Lentals?????

[Mark Tenerife]

Haha, mine make lots of noise every night before going to bed in their hides. I call it "nesting", you know like a dog or cat walking around few times before he finally plops to sleep on a piece of clothing or something that they decide makes a perfect nesting material. I think it's a sign that Freda is very comfortable in her home, and not scared to do little "remodeling"

Well it did sound like she was moving furniture about. She is normally back in her hide when I get back from the office then in the morning before I leave she is just looking out deciding if she can be bothered to walk over for breakfast. OK they are not all singing and dancing pets but they are real characters.

 

[RosemaryDW]

OK they are not all singing and dancing pets but they are real characters.

Yes they are. This is Addy beating down the door when I didn't open it early enough. When she is ready to get up she is READY!

 

[Mark Tenerife]

Yes they are. This is Addy beating down the door when I didn't open it early enough. When she is ready to get up she is READY!

View attachment 204624

Wow Addy is big. They do know what they want and are very single minded. I often watch Freda and wonder what she is thinking
The meaning of life......or just watching what's going on. Rosemary when the enclosure is built I want to put native plants in that she can munch on. I have some idea but don't want to take any chances so I will try to post photos. I checked some names at the garden centre and one plant I know is toxic so will have to be moved. Anyway she is happy in the small enclosure at the moment but it will be good for her to dig and explore
Bye Gordon now
Mark Tenerife

 

[RosemaryDW]

She just looks big in the photo, she's 850 grams.

We are all native in the backyard but one plant but that wasn't planned with her in mind. One down side of natives in a dry climate is that they can grow very slowly; you'll have to plan for that.

Something that I found very helpful when starting out with foods was this summation of data from a scientific article that's posted at the top of this forum: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/article-steppe-tortoise-diet-in-the-wild.30230/. It has a brief listing of what wild Russians in a study ate over the course of a year. One of the plants they eat a lof of is in the Ranunculaceae family. If you check the Tortoise Table, plants in that family have a big "NO" on them but... wild Russians eat them. I like to think about what they do eat in the wild as much as what I read in the Tortoise Table and that article was very helpful.

 

[Mark Tenerife]

She just looks big in the photo, she's 850 grams.

We are all native in the backyard but one plant but that wasn't planned with her in mind. One down side of natives in a dry climate is that they can grow very slowly; you'll have to plan for that.

Something that I found very helpful when starting out with foods was this summation of data from a scientific article that's posted at the top of this forum: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/article-steppe-tortoise-diet-in-the-wild.30230/. It has a brief listing of what wild Russians in a study ate over the course of a year. One of the plants they eat a lof of is in the Ranunculaceae family. If you check the Tortoise Table, plants in that family have a big "NO" on them but... wild Russians eat them. I like to think about what they do eat in the wild as much as what I read in the Tortoise Table and that article was very helpful.

 

[Mark Tenerife]

Hi RosemaryDW I haven't looked at the site yet but will do. I was trying to load photos of the plants in the area that she will be living but I just can't seem to load the photos from my phone.
Just one question if I used hormone rooting powder for cuttings would it have a bad effect on Freda. The they are succulents so may not need the powder. Bye for now M Tenerife

 

[RosemaryDW]

I'm afraid I don't know about rooting powder. I *think* it would probably be worked out of the plants within a few months and safe for her. Pesticides and fertilizers work out of the plant that way.

If you download the Tortoise Forum app you might find it easier to upload photos from your phone.

 

[Mark Tenerife]

Oh I didn't realise there was a phone app. That's brilliant I'm do it tomorrow. OH HAPPY EASTER from Freda and me