T1ME1
Member
Hello everybody!
I am a married man in my late 20's from the UK. I have had a fascination with Tortoises from a young age and finally feel in a position to be able to make this lifelong commitment. My parents were not keen on me having a tortoise at a young age, and I resisted the temptation to buy one in my late teens/early twenties because I did not feel I was in a position to give it the stable and happy life it deserved (what with university and then rented accommodation with no garden. Now though, I am married, have bought my own house with a nice garden, and am ready to committ.
I have therefore been the my local reptile store and chosen a Spur Thighed Tortoise from an August 2013 clutch. I have also ordered a tortoise table with full starter package from the same place. It should all be ready for me to pick up on Friday afternoon!
I have done a lot of research over the years but, as other people on here seem to have mentioned, have found a lot of conflicting information. My main concern is diet. I plan to grow my own weeds/plants for my tortoise to eat but I was wondering if there are any spur thighed owners on the forum who could please provide me with a general list of the best stuff to feed and in what quantities. I would also appreciate it if someone could point me in the direction of a definitive list of poisonous plants.
I have picked out two possible spots for the tortoise table in my spare room. One is beneath the window and the other is at the other end of the room. I know that tortoises benefit from natural sun-light so I thought near the window would be good, but I am concious this could also be a bit cold in the Winter months. Am I just better putting it at the other end of the room and ensuring I get the tortoise outside whenever weather permits?
Further bit of background, my Wife has a cat, so I have ordered a mesh lid for the table. Presumably this will be sufficient - I am a little worried the cat may climb up on the mesh and stress the tortoise - what are cat owners' experiences of this, please?
On a final note, I have had the name of my tortoise picked out since the age of 10... Leonard (after Jason Leonard, the former England Rugby player) - just got to keep my fingers crossed it turns out to be a male!
Thank you for reading, I look forward to posting some pictures of Lenny, contributing to the forum and getting to know you all over the coming months and years!
I am a married man in my late 20's from the UK. I have had a fascination with Tortoises from a young age and finally feel in a position to be able to make this lifelong commitment. My parents were not keen on me having a tortoise at a young age, and I resisted the temptation to buy one in my late teens/early twenties because I did not feel I was in a position to give it the stable and happy life it deserved (what with university and then rented accommodation with no garden. Now though, I am married, have bought my own house with a nice garden, and am ready to committ.
I have therefore been the my local reptile store and chosen a Spur Thighed Tortoise from an August 2013 clutch. I have also ordered a tortoise table with full starter package from the same place. It should all be ready for me to pick up on Friday afternoon!
I have done a lot of research over the years but, as other people on here seem to have mentioned, have found a lot of conflicting information. My main concern is diet. I plan to grow my own weeds/plants for my tortoise to eat but I was wondering if there are any spur thighed owners on the forum who could please provide me with a general list of the best stuff to feed and in what quantities. I would also appreciate it if someone could point me in the direction of a definitive list of poisonous plants.
I have picked out two possible spots for the tortoise table in my spare room. One is beneath the window and the other is at the other end of the room. I know that tortoises benefit from natural sun-light so I thought near the window would be good, but I am concious this could also be a bit cold in the Winter months. Am I just better putting it at the other end of the room and ensuring I get the tortoise outside whenever weather permits?
Further bit of background, my Wife has a cat, so I have ordered a mesh lid for the table. Presumably this will be sufficient - I am a little worried the cat may climb up on the mesh and stress the tortoise - what are cat owners' experiences of this, please?
On a final note, I have had the name of my tortoise picked out since the age of 10... Leonard (after Jason Leonard, the former England Rugby player) - just got to keep my fingers crossed it turns out to be a male!
Thank you for reading, I look forward to posting some pictures of Lenny, contributing to the forum and getting to know you all over the coming months and years!
