The Mr T Experience

[saginawhxc]

+40g. 433g. I'm starting to wonder how long I want to keep Mr T in his 6x3 enclosure.

We officially have a purchase agreement in on a house. The basement is pretty much mine to do what I want. So it will basically end up being a mini zoo with a billiards table in the center.

 

[saginawhxc]

So after last week I thought there was a good chance Mr T would top 1 pound (453g) for this weeks weigh in. This weeks official weigh in... 452g. Up 19g from last week. There have been a couple of times I feel he has went a little light on meals this week.

I was also supposed to weigh in the twins today for their monthly weigh in, but I never got around to it. I will weigh them tomorrow and post the results.

I did do a fall photo shoot of the smaller torts Friday though.

 

[saginawhxc]

Monthly weigh in update on the twins. Both Frank and Hot Lips have continued to flourish with me and both gained two pounds over the month of October. Frank is up to 16 pounds and Hot Lips is up to 15 pounds.

Here is a picture of Hot Lips enjoying a warm 60f Michigan November day.

 

[saginawhxc]

484g. +32g this week.

A pound. It seems like just a few weeks ago he was 40g. Next thing I know he will be going off to college, doing drugs, and making me a grandpa.

 

[Big Charlie]

484g. +32g this week.

A pound. It seems like just a few weeks ago he was 40g. Next thing I know he will be going off to college, doing drugs, and making me a grandpa.

View attachment 192075

What a beautifully smooth shell!

 

[saginawhxc]

The trick is to file it every time it starts to pyramid.

(Disclaimer I shouldn't have to post, but sometimes people surprise me: Never ever file your torts shell. That IS NOT the way to stop pyramiding.)

 

[saginawhxc]

All joking aside I thank this forum 100% for his smooth shell. I honestly doubt we would be here without you guys.

 

[Fredkas]

Crazy fast grower.. good job!!!

 

[saginawhxc]

507g. +23g this week.

No picture this week. Sorry. So I'll share a picture of last night's dinner. I took this picture to send to post on something else, but I'll share it here too.

It was cold and raining out, and my window boxes haven't grown enough yet to start harvesting from them. I hope they start growing better soon as I'm starting to freak out here. This is way more grocery store greens than I am happy with.

Anyways this is a mix of collard, turnip, dandelion, mustard, escarole, and radicchio. Topped with a handful of orchard grass hay (unfortunately he only eats a little of it and picks around it), and topped a blend of Zoo Med Grassland, Mazuri, and Tortoise Herbal Hay all blended together and mashed down into the hay.

He usually goes for the topping first and usually ends up eating some hay in the process. Then starts to dig through the remaining hay to get to the greens below that usually include a healthy helping of grass and weeds from the yard and small handful of grocery greens every day.

 

[saginawhxc]

515g. +8g this week.

I'm building an 8'x4' enclosure out in the tort shed for him. It's probably past time he graduated from his 6'x3' in the house. While it doesn't sound like a huge upgrade it will nearly double his floor space. Now I just need to get to work on it.

 

[saginawhxc]

Haha, I was trying to take a picture but Hot Lips was VERY interested in the camera.

 

[saginawhxc]

Already a few changes I want to make, and I haven't actually purchased the heaters I plan on using yet, but I threw a pair of space heaters in to the new tort shed and is monitored it for a few days. All is good. The corners at gound level are 77F, basking spot is 100F. At night the ambient temp at ground settles at 80F. So principal construction is finally done.

Most of the wiring is still temporary yet, but I have to get some circuits over to the shed before I worry about that too much.

Day one, one of my heaters already failed. I need to pick up the real heaters. Dang it.

So now I have one heater heating the shed. It's doing an awesome job, but I need to order the planned heaters and get them here in the next few days. The heater that is still working was the one that was in their old outdoor enclosure.

Anyways more pictures when I have it cleaned up. It's 20×8 with a 4x8 table on each end with shelves reaching around the interior. It has two 8.5x8 pens that sit partually underneath the tables and shelving. It's not much, but unless I find a good home for one of these guys it will have to do for now.

I finally have these two separated! I know it's silly but I did a whole "Say goodbye to your brother" routine with them. As far as I know this is the first time they have ever been separated.

After weeks of not being very active they are both completely on the go right now. Don't seem to be trying to escape, but very active. I would like to imagine they are excited at the new digs. They both definitely have an increased appetite compared to the last month.

Very soon I will post a more detailed seperate thread on all of this.

 

[Taco*mom]

You took wonderful pictures and I have enjoyed your writings. They made me laugh
When are you moving? It'd be a crazy day, I'd imagine..

 

[saginawhxc]

Thank you for your kind words. Photography has been a nearly lifelong hobby and I've had a camera in hand since I was a small child. I was just looking at photos of a family vacation when I was about 8 and wondered why I wasn't in any of the pictures... it was because even at that age I was the one taking all the pictures. So photography is something I take seriously.

The closing date is December 15th, but we seem to be running into one complication after another so I'm starting to wonder if that will still happen then or not.

The move will be chaos and I'm not looking forward to it. I hate moving with a passion and this move is going to be so much work.

 

[saginawhxc]

537g. +22g this week.

Eating seems kind of spotty this last week. I don't know if it's lack of sunshine settling in, or if he is just moving less because he is outgrowing his enclosure. He's eating and he's growing, so for now I won't worry about it, but there has been an awful lot of food left in his dish everyday.`

 

[Big Charlie]

537g. +22g this week.

Eating seems kind of spotty this last week. I don't know if it's lack of sunshine settling in, or if he is just moving less because he is outgrowing his enclosure. He's eating and he's growing, so for now I won't worry about it, but there has been an awful lot of food left in his dish everyday.`View attachment 193895

So cute! He looks like he is at a disco! I think it is natural for them to slow down this time of year. Even if they are inside, somehow they know.

 

[Fredkas]

Hooo.. he looks confuse. whether those lights edible or not, it looks yummy. Because colorful is yummy.

 

[saginawhxc]

Hooo.. he looks confuse. whether those lights edible or not, it looks yummy. Because colorful is yummy.

Haha. That is exactly why I didn't even try to take this picture with the big guys.

 

[saginawhxc]

Monthly update on the twins.

Both gained 3 pounds this month. Both have been really doing good in the tort shed. Really active and suddenly very friendly.

So Frank is up to 19 pounds and Hot Lips is 18 pounds. They have nearly doubled in the three months I've had them.

 

[Fredkas]

It just pretty!!