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- Oct 28, 2012
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Falling in love with a tortoise
- Thread starter Morlas Mama
- Start date
Morlas Mama
Member
That's a huge miscommunication on my coworkers part but I'm also coming to realize she had zero clue what she was doing lol. We have an acre of fenced in backyard for her when she's an adult. I already have two 12x8 enclosures she can be safely in during the interim. We don't get warmer weather here until mid-late June and it only last a few months. So the plan for the next couple of years worth of winters is converting the entire walk in closet to a terrarium.
Morlas Mama
Member
Thank you. This is information I definitely need to have. For now, I've been following Toms care sheet for hatchlings since I was unsure. Only had her a couple of days but I finally nailed the 4 temps and humidities. She seems much more alert when awake and overall more comfortable.
have you been soaking daily and feedings her/him a high fiber grass diet?
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Morlas Mama
Member
I'm extremely grateful to have found this website and to everyone for sharing their knowledge. Our Morla thanks you too!
Morlas Mama
Member
Soaks are twice everyday for 30 min each and diet this week is dandelion (weaning her off the spring mix her previous owner gave her). She does munch a little bit on the Timothy hay but devours the dandelion. I started some indoor grass seedlings today. In a few weeks she'll start getting those too. My grass is treated and I can't be sure of the neighbors' yards so I'm not risking it. I grated the insides of a cuttle bone yesterday and sprinkled that on her food. She ate it without noticing. I turned down the humidity from 90 to 80 today and added drier coco coir on top of the existing. Her little underbelly just felt way too soft to me in comparison to before.
I'm pretty sure 90 humidity is fine
Morlas Mama
Member
Also, not sure if anyone else has ever tried this, but, I've been using those dissolvable planters (the card-board-like brown ones) as humid houses. I dip it in water and lay it on its side like some do with theTerra-cotta pots. It holds a ton of moisture and it's shape and it's the perfect size for her.
Morlas Mama
Member
I'm sure it was more the substrate being too wet than the humidity. But I was a little freaked when I felt how pliable her plastron had become over night so I took down both too and bottom humidities just to be safe.
Morlas Mama
Member
Top*
<Stupid fat fingers>
<Stupid fat fingers>
for the first couple months to a year old of life the shell has some "give" in it. with UVB light and natural sun her shell will be fine.
Welcome
Morlas Mama
Member
Thank you very much!
@Morlas Mama how is Morla doing? I was thinking about her today.
Morlas Mama
Member
Thank you for asking! She is doing well. I've been having a lot of fun shopping for her lol. I love watching her try new foods and she has REALLY come alive. She's more active and her eyes are more alert. I can't believe I've fallen for a tort. I never imagined myself with any reptiles and now I can't stop taking pictures and cooing over her lol.
kdub
Member
It really sounds like you are doing every possible thing to make a great home for your new little friend! And I love how you said you are teaching your son along the way! 
Keep up the good work! ! !
Keep up the good work! ! !
