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Turk decided to scale his new potted fern today. Guess he needed to get up on top to give it a proper trampling. All plants must be trampled!!

If he had his druthers he'd eat nothing but kiwi, nanners and worms. He eats his greens, but always seems a little disappointed. :-) I ought to get a video of him realizing its worm time, it's the closest to dancing I've seen a tort get.

Weekly treat and just a good pic of Turk.

Thanks. I don't think anything is blocking his nasal passage, but it certainly can't hurt to try. And I learned something new about about tortoise nares. Thank you for that! I just saw him splash into his pond and shoot water out of both nares, so I doubt there's a blockage. When he pants...

Temps noted in first post.

Hi folks- I've got some concerns that my Bells HB may be having some breathing issues. His head kind of bobs all the time and he seems to breath heavier every time he moves anywhere. He also gapes his mouth wide for several seconds at a time periodically. Tiny bit of moisture around the...

Finally! After switching out his pond for a much shallower one, Turk has finally taken his first self-soak. He still only has his BMs about once a week and only when left in a warm soak for 30 minutes or more. Happy he's finally settling into his new enclosure.

Turk doing what he does best.

I live in MD and used to keep box turtles as a kid. Just for a few months at a time and then released back to the wild. I have seen them swim, but not often and certainly not as well as a water turtle.

Just a couple of update pics. Ran some 3/4" PVC from the fogger so that the fog spreads throughout more evenly. I was getting one really damp spot without much spread of the humidity.

Thanks. He only does forced soaks, I've never seen him use his pond and never found substrate in it. He usually whistles/ breathes heavy after I give him a soak which he really dislikes, so the stress makes sense, He eats well every day. Variety of various greens (kale is his favorite), the...

He was in a 50 gallon aquarium which I didn't think was really big enough. He seems to be very healthy though so whoever originally owned him must have taken good care of him.

Very rough estimate since I had the table base on hand already for another project, but I tried to take it into account. Figure about 120-150 for the lumber About 40 for the shower pan liner (Lowes) About 50 for the pond and fittings (not necessary, but I like it) About 100 for the fogger...

I'd love to see pics of your heated fogger setup. Im mulling around plans for an under-substrate heating system using PVC , heated water and a submersible pump.

1. Bowel movements: how often is normal? Turk has had 2 Since we got him about 3.5 weeks ago. They've been huge though and only during a soak. 2. Breathing: not panting, but audible, like he's whistling through his nose. Not always, but often. 3. After scarfing down a pile of worms...

I believe (thanks to the knowledgeable folks on this forum) that it is a Bells Hingeback. He's my family's first tort, adopted from a friend who couldn't keep him anymore. Still learning as much as I can. I may replace the paint tray with a shallower pond, it's a little steep.

Added some plants from the approved list. I think it looks much nicer now. Also got a length of heat cord to use for his hide. I'm worried the cool side is too cool, as he never seems to venture over there. Of course he's only been in for two days, so he may be still acclimating. Certainly...

Plants are on my shopping list for my next trip to Lowes. I need to print out a safe list to bring with me.

Just finished my hingeback's new table. It's a 4x4 table with a plexiglas 1/2 lid. I'm using cypress mulch for substrate plus sphagnum moss in the hide. I've got coco coir on order as well as a CHE to replace the red light of doom. The pond is a repurposed paint tray (never used) with a...

I have the bottom/lower sides lined with a shower pan liner. I'm concerned about the sides since I used untreated plywood. It's not anywhere the tort would come in direct contact.