Recent content by Michael Bird

You're welcome! Ever since I (i.e. my wife) decided where the outdoor enclosure was going to be, with a section where the ground has a significant slope, I knew that I wanted to put a "cave" in it. I'm pretty pleased with how it turns out, and Hermes seems to like it as well. He still naps in...

I used three approximately 12 inch by 12 inch by 2 inch thick sandstone paving stones for the roof. I sorted through the stack at Home Depot and found three that almost fit together like a puzzle so they make a nearly solid roof, and with between 4 inches (at the front) and 18+ inches (at the...

I'm not an expert on Marginated Tortoises so it's probably best to wait for someone who is more familiar with their specific needs. But for now I think it looks like a great start for a young one, especially if you add another hide. As far as cluttering the place with plants, I again don't know...

Succulents

Rose of Sharon

Hiding in the jungle

Spineless opuntia

The cave

Tortoise jungle

That wood fence looks good, but after you bury part in the ground to stabilize it, it will still only be about 8 inches high above ground. You really want something significantly taller than that, especially for when Koya grows up and is 10"-14" long and can easily look up and climb up over it...

The plants with green and red leaves are Coleus. The enclosure looks pretty good. But you really should have at least a couple of places where he can go completely inside to hide from the sun (or perceived predators). It looks like you have one good spot with the log arch, but a second on the...

It's illegal to possess a desert tortoise in California without a special permit. And neither the tortoise or the permit can be transferred to a different person without approval from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. If you want to adopt a desert tortoise, you need to fill out the...

Thanks! I actually used to have a really nice ceramic tortoise "statue" that was about the right size, but it was hollow and became an impossible puzzle when one of my cats decided to knock it off of my desk. :( I'll look around for something sturdy so he won't break it if he gets too...

Where did you get the "girlfriend"? My 5-year-old male Hermann's is exhibiting the same behavior and he might need a "friend" for a while as well. :)

For Hermann's tortoises that don't really eat grass, I would go with this seed mix from the same supplier instead of the one that SinLa linked to: https://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=162 It still has some grasses, but not nearly as much as the...