizes.

Tortoises with dominant personalities should be housed alone. Fun fact: the most dominant / aggressive tortoise we have at the rescue is an adult female! We know from her personality she will only tolerate less dominant tortoises.

Multiple males kept together will almost always fight over territory and resources once they reach sexual maturity.

If you plan on having multiple tortoises you should plan on having separate enclosures.

Never allow an unsafe male to female ratio even if they all get along.

Never house mature males together.

Do not buy a second tortoise just because you want your tort to have a friend.

ALWAYS have Sunlight or UVB

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Did you bring your tortoises inside for the Winter?

Our tortoises have heated outdoor enclosures so we only bring them inside if there is a concern that the power might go out —Which it did once during the Winter weather a few weeks ago, but the incredible crews at the City of Camden had us operational again in no time.

We opt for outdoor enclosures because most days, even during the Winter, temps warm up enough for our torts to be outside during the day.

This allows the torts to be in natural sunlight year-round.

But if you live in an area where temperatures do not allow you to leave your torts outside, or if you do not have heated enclosures, or if you end up bringing them inside because of extreme weather and power outages, we cannot stress enough the importance of UVB lighting when your torts are not able to be outside.

Tortoises need sunlight or UVB light YEAR ROUND. Not just when it is warm enough to be outside. There is no period of time you should ever let your tortoise go without some form of Sunlight.

Sunlight/UVB is necessary for your tortoise to digest the food it is eating. This means without Sunlight or UVB (and proper warmth) a tortoise will not absorb any nutrition from what it eats. Not absorbing nutrients means your tortoise is at risk of illnesses like Metabolic Bone Disease or even organ failure.

Bringing tortoises inside to protect them from the cold is the right thing to do, but you absolutely MUST make sure they also have the proper lighting needed to thrive.

If indoors at least 10-12 hours of UVB light is recommended each day.

Please do everything possible to keep your torts healthy, happy, and safe! The needs of an exotic pet can be expensive, but you knew that when you brought it into your home.

Tortoise Shell Do’s and Don’ts

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Did you know you should NEVER put oil, wax, or any kind of paint or polish on a tortoise’s shell? (This goes for turtles, too)

A tortoise’s shell is living tissue and is part of the tortoise’s skeletal system. It grows with them, so a healthy shell is important.

We see a lot of amateur tortoise keepers using commercial products to oil and polish shells and we just wonder why anyone would think this is ok. After all, a tortoise’s shell IS NOT a car hood.

Here’s why it is harmful to put ANYTHING on a tortoise’s shell.

A tortoise’s shell is porous. Oils clog those pores and interfere with normal gas exchange. It blocks the shell’s ability to “breathe”.

Oil seals in humidity in all the wrong ways, encouraging shell rot, fungal growth, and bacterial infections. This moisture is a breeding ground for bad things to happen.

The shell’s outer layer is keratin, just like fingernails. Oils can soften, weaken, or degrade it over time.

Tortoises shed microscopic keratin layers. Oil gums up that process and can cause uneven, unhealthy growth.

Oiled shells become sticky. Dirt, substrate, and waste cling to the surface, increasing infection risk.

Oil changes how the shell absorbs and reflects heat. A tortoise can overheat more easily under lamps or sunlight.

Oils can mask signs of illness. Glossy oil hides discoloration, pits, soft spots, or fungal patches that keepers need to see early.

Oil on a tortoise’s shell can reduce its ability to absorb UVB, and this is one of the quieter but important reasons knowledgeable keepers avoid it.

Oils, wax, paint, and polishes could be toxic and be absorbed through the tortoise’s shell.

Shine from commercial products is not a sign of health — it’s usually a sign of inexperienced tortoise keepers. A healthy shell has a natural matte finish.

A healthy shell comes from consistent, species appropriate husbandry, not products. When the basics are right, the shell grows strong, smooth, and resilient all on its own.

Tortoise Hydration

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Did you know the best way to make sure your tortoise stays hydrated is just good old-fashioned water?

We see a lot of tortoise keepers offering foods with high water content, but very little nutritional value. This is concerning because WHY do you feel your tortoise is not getting enough hydration if you are providing fresh water and areas to soak?

Sure, in the EXTREME heat of summer it’s ok to offer foods high in water content like cucumbers or watermelon as a way to intake more liquid, but these food choices should not be a regular part of any diet. Here’s why:

Foods high in water content offer very little nutritional value.

Tortoises will begin to prefer the less nutritional foods in the same way a human toddler would prefer chocolate milk over regular milk.

Taking in too much liquid can be just as dangerous as not taking in enough liquid.

Diets high in water content can cause frequent and loose stools and frequent, loose stools = dehydration. So you’re actually defeating the purpose of hydration.

If you google “Are cucumbers safe for tortoises” the answer will be yes. Because cucumbers are not TOXIC to tortoises. But if you read further you will see that cucumbers are not a recommended source of nutrition and should rarely be given.

Just like chocolate milk is safe for toddlers…but not something that should be part of their regular diet.

As tortoise keepers it is VERY difficult to mimic the diets our torts would have in the wild. So we have the obligation of providing healthy nutrition, including calcium, and Vitamin D / UVB, to give our torts the best, longest life possible.

Tortoise Health

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Did you know that 100% of ALL the medical issues we see in surrendered tortoises are caused by poor husbandry? Never have we ever taken in a tortoise whose medical issues were not caused by their owners. And believe it or not there have been times we have taken in tortoises from other rescues who have caused more damage than good.

•Have we ever taken in healthy tortoises that were properly cared for? ABSOLUTELY. It’s not that all exotic animal owners fail to research and provide proper care for the animals they own.

•But the fact is the problems we see in tortoises: Metabolic Bone Disease, overgrown beaks, shell rot, soft shell, renal failure, failure to thrive, emaciation -to name a few- have all been caused by poor diet, lack of UVB light or sunlight, improper enclosures, incorrect temperature (the list could go on).

•The sad thing is it is so EASY to make sure your tortoise has the BASIC necessities it needs to live a happy, healthy life. Is it costly? Yes, but you chose the species.

Most often when we take in unhealthy tortoises the owners just didn’t know any better. Maybe the animals were purchased from pet stores whose employees are not qualified to give proper care advice. Some owners are gifted tortoises as kids and were never taught how to care for their pets. On the other hand, some owners know what they should do but just don’t understand the importance of what they research. And sometimes rescues and breeders give poor, misguided, or uneducated information that people believe because, well, if a rescue posted it, it must be true.

It is only January and we have already taken in TWO tortoises in need of medical care from different owners. One may not survive.

PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE PURCHASING ANY EXOTIC PET. Especially species that will likely outlive you AND your children.

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