Hello all,
I just joined the board. I've been (very) sporadically on the tortoise forum at kingsnake for a few years (DEJ) and I recognize some of the names here from there. This board looks a little easier to navigate.
I've got a T. kleinmanni. He's been with us for a little over nine years now. He was found and retrieved (gently) by our neighbors' dog in their back yard, and gifted to me as I have a reputation as an "animal guy."
-Of course he's non-native.
I've always imagined his history as something like: wild born, came in in a shipment of Greeks, etc. mistaken as a juvenile, sold in a pet store as such, and subsequently escaped. He was obviously adult even then; full-size, lots of growth rings, mild pyramiding, nicks, scrapes, etc. Who knows how long he lived wild. A day, a month, five years?
Of course the facts suggest that this species wouldn't tolerate our winters, but this guy is a tank, a genetic survivor. I'm a believer in the theory that certain individual specimens really are just tougher than should be expected. You know, some wilting flowers keel over in perfect conditions while others flourish on proverbial "pizza and beer." He is the latter. (Though his diet, of course is nothing of the kind.
)
Here's a shot of him waking up from a nap on my K9 partner's mat. He had previously chased her off by biting her feet.
I just joined the board. I've been (very) sporadically on the tortoise forum at kingsnake for a few years (DEJ) and I recognize some of the names here from there. This board looks a little easier to navigate.
I've got a T. kleinmanni. He's been with us for a little over nine years now. He was found and retrieved (gently) by our neighbors' dog in their back yard, and gifted to me as I have a reputation as an "animal guy."
-Of course he's non-native.
I've always imagined his history as something like: wild born, came in in a shipment of Greeks, etc. mistaken as a juvenile, sold in a pet store as such, and subsequently escaped. He was obviously adult even then; full-size, lots of growth rings, mild pyramiding, nicks, scrapes, etc. Who knows how long he lived wild. A day, a month, five years?
Of course the facts suggest that this species wouldn't tolerate our winters, but this guy is a tank, a genetic survivor. I'm a believer in the theory that certain individual specimens really are just tougher than should be expected. You know, some wilting flowers keel over in perfect conditions while others flourish on proverbial "pizza and beer." He is the latter. (Though his diet, of course is nothing of the kind.
)Here's a shot of him waking up from a nap on my K9 partner's mat. He had previously chased her off by biting her feet.
