jmitch1185
New Member
Hey all! I found this community through a google search and I couldn't be happier about it! I met my wife about four years ago (she received her tiny red-footed tortoise in the mail) but now ZB is about 2lbs!
I joined the forum to treat her better and ensure she gets the luxury she deserves...
Bathing:
Currently bath before feeding twice a day (oil her shell and skin once a week with coconut oil in her bath). Beautiful shine and no rancid smells.
Feeding:
We live in East TN so she eats dandy-lions whenever they're in season but greens consist mostly of lettuces and a small amount of spinach. We vary her diet throughout the week with mushy bananas and nectarines and to that we add calcium powder.
Bedding:
She currently sleeps in our room under blankets in a corner. She burrows as she beds down and the temp is usually around 74degrees because my wife is cold natured. Humidity, although a little high for a house (we have a 55gallon fishtank in the living room), might be on the dry side for our tortoise.
Sunning:
ZB loves to explore and climb on obstacles we set out for her on the porch during high noon. As fall approaches we limit this to only the warmest of days and let her sun in our studio with obstacles. She actually dislikes heat lamps and tries to stay as far from them as possible (tried varying height and day cycle: same result).
Human/animal interactions:
ZB loves attention. We often see what I call "happy arms" when we give her special treatment or a new food happens to peak her interest. Sitting on my chest, she likes to bed down in a towel or a warm beard. I hold and talk to her daily and this keeps her coming out in the mornings when she hears us stirring! I try to take her around with us as we move through the day - porch and coffee, living room and tv, etc etc.
Overall, she's a happy little girl! It would break my heart to find out I've been doing something wrong for years but I'd be more upset to find this out 10-100 years down the line so please don't be shy to speak up!!
my ever growing flickr account of our tortoise!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127256260@N05/sets/72157648060500118/
I joined the forum to treat her better and ensure she gets the luxury she deserves...
Bathing:
Currently bath before feeding twice a day (oil her shell and skin once a week with coconut oil in her bath). Beautiful shine and no rancid smells.
Feeding:
We live in East TN so she eats dandy-lions whenever they're in season but greens consist mostly of lettuces and a small amount of spinach. We vary her diet throughout the week with mushy bananas and nectarines and to that we add calcium powder.
Bedding:
She currently sleeps in our room under blankets in a corner. She burrows as she beds down and the temp is usually around 74degrees because my wife is cold natured. Humidity, although a little high for a house (we have a 55gallon fishtank in the living room), might be on the dry side for our tortoise.
Sunning:
ZB loves to explore and climb on obstacles we set out for her on the porch during high noon. As fall approaches we limit this to only the warmest of days and let her sun in our studio with obstacles. She actually dislikes heat lamps and tries to stay as far from them as possible (tried varying height and day cycle: same result).
Human/animal interactions:
ZB loves attention. We often see what I call "happy arms" when we give her special treatment or a new food happens to peak her interest. Sitting on my chest, she likes to bed down in a towel or a warm beard. I hold and talk to her daily and this keeps her coming out in the mornings when she hears us stirring! I try to take her around with us as we move through the day - porch and coffee, living room and tv, etc etc.
Overall, she's a happy little girl! It would break my heart to find out I've been doing something wrong for years but I'd be more upset to find this out 10-100 years down the line so please don't be shy to speak up!!
my ever growing flickr account of our tortoise!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127256260@N05/sets/72157648060500118/
