@Jay82 , it’s quite possible that this tortoise belonged to the previous owners, though it is good to look around to see if anyone is advertising a lost tortoise. It’s also very possible that it hibernated outside over the winter (not advised in the UK due to the amount of rain ordinarily). It...
Wonderful thread. I love all of the preparation you did, including watching the drainage patterns in that area prior to building.
It would be great to see a couple of overall pics of the growth in the outside tortoise area. How is the ‘pond’ working out?
A picture of the left eye and a side and top pic of your enclosure would really help.
Looks like you’re soaking the tortoise- that’s great. The water dishes in stores like pet smart tend to be too small. I’d soak daily for a week then at least 2x per week. When you soak, drizzle some water over...
Definitely helpful! Might be worth pinning a thread like this, as it can give others ideas when they have a reluctant tortoise or turtle. (Diet modified for species, of course).
I did google as you suggested, and they use marine epoxy. They also use this when using gps unites to track box turtles, and a putty epoxy when attaching gps units to Western Pond Turtles. Plenty of ideas...
@oneilmatt , if the male is just sitting on top, that is bullying and yes, possibly mating. If you are seeing this behavior ‘often’, then it is too much. Turtles and tortoises can hide illness, and the fact that they are stressed will not be obvious, but must be assumed given the situation.
The...
I thought I’d share a pic of my Russian tortoise, Bump. I got her as a hatchling from @biochemnerd808 nearly 4 years ago.
Here she is in her outside enclosure (she spends the night in the adjacent secure Greenhouse). She lives outside nearly year round.
The weeds are from Tortoise Supply and...
I’ve been using the tortoisesupply.com seed mix for Med tortoises for several years. It’s a great mix and a relief not to have to stay on top of the uneaten grasses with this species. This mix also has about the widest variety. (I’ve used the Carolina Pet supply seeds, Shelled Warriors seeds...
1) I think you could get away w/o a basking light. Not having one simply shortens the months that the tortoise can be outside full time, but there are some things you can do, to help, see below.
2) He would be fine with those temps. Having graveled areas, and perhaps even building the sides of...
I think wood barrier attached to the stakes should work well, with something like the pavers along the inside edge.
Pavers set end to end all along the inside of my enclosure have worked well for several years. They use them as a walk way, but don't/can't burrow under. Having 2-3 hides set up on...
You can use plastic or terra cotta saucers. I have been able to drill into the Terra cotta saucers w/o any problem. I suppose a relatively new/sharp drill bit is helpful.
And if you can't get leaves at this time of year, get some sphagnum moss and pile it into a couple of areas, lightly wet it down. They just like to burrow under stuff.
I have some slightly arched branches that form sort of a small 'shelter' in one area of mine. I zip tied them together. I added...
Those round thermometers are often not accurate. See if you can get an infared temp gun. The first step is to get accurate temps; they may not be what you think they are.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NON-CONTACT-IR-LASER-TEMPERATURE-GUN-INFRARED-DIGITAL-THERMOMETER-SIGHT-HANDHELD-/130979214461
Screen...