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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...

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...

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...

We dote on our adopted Desert Tortoise, a 20+ year old female. Usually, she comes out to graze early in the day and loves her flowers and tasty leaves. She comes right over when we enter her enclosure. We hadn't seen her in a couple of days although the weather was warm and ideal for her. We...

Sunshine emerged from her burrow! Her front claws are worn down from digging herself out; and she is very slow right now. The night temps are only in the high 40's; although it has been in the 70's during the day. She has plenty of food and water, but for now she just prefers to bask for the...

We brought our Desert Tortoise to the vet for her annual checkup and lo and behold, her stool sample was full of roundworm eggs! She appears healthy, eats well, and had no obvious signs of illness; but a large parasite burden can be harmful over time. She has been medicated and will return to...

Our Desert Tortoise (Sunshine) had an unexpected visitor. When I entered her enclosure to offer her some Hibiscus blossoms that were out of her reach, there was a baby rabbit in her burrow! It was hilarious watching me chasing the rabbit out, and we are working on a better gate. The rabbit...

Our wonderful Desert Tortoise has finally decided that she has had enough of winter and had a nice day of basking in the sun and eating everything in sight. She grazed on her Bermuda lawn, ate several Hibiscus leaves, and lots of Globe Mallow blossoms and leaves. It was a long, cold, damp...