Brrr...from the cold country

[elzie77]

Hi, I am new to forums, so please forgive my errors in advance. I have had Dora for over 10 years and never realized there was any kind of info out there. I have searched the net about desert box tortoises and your forum has more info than I have found ever. Thank you all. Dora is a female (a self-proclaimed expert looked). She loves to travel anytime she can. She will be running down the road if she gets a hole out the fence. She is mostly solitary and makes laps on the lawn in the summer, suns herself on the paving and burrows under the porch. But when anyone sits outside on the lawn or in a chair, she comes over and chills with everyone, even the dogs and kids. The kids do pick dandelions for her when available. She doesn't like bluejays, but I think I have caught them teasing her, so I always sit out with her now. The kids call her tory, but when I call her name, she seems to respond, even after eating. Can she hear? We used to live in SoCal but moved to the cold 8 years ago. Dora is a house mouse now for most of the year. I think my job is going to take me even farther north, boo hoo. I keep looking for jobs in warm areas. Thats us. I have already made some changes for Dora's welfare. Please keep posting you best ideas on bedding, heat temps and indoor enclosures. Thanks

 

[jaizei]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome - you're right this is an amazing place for information and inspiration!
Although you've had Tory 10 years there is still always something new to learn and more up to date information to discover.
You may find a good caresheet under Species Specific, and although you are far from a beginner the Beginners Mistakes thread has some do's and don'ts too (link below). So looking forward to hearing ore about Tory - and maybe seeing some pics?

 

[elzie77]

Hi and welcome - you're right this is an amazing place for information and inspiration!
Although you've had Tory 10 years there is still always something new to learn and more up to date information to discover.
You may find a good caresheet under Species Specific, and although you are far from a beginner the Beginners Mistakes thread has some do's and don'ts too (link below). So looking forward to hearing ore about Tory - and maybe seeing some pics?

Thank you about species specific, I did find beginners mistakes and have changed my mind about bedding. I just got new device and have to move all my pics. I'm sure everyone knows the fun of that. I love the colorings of yours and other's tortoises.

 

[Lyn W]

Thanks he's a leopard - found in a field, unclaimed and now rules the roost in my home!!

 

[popeye tortoise]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I definitely under stand cold I am from Pa and we get some cold winters. But once you get into a routine in the season it is not to bad. As you I was lucky to stumble onto this forum and it is amazing the knowledge and experience here.

 

[Careym13]

Welcome to TFO!!

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome !

 

[elzie77]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I definitely under stand cold I am from Pa and we get some cold winters. But once you get into a routine in the season it is not to bad. As you I was lucky to stumble onto this forum and it is amazing the knowledge and experience here.

PA?? wow what a challenge. I guess you have to do the "It's time to come inside" speech even in summer. Do they have doggy door type things for small crawlers?

 

[elzie77]

Hi and welcome !

Thanks for the welcome.

 

[elzie77]

Thanks he's a leopard - found in a field, unclaimed and now rules the roost in my home!!

Ha, I know the rule the roost feeling.

 

[elzie77]

Welcome to TFO!!

I see your cute bird pic. Does your bird and tortoise get along or just stay apart?

 

[Careym13]

I see your cute bird pic. Does your bird and tortoise get along or just stay apart?

They stay apart. My Amazon is not fond of anyone or anything other than me and I'm certain he would try to eat my tort's nose off

 

[popeye tortoise]

No doggie doors. But large indoor pens so the cold does not effect them. A little more work to take care of them but I don't mind.

 

[elzie77]

They stay apart. My Amazon is not fond of anyone or anything other than me and I'm certain he would try to eat my tort's nose off

So do you think a bluejay would try to peck on a nose?

 

[elzie77]

No doggie doors. But large indoor pens so the cold does not effect them. A little more work to take care of them but I don't mind.

We do have a pen, but sometimes when outside, she goes to the sliding door and stands up. If it opens any she stands on her two back feet and comes inside. Then she runs around the house till we chase her down. She really is speedy.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello

 

[elzie77]

Hello
View attachment 163817

Hi, thanks for the welcome. I guess you are in tortoise vacation area. Dora says "I wish I was there" Would you like a snowball from us? HaHa just joking.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi, thanks for the welcome. I guess you are in tortoise vacation area. Dora says "I wish I was there" Would you like a snowball from us? HaHa just joking.

I moved about 30 years ago from Michigan to AZ because I choose when I want snow cause I can drive for 45 min and see snow in the north AZ . But in Michigan you wake up in the morning to a foot of snow . But AZ is great for torts !

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

While the Beginner Mistakes thread is a good one for new tortoise keepers to read, it really is geared more towards tortoises. If I'm understanding you correctly, you have a desert box turtle? I'd like to see pictures so we can be sure. The advice we offer may be different if it's a box TURTLE or a tortoise. And, if it IS a desert tortoise, it was illegal for you to take it out of the state it came from. Just sayin...