daily routine

AlexaMyTortoise

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albania
well guys wanna ask you for your daily routine with your tortoise pls reply !!♡♡♡♡♡♡
 

spoilers

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Well... for me it depends on weather. If it's nice and warm my redfoot goes outside first thing in the morning, if it's cold he stays inside and i turn his lights on. About 15-20 mins later he gets food (it's up to him when he eats it, sometime he doesn't eat and sleeps all day) I feed him different varieties of food daily. After I put food out I also mist the entire enclosure to keep humidity up and make sure his water is clean. Then i go to work unless it's a weekend. My tort prefers to be left alone so i leave him be most of the time. When I get home I check on him and get rid of any left over foods and spot clean his enclosure to prevent growing numbers of detrivores (dont think i spelled that right, oh well) then i mist the enclosure again and once a week this is when he gets a long soaking and a treat since he doesn't like baths/forced soaks. He usually goes to bed before lights go out but i try to make sure lights are out around the same time the sun goes down. That's about it for me...
 

AlexaMyTortoise

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albania
Well... for me it depends on weather. If it's nice and warm my redfoot goes outside first thing in the morning, if it's cold he stays inside and i turn his lights on. About 15-20 mins later he gets food (it's up to him when he eats it, sometime he doesn't eat and sleeps all day) I feed him different varieties of food daily. After I put food out I also mist the entire enclosure to keep humidity up and make sure his water is clean. Then i go to work unless it's a weekend. My tort prefers to be left alone so i leave him be most of the time. When I get home I check on him and get rid of any left over foods and spot clean his enclosure to prevent growing numbers of detrivores (dont think i spelled that right, oh well) then i mist the enclosure again and once a week this is when he gets a long soaking and a treat since he doesn't like baths/forced soaks. He usually goes to bed before lights go out but i try to make sure lights are out around the same time the sun goes down. That's about it for me...
lol this is amaizing it looks like you have a great relationship together (Alexa doesn't like baths as well and i don't like them too[emoji23]) thank u for sharing your daily with me
 

spoilers

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Lol not really, i think mine just puts up with me because I feed him. he would rather be left alone on his own and able to roam around outside all the time. I don't let him roam outside of his enclosure but since he is a big guy i had my vet microchip him in case he runs away.
 

orv

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Aguanga, CA
Our experience having 4 CDTs is a bit different, as they live outdoors full-time here in the California sunshine. They come out of their burrow when the morning begins to warm. After they've warmed a bit, they'll begin to eat whatever we've placed in their dish that day. This morning, for example, they were served mulberry leaves, pumpkin, gazania flowers, and a taste of summer squash. Pretty typical breakfast for them. They're also able to graze throughout the day. This time of year, when the days are cooler and shorter, they seem to spend much of the day meandering around the enclosure. If the temps are warm enough, they'll get a second feeding, which may include grape leaves, hibiscus and rose flowers. They love to come over for hand feeding of the flowers, and perhaps a nice head rub. I begin to forego their soaking this time of year as the temperatures are a bit cool for them to get any enjoyment from it. They're all usually all back in their burrow a good hour or so before sunset. Our elderly female typically returns to the burrow
earlier than the other three. As the days grow shorter and the temperatures cooler, they'll all go into brumation until Spring comes around again. We always miss them and eagerly await their remergence.
 

jsheffield

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I'm still a newbie, so I'm sure I'm not doing everything I need to be doing, or at least not doing it right ...

  • I check the temp and humidity first thing (I'm still making sure that overnight temps drop, but not too far, and that the humidity stays up in the 80% range)
  • I add some warm water to the cypress mulch to give the temp and humidity a bump
  • I peek into the hide that Darwin seems to prefer to make sure he's still in there, and awake/aware
  • Later in the day, I make up a meal and bath, and he soaks and eats midday for about half an hour
  • When he's done eating and soaking, I put him and the leftovers back into his enclosure
  • Before bed, I check the temp and humidity to make sure they're within the parameters I'm looking for
Jamie
 

EllieMay

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I have 3 Sulcatas & they are all three housed inside in separate enclosures still..their lights and heat are run on timers. At 5:30, their day lights come on and I clean out old food n water and replace.. they each get a little talkin, a little rubbing.. I come home from work and depending on the weather immediately put them outside( again in separate areas) for grazing... and then They have a long soak, and poo.. while they’re doing that, I put fresh food n water in the enclosures.. then I moisturize their shells..!they go back in their houses and the lights go off at 9pm...
 

Big Charlie

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I don't have much of a daily routine with Charlie. He lives outdoors and takes care of himself. This time of year, he doesn't come out of his nightbox until midday. Then he is back home around 5. So some days I don't get to see him at all. Daily I try to clean and refill his water bowl, and clean out his nightbox. If I see him when I'm out, he'll come to me. Then I'll rub his head and cut him a treat - rose or hibiscus. The other day I gave him pumpkin.
 

wellington

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My routine is seasonal. Summer time I open their doors around 8-8:30, turn overhead shed light on and fill water dishes inside and out. They go outside whenever they want to graze and do whatever. Around 7 or whenever they go inside, I make sure everyone is in the shed and I lock them up and turn the light off for the night. Every 2-3 days I will feed mazuri. Other then the mazuri and a treat of romaine once in a while, I don't feed them, they must graze. I will soak them about 2-3 or so times a summer. They do a lot of self soaking in their water dishes or their mud/water hole.
Fall and spring it all depends on the temps. If it's warm enough for them to go outside, I do the summer routine. If it's too cold out, I do the winter routine which is too turn over head light on around the same time as summer. I feed and water around 9-10 sometimes later and turn the over head light off around 6-6:30. Their basking lights are on timers and the heater is on a thermostat. I have leopards and a Russian.
My baby leopard is still in the house. His lights come on around 8. I feed and give fresh water. Then I feed him 3 more times throughout the day. I soak every other day around 6, his lights go out around 7.
 

drew54

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Indiana
I wake up about 8-830 and check temps and humidity. Turn the heat lamp and uvb on. My Che is on a thermostat. I place fresh food in there. Soak bones if he is a wake and if not I'll let him sleep. I'll spray the enclosure and go to work. When I get home I spend a while with him. I soak him 30-40 min sometimes longer if missed the morning soak. I will freshen goes food up. Check all temps and humidity at beyond level and the substrate as well. The air could be 80 and the substrate could be warmer or colder. So I make whatever adjustments. I then hold him for a few taking to him as I inspect his shell and patron, feet, legs, head, neck, tale, and front legs. I then rub his head and hand feed him a leaf. Afterwards, I'll let him do whatever he wanted to do. Sleep, eat, or exercise.
 
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omhoge

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Here's our daily routine and my general 2Cents. I'm no expert at all like the experts here, I've just been doing this a long time, and learned a lot along the way. I'll bold the key words to keep this short.

6AM -
  • The HUV lights, required for his vitamin synthesis go on with a timer (the heating elements are under separate control +)
  • Breakfast, always with finely chopped corse greens, rotating the favored and "treat" foods with them.
  • Supplements only as needed.
  • Warm Bath * (He generally poops in his bath every three days to a week.)
  • If it's his Meds day, his injection before the bath, cough syrup as needed.

6PM -
  • Dinner
  • If bath or meds were completed in the AM, and if the living room is warm enough, we let him out to run around after dinner.
  • We keep thermometers on the floor since that's where he really is. Guessing just with bare feet was inaccurate.
8pm -
  • HUV Lights off
  • Heating stays on

* if there wasn't time for a bath in the morning then after dinner.

+ temps are 80-90 in the warm area of the enclosure
Be sure the temps are good for your species, temperature is very critical.
So is humidity and hydration. Temperature and hydration are your top two daily responsibilities.

Strata changed weekly unless he poops in it.
Water bowls and sponge used to maintain humidity.

As you are preparing the enclosure with HUV Light and Heat, please also take your tortoise to a Veterinarian who specializes in exotics and reptiles for a check up and worm test, and expert advice on your species. Take some of the poop with you for the worm test.
This is really important for both the health of the animal and your own. Be sure the Vet knows turtles, it took us a while to find one, and it will be a valuable long term relationship for you both.

Remember their lungs are on top, so be sure wherever the tortoise is roaming there's minimal chance of him turning over while trying to climb out or over something.

When we adopted the turtle we thought "this should be a very easy pet", but like most animals, there's more work and expense involved than you'd think, and it's been worth every second of the effort.

Good luck, hope this helps.
 
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omhoge

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Here's our daily routine and my general 2Cents. I'm no expert at all like the experts here, I've just been doing this a long time, and learned a lot along the way. I'll bold the key words to keep this short.

6AM -
  • The UVB lights, required for his vitamin synthesis go on with a timer (the heating elements are under separate control +)
  • Breakfast, always with finely chopped corse greens, rotating the favored and "treat" foods with them.
  • Supplements only as needed.
  • Warm Bath * (He generally poops in his bath every three days to a week.)
  • If it's his Meds day, his injection before the bath, cough syrup as needed.

6PM -
  • Dinner
  • If bath or meds were completed in the AM, and if the living room is warm enough, we let him out to run around after dinner.
  • We keep thermometers on the floor since that's where he really is. Guessing just with bare feet was inaccurate.
8pm -
  • UVB Lights off
  • Heating stays on

* if there wasn't time for a bath in the morning then after dinner.

+ temps are 80-90 in the warm area of the enclosure
Be sure the temps are good for your species, temperature is very critical.
So is humidity and hydration. Temperature and hydration are probably your top two daily responsibilities.

Strata changed weekly unless he poops in it.
Water bowls and sponge used to maintain humidity.

As you are preparing the enclosure with UVB Light and Heat, please also take your tortoise to a Veterinarian who specializes in exotics and reptiles for a check up and worm test, and expert advice on your species. Take some of the poop with you for the worm test.
This is really important for both the health of the animal and your own. Be sure the Vet knows turtles, it took us a while to find one, and it will be a valuable long term relationship for you both.

Remember their lungs are on top, so be sure wherever the tortoise is roaming there's minimal chance of him turning over while trying to climb out or over something.

When we adopted the turtle we thought "this should be a very easy pet", but like most animals, there's more work and expense involved than you'd think, and it's been worth every second of the effort.

Good luck, hope this helps.

Arg UVB not HUV.... sorry
 

LaLaP

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I have 2 torts in separate enclosures. The lights go on at 8 and I check on them. Everyday somebody gets a soak... Diego gets soaked twice a week and Popeye gets soaked 5 times a week because he is new to me and has had a rough life... I'm working on improving his health. Diego likes me to rub his neck and brush his shell during soaks and Pops feels more at ease on his own. Then I make their breakfast. Diego gets all weeds and garden plants but for Pops I have to make a covert plan to sneak in some weeds disguised under bits of lettuce (another thing we are working on). If it's a cold day they will be indoors but if it's sunny like today they go outside. I check on them periodically throughout the day and I offer them snacks and shell scratches. I also spot check temps indoors through out the day and freshen water. If they are outside I bring them in around 5pm these days since the sun has left their outdoor enclosures by then and it's getting cool. I like to see where and how they decide to sleep for the night... they both have a few different spots that they go to and often have a leg poking out somewhere.. so cute. Their lights are set to turn off at 9:30 but I often turn them out a bit earlier because they are always asleep by 8.
 

omhoge

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So AlexaMyTortoise, how is it going? How is your daily routine shaping up?
fingers-crossed!
 

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