Andromeda (now Marco) the Aldabra Tortoise

[JeffR]

Hello guys and ladies, I am Tolis. I have an account with a random username which I don't like, and since I am a daily lurker on this forum for a few months now, I have created this new one.

I am starting this thread for my newly acquired baby Aldabra. From now on and in the future I will be posting anything related to it on this thread.

I will start by sharing his night box and how I built it, hopefully, it will help someone reading it. Each day we started around noon and was around 4-5 hours of work, but I was well prepared and built the box in my head before we started. You can find a lot more info about these boxes from our member Tom he has shared many variations of these boxes throughout the years. Just search the word 'box' by user 'Tom' and you will find the threads.

DAY 1

View attachment 311204

View attachment 311205

View attachment 311206

View attachment 311207

DAY 2

View attachment 311208
View attachment 311209
View attachment 311210

DAY 3
On the third day, I worked on the doors and top lid. Unfortunately, by then I had run out of "Tom question tokens" and he wouldn't bother to explain to me how his doors open up to create a ramp. His hinges are not visible on pics so he puts them on the inside but even after puzzling for an hour, I could get it to create a ramp. I remember reading someone asking for details on the doors but I couldn't locate that thread. Maybe his hinges are a different type. You will see later how this in combination with poor planning on my behalf when leveling the ground has created problems making a very steep ramp for the tort.
No hard feelings Tom, I have been bombarding you and everyone else on this forum with questions and I learned an encyclopedia of information in just a couple of months. You have added a few more dozens to the list of countless torts whose quality of life was vastly improved because of the knowledge you've been sharing all these years. When you die all these souls will be waiting for you in heaven

View attachment 311211
View attachment 311212
View attachment 311213

I have switched to having the hinges in the side like a traditional door or from above creating a covered entrance when opened
The reason is the hinges get messed up with the substrate. You do need a permanent ramp or build up the ground in front to facilitate entry.

 

[Markw84]

Roof insulation and painting complete right on time for the rainy season.
It is shaping out to be even better than I hoped for, I could easily live in here!


View attachment 363666View attachment 363667

@Tolis Just a heads up... A job site in a tortoise area that messy would scare the heck out of me! Giant tortoises are notorious for eating anything. I am so careful when building in an area a tortoise will have access to, to meticulously pick up anything that falls on the ground. Screws, nails, pieces of metal, plastic, wood splinters, etc, etc. all are extremely hard to find, especially if left on the ground and walked on over and over. A tortoise will find it and will eat it if left undetected.

Your tortoise house is looking amazing and you are sparing no expanse. However, the ground for the enclosure is a disaster now. I'm not sure how you can be sure all the harmful debris will be removed and not have some mixed into the substrate. If I drop a screw or nail or piece of insulation while working, I immediately stop and pick it up. Its just to hard to get it all picked up later if things become a mess and get pushed down into the soil.

 

[Tolis]

@Tolis Just a heads up... A job site in a tortoise area that messy would scare the heck out of me! Giant tortoises are notorious for eating anything. I am so careful when building in an area a tortoise will have access to, to meticulously pick up anything that falls on the ground. Screws, nails, pieces of metal, plastic, wood splinters, etc, etc. all are extremely hard to find, especially if left on the ground and walked on over and over. A tortoise will find it and will eat it if left undetected.

Your tortoise house is looking amazing and you are sparing no expanse. However, the ground for the enclosure is a disaster now. I'm not sure how you can be sure all the harmful debris will be removed and not have some mixed into the substrate. If I drop a screw or nail or piece of insulation while working, I immediately stop and pick it up. Its just to hard to get it all picked up later if things become a mess and get pushed down into the soil.

I've been arguing with the builders 2 years now. I bring them trash bins and the next day the bins are used for mixing adhesives. They are animals. I will give the soil a good rinse for smaller screws when construction is done and hopefully the few inches of topsoil that will be added later will be good enough for anything I miss. Thank you for warning me.

 

[Tolis]

I have switched to having the hinges in the side like a traditional door or from above creating a covered entrance when opened
The reason is the hinges get messed up with the substrate. You do need a permanent ramp or build up the ground in front to facilitate entry.

Thats a very good modification Jeff I will keep it in mind for future builds!

 

[Tolis]

So Ive had this stray can showing up every night at exactly 5 minutes past midnight for the past 3 nights inside the torts night box and just sits there to escape the cold. There's countless stray cats where I live its like rats in New York.

It shows no interest for the tort just sits in the opposite corner. It's a spacious box and the tort doesnt seem to care at all probably doesnt even realize the cat is there. I checked the forum I see fleas dont bite torts and thats good cause stray cats 100% have fleas amongst I dont know what other diseases. Last night it spend the whole night inside and only left when the tort woke up and walk towards the cat. It didnt attack the tort just left.

I am still not comfortable though I dont trust that cat at all tomorrow it might decide to scratch its eye out!

So I will start closing the box again at nights. Unfortunately for now the tort is at my mothers place and I have to rely on her opening it every morning but it is what it is...


View attachment VIDEO_20231130_000737335.mp4

 

[SinLA]

So Ive had this stray can showing up every night at exactly 5 minutes past midnight for the past 3 nights inside the torts night box and just sits there to escape the cold. There's countless stray cats where I live its like rats in New York.

It shows no interest for the tort just sits in the opposite corner. It's a spacious box and the tort doesnt seem to care at all probably doesnt even realize the cat is there. I checked the forum I see fleas dont bite torts and thats good cause stray cats 100% have fleas amongst I dont know what other diseases. Last night it spend the whole night inside and only left when the tort woke up and walk towards the cat. It didnt attack the tort just left.

I am still not comfortable though I dont trust that cat at all tomorrow it might decide to scratch its eye out!

So I will start closing the box again at nights. Unfortunately for now the tort is at my mothers place and I have to rely on her opening it every morning but it is what it is...

View attachment 363816
View attachment 363817
View attachment 363814

Probably more than you want to take on, but could you create a safe outside box for the cat? Doesn't need electricity or anything like that.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Eating cats' poop is what I would be concerned actually. I don't know much about common diseases and parasites between mammals and reptiles, but since stray cats hunt insects, lizards, eat poisoned rats and such this potentially might pose danger (worms eggs should pass through just fine).

I would like to hear from someone knowledgeable on that topic.

Making a separate housing or feeding place maybe a good idea. However it will attract more cats )

 

[Tolis]

View attachment VN20240210_231108.mp4

 

[SinLA]

View attachment 366329

I can’t tell, what is it he is eating besides the flowers

 

[Tolis]

I can’t tell, what is it he is eating besides the flowers

16 artichoke hearts, hybiscus flowers and a strawberry

 

[Chefdenoel10]

View attachment 366329

He eats like my mom!!!! 🤣🤣
She thinks someone is gonna take her food away or something??? 😂😂🤣
Love that you sped the film up.
It makes for a very funny video
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂