I'm new here and I decided the best way to start out in these forums was to introduce myself. I actually got here by pure chance while I was searching about tortoise habitats.
I'm shy when in a new situation (you might have guessed that from the rather forced way I write) so posting like this is a little hard for me but I guess I'll say some stuff about myself. I'm 19 years old and I live in a village in a Greek island. Not much to say about the island's environment, it's one of the most famous and most visited islands of the Cyclades (the group of islands it's in) but it's basically a dry rock with a few sturdy plants, very windy and when it's not windy it's very humid (humidity doesn't stay though, it just makes walls wet in the morning and life miserable for those with back problems)
I got one tortoise named Abby, I don't actually know how old she is but I'm guessing she's a bit younger than me, maybe 15 years old. She's a Hermann's Tortoise (boettgeri apparently) and I got her when I was 12, from my grandpa as a gift (he found her on the road next to his house, although he lives in Athens there are many "feral" tortoises running around in the city) Her shell is ~12cm long but I haven't been able to measure shell only since she won't hide when I'm with her so I end up measuring neck, head and tail too. Her entire length is about 15cm.
Here's a pic! I took it some years ago but she hasn't changed much since then!
I could go into details about her life, enclosure and diet but then the introduction post would get very long. I just need to ask a few questions.
1. At one end of Abby's enclosure is this plant. She doesn't eat it since its leaves are hard and leathery but it provides a hibernation place during winter, since it sheds a lot of leaves, and shade during the summer. I want to know, is it dangerous for her to eat? Should I clip the branches so she can't reach them?
2. Her enclosure is elevated from the ground (about 30 cm high) and when she climbs on the cement ledge (happens very rarely) she could actually fall. She never seems to because she senses danger and doesn't approach the edge of that little "cliff" but I'm still worried. Should I find a way to prevent her from getting on the ledge?
3. These are in my garden. As I said before, during the summer most weeds dry up and there's little to eat but grape leaves (Abby isn't fond of the though). Are Pelargonium (fake geranium) plants edible (by tortoises)? I have read they are but I have been reluctant to give Abby some since they stink, badly!
That's all and sorry for the long post...
I'm shy when in a new situation (you might have guessed that from the rather forced way I write) so posting like this is a little hard for me but I guess I'll say some stuff about myself. I'm 19 years old and I live in a village in a Greek island. Not much to say about the island's environment, it's one of the most famous and most visited islands of the Cyclades (the group of islands it's in) but it's basically a dry rock with a few sturdy plants, very windy and when it's not windy it's very humid (humidity doesn't stay though, it just makes walls wet in the morning and life miserable for those with back problems)
I got one tortoise named Abby, I don't actually know how old she is but I'm guessing she's a bit younger than me, maybe 15 years old. She's a Hermann's Tortoise (boettgeri apparently) and I got her when I was 12, from my grandpa as a gift (he found her on the road next to his house, although he lives in Athens there are many "feral" tortoises running around in the city) Her shell is ~12cm long but I haven't been able to measure shell only since she won't hide when I'm with her so I end up measuring neck, head and tail too. Her entire length is about 15cm.
Here's a pic! I took it some years ago but she hasn't changed much since then!
I could go into details about her life, enclosure and diet but then the introduction post would get very long. I just need to ask a few questions.
1. At one end of Abby's enclosure is this plant. She doesn't eat it since its leaves are hard and leathery but it provides a hibernation place during winter, since it sheds a lot of leaves, and shade during the summer. I want to know, is it dangerous for her to eat? Should I clip the branches so she can't reach them?
2. Her enclosure is elevated from the ground (about 30 cm high) and when she climbs on the cement ledge (happens very rarely) she could actually fall. She never seems to because she senses danger and doesn't approach the edge of that little "cliff" but I'm still worried. Should I find a way to prevent her from getting on the ledge?
3. These are in my garden. As I said before, during the summer most weeds dry up and there's little to eat but grape leaves (Abby isn't fond of the though). Are Pelargonium (fake geranium) plants edible (by tortoises)? I have read they are but I have been reluctant to give Abby some since they stink, badly!
That's all and sorry for the long post...
