Kevin's Mediterranean Breeding Thread

KevinGG

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Today: Mazuri LS, ZooMed Grassland, cactus, kale, tree collards, and dandelion.

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Chopped up the greens and intended to dice the cactus. Unfortunately, I put it in my blender instead of my food processor. I ended up with liquid cactus. So I decided to add some dry pellets to thicken it up. This worked perfectly and created a very nutritious topping for the greens. I may actually start to do this regularly as the tortoises loved it. End result was similar to a moistened pellet.

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KevinGG

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So much for once a day...

I've been busy working on the outdoor enclosures of these species as well as the box and aquatic turtle species. Will just post a few pictures now as I would prefer to go in depth with the better camera. Here they are:

Hermanns on the left, Greeks on the right.

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Close-Up of Hermanns

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And Greeks



Enclosures, of course, will fill out in time. Plants and seeds are just starting to grow. Seen very little breeding behavior, so I don't expect eggs this year. Like I said, I'll post a more in depth look soon. Thanks for reading.
 

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KevinGG

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Thanks:).

Last pic of Greek enclosure uploaded at the bottom for some reason. Hm
 

KevinGG

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Thank you both. Will try to get back into posting regularly. Daily seems like a stretch though. Gets redundant very quickly. :)
 
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awesome! I love this topic. I'm also doing the same thing with greek tortoises. Have you noticed any greek tortoise breeding behaviors? I also got my tortoises from Chris Leone.
 

KevinGG

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awesome! I love this topic. I'm also doing the same thing with greek tortoises. Have you noticed any greek tortoise breeding behaviors? I also got my tortoises from Chris Leone.

Yes. I haven't seen any successful attempts, but the male has chased and rammed that black female (pictured above) a few times. She's good at getting away though. Hopefully, later in the season, she'll get in the mood.
 
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Yes. I haven't seen any successful attempts, but the male has chased and rammed that black female (pictured above) a few times. She's good at getting away though. Hopefully, later in the season, she'll get in the mood.
Ok! Do you mind if I post a topic similar to yours but with my Tortoises? Thanks!
 

KevinGG

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Just kidding, by the way. Nothing on this forum is original anymore. Look forward to seeing your thread:)
 

KevinGG

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I thought it might be nice to show the outdoor enclosures in more depth. I'll start with the Testudos, but I'll also show the juvenile box turtle enclosures. It's my thread, so I'll include whatever turtles I want. Deal with it.

I'll start with the Mesopotamian (Golden) Greeks: Testudo Graeca Terrestris.

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These guys have a really big enclosure. I don't know the exact size, but it is somewhere around 800 square feet. You can see from the picture above that about a third of that is shaded by a young oak tree. You can also see lots of thin cuts of an oak tree trunk. These were not initially to stay in the enclosure but they have proved to be good additions. They can be stacked to provide shade, leaned against one another to provide small hides, and they are great sight barriers. I have seen both females elude the male by weaving in between the logs.

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As you've probably noticed, I use a lot of straw. Greeks, and most Testudos, will burry themselves, rather than use hides. I've found that the straw creates a much cooler microclimate than plants. I've measured 60 degrees under straw in full sun on warm days. Even in the cold frames, the ground beneath the straw can stay cool. So, especially on hot days, the tortoises will dig down and burrow into it.

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I also use plastic pots cut in half as underground burrows. The Greeks rarely use these, but they provide a cool area and a good escape for the females from the male.

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In addition to the logs, straw, and burrows, there are different plants in the enclosure that can provide shade, especially as they mature. Plants in the enclosure include:

Salvia Leucantha

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Lavandula Dentata

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Morus Nigra

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And various weeds, including poppy, chickweed, and clover for browsing.

Of course water is provided daily. I like to use large terra cotta saucers. There are three water dishes in the enclosure. One per tortoise.

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And for the cooler days, especially important for Goldens, is the cold frame. T.graeca terrestris are generally said to be less cold tolerant than other Greeks. I place the cold frames in a spot that gets sun first thing in the morning and throughout the afternoon. Inside the cold frame, half of the floor space is covered in straw. They seem to avoid staying inside if there is nothing to burrow into.

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And lastly, escape proofing. These guys have been a breeze, unlike the Hermanni. No escape attempts, but enclosures are still escape proof. All walls have either pavers or wire extended into the ground to prevent escapes. And, of course, all corners are capped.

Thanks for reading. Will share the Hermanni enclosure next. :)
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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Yes. I haven't seen any successful attempts, but the male has chased and rammed that black female (pictured above) a few times. She's good at getting away though. Hopefully, later in the season, she'll get in the mood.
This is why it's better to have a trio then a pair . You can see bulling starting . See how the one tort is trying to control the food : ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1495051149.821528.jpg
And here it's won the other tort is walking to the other dish :
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KevinGG

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This is why it's better to have a trio then a pair . You can see bulling starting . See how the one tort is trying to control the food : View attachment 207747
And here it's won the other tort is walking to the other dish :
View attachment 207748

Thanks Grandpa. Well aware. The Greeks are actually a 1.2 trio. And the Hermanns have separate enclosures. They were kept together for the first few weeks of this thread while the larger enclosures were being built.

As to the quoted post, its breeding season. Ramming is totally typical. Pls take a look at the Greek enclosure above. Well designed and more than one female. Thanks for looking out for the torts. :)
 

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