Recent content by Tom

  1. Tom

    Species of tortoise with a relatively short lifespan?

    I wish I did. I'd like to re-read it. It was in Reader's Digest if I remember correctly and it was about 20-25 years ago. I read Omni and other science based magazines back then, so I might have read it somewhere else. Some of the details stick in my head, but the details needed to find it again...
  2. Tom

    For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

    Some of it is, but not all species are grass eaters. And some species, like red foot tortoises for one example, also need fruit and some meat as well.
  3. Tom

    Double Door Night Box

    This is a weird one. The first boxes I made were not insulated. When I cut out the doors, I simply used the piece that I just cut out as the door by putting hinges on it. Once colder weather hit, I saw that the heaters couldn't keep the box warm enough, so I added insulation inside, and covered...
  4. Tom

    What type of tortoise do I have?

    It happens often. New people join and in an effort to help them sort out problems that we see, I or someone else tells them about what is wrong. Some people say thank you. Some people get offended and feel attacked. I just try to prevent the latter when possible. I usually just blurt out what I...
  5. Tom

    New to the forum, but very familiar with it!

    Oh that might be YOUR method for dealing with it, but my wife is an Italian fire cracker! Her patience has its limits and then LOOK OUT!!!
  6. Tom

    Old Russian tortoise peeing brown/yellow and sneezing with bubbles

    You are taking better care of him than ever, and he's thriving. Its normal for them to behave this way in springtime. In some parts of the wild, Russians are only active for about 6 weeks in spring and 6 weeks in fall. That's 12 of 52 weeks for them to live a year of their life. They spend the...
  7. Tom

    Is it possible?

    Coconut oil won't hurt anything, but there is nothing wrong with your tortoise's shell. It is a totally normal looking Russian tortoise shell.
  8. Tom

    New to the forum, but very familiar with it!

    Hello and welcome! Your husband is a lot like me, so I wonder how you tolerate him, as I wonder how and why my wife tolerates me! :)
  9. Tom

    I have had these plants identified in my backyard...can my shell babies have them?

    Chickweed, cinquefoil, clover and hawk's beard are all safe. I don't know about the others. Who names these things? Hawks don't have beards...
  10. Tom

    Sulcata Humidity

    Please please take a few minutes to read these and make some adjustments: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/ https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/
  11. Tom

    What type of tortoise do I have?

    This is an Eastern. You are making a bunch of mistakes that could cause a disastrous outcome for you, but I don't want to argue and make you mad. Do you want some help with these things, or would you prefer to carry on and have me leave you be?
  12. Tom

    I'm back! And I have a surprise!

    Their plastron can be pliable at two years old in some cases. I'm going by the size and the amount of growth.
  13. Tom

    New here and new tortoise owner.

    Hello and welcome! Before you do anything else, go remove the cup with the soil with perlite in it. Perlite is deadly. Get it out of there RIGHT NOW!!! Next you need to replace the water bowl and double the enclosure size. Then read the thread tat ZERO left for you. There is a temperate...
  14. Tom

    White Shell

    It is not legal to breed DTs. Its not legal to interfere with or disturb the eggs in any way. Your government knows what is best and they say you are not allowed to incubate the eggs of this critically endangered species. So stop talking about it on the internet.
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