Greek Hatchling update

[Crazy1]

I just changed the substrate in the hatchling enclosure to see how they would do. It is Coconut choir and sand. Great reason for a photo shoot.

Look the babies are learning to dig The one on your right is the Golden and the other is "Little Bit" (A Greek from Danny)

This is the bigger one from Danny- I'm a bad mom I just call her "Biggy" (someday she may get another name)

Just a quarter for size comparison. The one on your right "Biggy" and the one on your left "Little Bit" are from the same clutch.

Goldens favorite thing is getting ready for her manicure.

Dinner time. They are on a small paper plate and as you can see they have no difficulty eating.

 

[Meg90]

Oh my goodness! What little dolls!

(is that the hermie dish that comes with a plam tree? I almost bought that one!)

How old is everyone? What do they measure/weigh?

(very curious....and yours are so healthy! So it would be good to know what robust babies should be like!)

---

should have checked my msgs! great minds think alike!

 

[Crazy1]

Thanks Meg. 'Biggy' was hatched 8/18/08 'Little Bit' hatched 8/20/08 and the Golden I actually got from Jerry Fife at the Reptile show in September. He was not sure of it's date of hatching. So I figure around maybe early August.
I usually weigh them weekly until they are about 6 months old then usually bi monthly. The adults I weigh monthly. Funny the hatchlings I only measure monthly. Golden is 33 grams, Biggy is 29 grams, and Little Bit is 22 grams. I will be doing the measuring this weekend, as when I get home from work they are already asleep. I'll post the length then.
That is a Hermit crab water dish (it glows in the dark) I have two in their enclosure and they really get used, they love to climb over and through them. They are pretty inquisitive but the Golden seems to have the most outgoing personality. She also LOVES to eat. When she sees me coming in the morning she literally stands up really high and runs. She is the one that has also bit me twice while I was hand feeding her, LOL. They are not picky eaters I feed them a wide range of food. I Grow a lot of their food in the spring and summer. Here in CA I am still getting a few hibiscus flowers, roses and geraniums and they get those plus the leaves as well as the mallow that grows wild in the yard the sweet alyssum, dandelion leaves and flowers wandering jew and cactus. Plus organic spring mix, and squash from the store. During the summer I add grape leaves, squash blossoms, sunflowers, sea daliah, duck weed, Mulberry leaves and whatever else I planted that spring, like strawberry leaves and the rarely occasional piece of strawberry, but flowers are their main treat. I have 11 Greeks and 2 adult DT so Spring and Summertime I do a lot of harvesting as most of my plants are in pots.
If you have questions fire away as you can tell I love talking about torts.

Danny thank you for sending me two very precious bundles of joy.

 

[tortoisenerd]

They are so cute! My Trevor isn't much bigger than them (also with an August '08 hatch date). He just hit 42 grams, and I haven't been able to measure a length change from 55mm since I got him even though you can see on his shell very obvious growth.

Sounds like they have an amazing home with you.

I love those tunnels. I'll have to look harder for them because I haven't seen that size/shape in any store...only smaller or tubes. Do you remember what store they are from? I LOVE shopping for Trevor.

What did you have in there before the coir&sand? Just curious.

 

[egyptiandan]

Great pictures Robyn They are looking great and growing well. I need to post pictures of the 2 I got in return and my 2. I will in the next few days.

Your very welcome,
Danny

 

[Yvonne G]

Wow, Robyn: Very pretty babies! I like the rocks around the feeding station. What kind of tub are they in? I don't recognize the blue color.

Yvonne

(The manicure comment was cute, but only someone who had gone and had their nails done will "get it!!")

 

[Meg90]

Is the entire strawberry plant edible? I saw a potted "set" at target and it said the plant would bear little strawberries during its first year...if they can eat it, I'll get one, and they can have the leaves and the occasional berry.

I'm sure my bf and will take care of the rest...

 

[Isa]

Wow, your babies are so adorable
Their enclosure looks really nice.
Thanks for sharing

 

[Crazy1]

Thanks for the nice comments Kate, Danny, Yvonne, Meg, and Isa.
Kate, The tunnels are actually gerbil edible hides by "8 in 1" and I got them at Wal Mart for about $4.00. they are made out of alfalfa and honey but the torts do not attempt to eat them and they can be misted and I have even hot glued a sponge to the top of the older looking one. they just can't be place outside in the rain or sprinklers as they will flatten and degrade. I had turtle carpet so they couldn't bury themselves. I decided to change substrates when Golden and 'Biggy' started climbing under the carpet.

Yvonne, the tub is actually green, it turned out blue in the pic, but it is the bottom of a larger rabbit cage, and I know about the comment but those that "Get it" really "Get it" . the rocks are flat and I set them up to try and help keep the water bowls cleaner and the food out of the substrate. It worked for the food if I put it on the plate but they like to enter the bowls from the sides and get the water dirty, dirty, dirty, Just like little kids. lol

Meg, yes the entire plant is edible, and mine love it. Unfortunatly if I let them loose they will eat the plant to the nub and they we get No strawberries so I just pick the leaves for them.

Danny, I can't wait to see pics of the ones you have. would love to know the size and weight of them also.

 

[9see]

i love that manicure pic, so cute!!

 

[nrfitchett4]

They are so cute! My Trevor isn't much bigger than them (also with an August '08 hatch date). He just hit 42 grams, and I haven't been able to measure a length change from 55mm since I got him even though you can see on his shell very obvious growth.

Sounds like they have an amazing home with you.

I love those tunnels. I'll have to look harder for them because I haven't seen that size/shape in any store...only smaller or tubes. Do you remember what store they are from? I LOVE shopping for Trevor.

What did you have in there before the coir&sand? Just curious.

those are edible hamster/mice hides. they have them at walmart and petsmart in san antonio.
I was worried about rot if they got wet. Any problems with that?

 

[drgnfly2265]

I have a question for you, or for anyone that would know. In the second picture there are two hides that I see. The hide on the left looks like the one that I saw at Walmart. I was thinking about getting one for Bowser (a Sulcata). So I read what it was made out of, just to be safe. I remember someone saying that pine was bad for Sulcatas, but theres not that much pine in it. Now getting to the question... Is it safe for me to buy one for Bowser? It does say they are edible and Bowser will try to eat anything. Help!!!

P.S.-

I love the pictures! The manicure comment is so funny

__________________________________________________________

Jamie

1 Sulcata (Bowser)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise

 

[tortoisenerd]

Jamie-I also looked up the ingredients of those hides and saw pine. Everyone here that has them say the torts do not try to nibble or think of them as food. If you think your tort would be trying to eat it, I personally wouldn't recommend it. Better safe than sorry. I think there is also another brand of them that may not use Pine, but I can't remember which.

 

[The captain]

wow they are very nice. i love the mani one!

 

[jlyoncc1]

Great pics Robyn! They look super sweet! I share a birthday with Biggy 8/18. However, I was born a few years before! LOL!