I live in Phoenix and my native Desert Tortoise has access to all of the Prickly Pear pads that she could possibly eat. That being said, she refuses to eat them. I "dethorn" them as much as possible, I cut them up as well as offer whole pads; and the same goes with the fruits that are...
Hello,
As long as they are both female it should not be a problem. The Desert Botanical Gardens here in Phoenix have two females Desert Tortoises (Penny and Poppy) that live in the same enclosure. The enclosure is roomy and they seem to get along just fine. Two males or one of each is not...
Hello,
My Desert Tortoise is picky too; but my vet says NO LETTUCE of any kind. My girl Sunshine gladly eats carrots (cut into matchsticks), Hibiscus, Roses (and their leaves), Yellow Bells (Tecoma), Mexican Petunia, and Globe Mallow. I have a lovely patch of Bermuda grass in her enclosure...
Please accept my sincerest condolences for the loss of Uno. I know how you feel because when I lost Timmy 10 years ago I cried for days. I raised him from a hatchling. He became entangled in some fencing and if I had seen him in time I could have rescued him. We can't be there every minute...
My girl "Sunshine" is very picky about food; but when she is hungry enough she will graze on the patch of Bermuda grass that I planted in her enclosure. I tried a huge variety of foods with her including pea pods (the vet says NO on them because they have too much protein - so no more)...
So sorry to hear about your loss. Little ones are so delicate - no matter how hard we try some don't survive. I'm sure that you did all that you could; and it was probably not likely that a vet could intercede and save him. It is truly heartbreaking to see a tiny hatchling perish.
I bought pellets because Sunshine's blossoms that she loves have died back with the intense heat we have had in Phoenix this summer. Sunshine wouldn't even try them. I tried stuffing a few of them in a few blossoms and she only ate the blossom part - so I hope that you have better luck with...
The list is long! One thing that I learned, is that if a tortoise finds a particular food item it favors it will totally destroy it to the roots! At the suggestion of my vet, I purchased some landscaping blocks about 6 inches high that fit together to make a circle or whatever shape you like...
Please accept my deepest sympathy. I know how attached I am to my "Sunshine" and I truly understand how you feel. Unfortunately, tortoises do wander. I live on an acre; but my tort is confined by block walls. I know that she would probably like to get beyond those walls; but I know that she...
We have a "Dog a loo" (looks like an igloo) without the bottom, and our girl uses it for shade. During one summer she constructed her burrow underneath it. She varies on where she spends her winter. Some years she has used the Dogaloo, a couple of years she chose a south facing planter pot...
I have a specific section that is walled in on three sides. The only access is a gate. The area faces south and I have planted desert plants that are good for tortoises such as hibiscus. Giving a tortoise the run of the yard could result in the tortoise getting lost because at the end of the...
I'll take a pic the next time that I see her soaking. This morning (5:00 AM) she was in her little pond; but no rain in sight. We had numerous warnings and distant thunder/lightning but the front moved to our north and missed us.
It's amazing how my Desert Tortoise can predict the weather. Rain is rare here, even in the summer. We hear the Cicadas, we have an explosion of small black beetles, and my DT Sunshine seeks out her little "pond". Every evening when rain is predicted she has her cloaca in the water before it...
Good morning,
I also live in Phoenix and I've had my girl for a while too - she is about 25 years old. On the advice of my vet (Dr. K in Cave Creek) I only feed her desert plants such as Mexican Petunia, Bermuda grass, Hibiscus, Yellow Bells, and Globe Mallow. These foods are very attractive...
Hello,
From what my tortoise's vet has told me, about 95% of desert tortoises carry mycoplasma (a funguslike bacterium). It is usually asymptomatic; but now and then it may become obvious. Sunshine (my Desert Tort) had bubbles from her nose last summer (after a decade with no obvious...
My DT had this issue earlier this summer, and our vet diagnosed mycoplasma. Apparently, 95% of DT's carry micoplasma in their noses; but most of the time it is not symptomatic. Since she was symptomatic I took her to the nearest exotic animal vet her in Phoenix where she was treated. The...
Thank you! She probably had it for a long time but I didn't notice it. Her vet says that 95% of the Desert Tortoises that he has seen over the years (he specializes in exotics) have it. Perhaps the fact that her favorite spot has been very wet is the cause. In any case, she is getting...
We have had unusually wet weather in Phoenix (not complaining - we need the rain), and Sunshine, my adult Desert Tortoise will be headed to the vet tomorrow for treatment. I noticed that when she was eating every time that she bit down there was a milky discharge from her nose. Because she is...
White spots are often caused by an infection from sap-sucking insects called Cochineal Bugs. These insects are not toxic; but they certainly will harm the cactus over time. They can be removed by a strong blast of water; but it is likely that they will return (eggs have been laid), so you...
Sunshine, our Desert Tortoise is better at predicting the weather than the local TV stations. She only soaks herself when it is likely to rain. Yesterday afternoon she was soaking in her water dish even through the skies were blue and we were given a chance of rain less than 10%. We had quite...