Yep. That's what I was talking about. A lot of negativity on this forum about sand. however a load of Dirt would make it easier to plant stuff in. maybe. Lol
Case File on Darth
- Thread starter Kapidolo Farms
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Even though Darth is a male, I thought he might like some loose substrate to push himself up under. I raked up a pile of pine needles (straw) and put it in the enclosure. The pile was about enough to loosely fill an average wheel barrow.
He quite industrialistly moved it around to a few places. He decided to keep it in one corner, and goes there at night, but now hangs out under the orange tree during the day. Having the pine straw was really good for him, like he needed a hobby or to make a bed. Almost like watching a dog walk circles in the chosen bed spot of the night. He moves it here, then adjusts it, then moves it a bit more, then moves it all back.
Using backward swipes with his front legs.
He's never had a decline in appetite, but now it is with greater gusto that he goes for his food, and not so picky.
He now also uses both legs to push things over. His gait is still wobbly, but he puts pressure on the back leg to push up against the tree base or the fence.
He is coming back into his own, as they say.
He quite industrialistly moved it around to a few places. He decided to keep it in one corner, and goes there at night, but now hangs out under the orange tree during the day. Having the pine straw was really good for him, like he needed a hobby or to make a bed. Almost like watching a dog walk circles in the chosen bed spot of the night. He moves it here, then adjusts it, then moves it a bit more, then moves it all back.
Using backward swipes with his front legs.
He's never had a decline in appetite, but now it is with greater gusto that he goes for his food, and not so picky.
He now also uses both legs to push things over. His gait is still wobbly, but he puts pressure on the back leg to push up against the tree base or the fence.
He is coming back into his own, as they say.
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HE is doing really well these days, giving a regular patrol of his enclosure. I don't feed him in the same place any two days in a row so he has to keep himself active to find the food.
The youtube linked video is Darth backsweeping grass. I gave him some pine straw, that kept him busy, then I gave him a bunch of leaves. Now he's going for harvesting his own grass.
@Yvonne G ? Did we get babies from phaes 19 aggs?
That is a really nice video. Keeping himself busy. giving him something to do wAs a good idea.
I'm waiting for another month. Let you know then.
that would kill me! I'd be checking them out and trying to candle them every day! Lol
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Phae is one saucey Mep, and Medea is playing hard to get...
No, all the eggs rotted.
Just to help you all understand...that's 55lbs female Phae on the left, doing all the vocalizing, 65lb female Medea in the middle, playing hard to get, and Darth on the right. He's been separated from "his" girls for a couple months now, only to be reunited with them yesterday. Phae has always been his favorite, but from the head bobbing and vocalizing, I wonder if she reciprocates.
Awe, too bad...
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The girls being with Darth have brought about a few things for me to resolve. Darth is a very forward male with the females. Though I'll go on record as saying Phae is a total hmmm what word can I use on TFO, slug with a T? Anyhow when she or Medea want a break they want a break, yeah? So I increased the palm frond forest to so large Phae can loose Darth in there. They both charge in, Darth following Phae, Darth pops out the other side and he gets a bewildered look, like where is she?
The palm frond forest is large enough now they can all get lost in it. Medea prefers the night house as it is closer to the food area, and she can spy on it from the doorway.
The other big new thing for me, is the volume of food these guys can pack away. I got a large tub like what a busboy would use in a dinner, and it gets filled with food, daily. About 23 to 35 pounds depending on what it is. I figured I'd work some orchard grass hay into the food ration, for several reasons, gut health, expense, and ease in cleaning up. So I mixed a bunch of chopped hay into their food, but most ended up not sticking so well to the favored/sought out items. So I did the thing of mashing up some banana and that made it stick better, but I didn't want them to get too fixated on bananas, so I did yet another flavoring trick. I used a food processor to make a gazpacho like slurry of cucumber, then mixed that into the hay until it was ''gone''. They ate the hay on it's own.
Now they eat the hay on purpose when mixed into their giant salad, not as collateral consumption along with the green beans, pumpkin, kale, opuntia, romaine, etc of their diet. I've been putting rinsed chicken layer oyster shell in their mix once a week, and they all get two or three microwave method hard-boiled eggs once a week too. Thank Smart and Final for having such great year round prices on bulk produce. Case of 24 large heads of romaine from 13.99 to 16.99 as one example.
150 pounds of Manouria emys phayrei can eat much.
The palm frond forest is large enough now they can all get lost in it. Medea prefers the night house as it is closer to the food area, and she can spy on it from the doorway.
The other big new thing for me, is the volume of food these guys can pack away. I got a large tub like what a busboy would use in a dinner, and it gets filled with food, daily. About 23 to 35 pounds depending on what it is. I figured I'd work some orchard grass hay into the food ration, for several reasons, gut health, expense, and ease in cleaning up. So I mixed a bunch of chopped hay into their food, but most ended up not sticking so well to the favored/sought out items. So I did the thing of mashing up some banana and that made it stick better, but I didn't want them to get too fixated on bananas, so I did yet another flavoring trick. I used a food processor to make a gazpacho like slurry of cucumber, then mixed that into the hay until it was ''gone''. They ate the hay on it's own.
Now they eat the hay on purpose when mixed into their giant salad, not as collateral consumption along with the green beans, pumpkin, kale, opuntia, romaine, etc of their diet. I've been putting rinsed chicken layer oyster shell in their mix once a week, and they all get two or three microwave method hard-boiled eggs once a week too. Thank Smart and Final for having such great year round prices on bulk produce. Case of 24 large heads of romaine from 13.99 to 16.99 as one example.
150 pounds of Manouria emys phayrei can eat much.
...and my grocery bill thanks you!!!!!
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Wow. That is eye opening volume they are consuming. I can't believe the intake is proportional for a Galapagos or Aldabra
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You'd think there would be a crap load of crap too, but there isn't. It mysterious.
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