Lizzie's Mom
New Member
Hello all,
I'm excited to be a part of what looks like an awesome, tortoise-loving community. I just fostered my first tortoise, a Russian named Lizzie who (by stories/memories/other peoples' accounts is supposedly around 10 years old).
I was acquainted with Lizzie prior to him (funny story on that later) coming to live with me, as he was part of a local non-profit rehab facility which housed a lot of non-releasable reptiles (some native, but many former pets/rescues from the pet trade). While they unfortunately closed, I was able to foster Lizzie myself (I had already been wanting a tortoise, and taking in an old friend who I had already grown attached to was an opportunity I didn't want to pass on!)
The first thing I realized was that Lizzie, while being considered female by caretakers, and many 'fans' in the local community--is most definitely a male. But names stick, and he's already a bit infamous locally, so I'll keep it I guess. Mostly I just have it ingrained too much now!
While his past home was a unique service, run by many dedicated volunteers, sometimes multiple hands, and little consistency meant that Lizzie wasn't always getting the attention he might have needed. Lizzie has always been a rather active tort, but often didn't get much enrichment in her previous enclosure, which I felt inhibited a lot of his natural inclinations.
I'm happy to say that he is much more active than I had ever seen him in his past enclosure--he's always been a feisty personality--and now he has an outlet to be himself! Burrowing, bathing more, enjoying walks outside in my clover-studded backyard. I am hoping to make an outdoor enclosure by the spring, so he can have extended outdoor stays, which I know he will enjoy. He gets grumpy when I take him inside after a day of frolicking. haha
Anyway, that was a bit of a long intro, but I love my new family member, and hope you do too!
I'm excited to be a part of what looks like an awesome, tortoise-loving community. I just fostered my first tortoise, a Russian named Lizzie who (by stories/memories/other peoples' accounts is supposedly around 10 years old).
I was acquainted with Lizzie prior to him (funny story on that later) coming to live with me, as he was part of a local non-profit rehab facility which housed a lot of non-releasable reptiles (some native, but many former pets/rescues from the pet trade). While they unfortunately closed, I was able to foster Lizzie myself (I had already been wanting a tortoise, and taking in an old friend who I had already grown attached to was an opportunity I didn't want to pass on!)
The first thing I realized was that Lizzie, while being considered female by caretakers, and many 'fans' in the local community--is most definitely a male. But names stick, and he's already a bit infamous locally, so I'll keep it I guess. Mostly I just have it ingrained too much now!
While his past home was a unique service, run by many dedicated volunteers, sometimes multiple hands, and little consistency meant that Lizzie wasn't always getting the attention he might have needed. Lizzie has always been a rather active tort, but often didn't get much enrichment in her previous enclosure, which I felt inhibited a lot of his natural inclinations.
I'm happy to say that he is much more active than I had ever seen him in his past enclosure--he's always been a feisty personality--and now he has an outlet to be himself! Burrowing, bathing more, enjoying walks outside in my clover-studded backyard. I am hoping to make an outdoor enclosure by the spring, so he can have extended outdoor stays, which I know he will enjoy. He gets grumpy when I take him inside after a day of frolicking. haha
Anyway, that was a bit of a long intro, but I love my new family member, and hope you do too!
