AuthorrDianeBixler
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2016
- Messages
- 12
Just an introduction, no real questions, but feel free to chime in if you read anything I could be doing better.
I never thought I'd own a tortoise, though I absolutely love them. Last year, I was messaged by my fiancee's cousin that she did animal rescue in OK, and had a sulcuta (sp) she was looking to home. I couldn't accommodate such a large tort (he was already over 25 pounds and still growing), but thanked her. Several months later, I got another message - her parents are involved in tort rescue (desert) and had a surprise clutch, would I consider one? I researched, and they are the perfect size! I told her yes, though honestly, I never thought it would actually happen - the tort was in AZ, she lived in OK, and I lived in FL. But, a few months later, another message, this time, that their flight would leave Wednesday, and they'd be at my house with my tort by Friday.
I freaked out! I had no idea how I was going to accommodate a tortoise on such short notice. I researched (and used this forum a LOT), and threw together an outdoor area as best as I could. Soon, the first pic came through. To my surprise, it was TINY! Like palm-of-the-hand tiny. Mad Max arrived Friday, the 13th (Nov of 2015) and absolutely stole my heart. To the best of our knowledge, he was born Oct 23, 2015, and I got him on his 3-week birthday. We had a blast visiting with James' cousin, and I ended up creating an indoor area for him as well, as he was WAY too little to live outside just yet.
Fast forward a year+ - Mad Max is amazing. He has over doubled in size, which surprised me. I didn't know he'd grow so fast. He has an indoor tank with a heat lamp & UV lamp. And he has a huge outdoor area, complete with three burrows (one is way too big, but will accommodate him as a full-sized adult) with lots of natural-growing weeds he loves. Because he's growing so fast, this summer, he will be upgrading to an indoor table-like area, with an upper & lower level. Although he does live indoors, he's outside daily (weather permitting), and he LOVES his enclosure!
His diet has changed as he's grown (I use he, but we won't actually know the gender until he's much older). I still purchase an organic kale & lettuce mix, which he does eat, but he's growing more fond of the outdoor weeds, which I prefer him eating anyway. He absolutely LOVES hibiscus, and is beginning to eat more than he used to like. His first year, he wouldn't eat dandelions or elephant ears, but now loves them. He has yet to really enjoy any of the succulents I've planted (including aloe and prickly pear cactus). I read that an all kale diet was no good, as it's actually too rich in minerals and can damage organs. Of course, all lettuce is no good, as there is no nutrients, so I figured a mix should work, complete with the natural weeds he loves. Some days, he's all about the organic mix, other days, he wants nothing to do with me (boo hoo), and only wants to walk around & munch weeds. I let him choose, figuring he knows best. He always has access to water in a shallow dish, but a few days a week, I do attempt to soak him.
He's growing well, all life cycles seem normal (eating, sleeping, pooping, peeing). He's never had any nasal discharge (no sign of illness or breathing difficulties). No major injuries, though he recently scraped his leg attempting to climb a step. We have a great routine, and he's always ready to go outside in the afternoons, when I get home from work. He prefers toileting outside, and very hardly ever uses his tank for this. Sometimes, his left eye bulges out when he pushes too hard (to poop), but if he's eating, it goes right back down, and he's fine. Rarely, though, he struggles to get it to calm back down. I know the eye bulging is also a sign of stress. The only time it happens (when it does) is when he toilets. I haven't let him hibernate yet - I read that it's dangerous for such a young tort. Our winters here are so mild, I'm not sure that hibernation will be necessary, but as he transitions from indoors to full-time outdoors, I'll let him decide.
Overall, I think he's doing well. He's just over a year old now. I'm looking forward to creating his new indoor habitat. I'm predicting about 5 years before I'll screen the outdoor area, and move him to be more outside than inside. He should be big enough by then, and having the area screened will give me a bit more piece of mind.
If anything I'm doing looks out of place, please feel free to let me know. Mad Max seems perfectly happy & healthy, and appears to be thriving. I'm looking forward to our lives together. Oh, and he was such a hit when I got him, we created his own FB page - Mad Max, Tortoise Life. He's growing quite the fan club. Thanks for having me here, and I will likely ask some questions as I start the new indoor table-top project. Looking forward to meeting others and always learning with this little guy. Thanks! Diane
I never thought I'd own a tortoise, though I absolutely love them. Last year, I was messaged by my fiancee's cousin that she did animal rescue in OK, and had a sulcuta (sp) she was looking to home. I couldn't accommodate such a large tort (he was already over 25 pounds and still growing), but thanked her. Several months later, I got another message - her parents are involved in tort rescue (desert) and had a surprise clutch, would I consider one? I researched, and they are the perfect size! I told her yes, though honestly, I never thought it would actually happen - the tort was in AZ, she lived in OK, and I lived in FL. But, a few months later, another message, this time, that their flight would leave Wednesday, and they'd be at my house with my tort by Friday.
I freaked out! I had no idea how I was going to accommodate a tortoise on such short notice. I researched (and used this forum a LOT), and threw together an outdoor area as best as I could. Soon, the first pic came through. To my surprise, it was TINY! Like palm-of-the-hand tiny. Mad Max arrived Friday, the 13th (Nov of 2015) and absolutely stole my heart. To the best of our knowledge, he was born Oct 23, 2015, and I got him on his 3-week birthday. We had a blast visiting with James' cousin, and I ended up creating an indoor area for him as well, as he was WAY too little to live outside just yet.
Fast forward a year+ - Mad Max is amazing. He has over doubled in size, which surprised me. I didn't know he'd grow so fast. He has an indoor tank with a heat lamp & UV lamp. And he has a huge outdoor area, complete with three burrows (one is way too big, but will accommodate him as a full-sized adult) with lots of natural-growing weeds he loves. Because he's growing so fast, this summer, he will be upgrading to an indoor table-like area, with an upper & lower level. Although he does live indoors, he's outside daily (weather permitting), and he LOVES his enclosure!
His diet has changed as he's grown (I use he, but we won't actually know the gender until he's much older). I still purchase an organic kale & lettuce mix, which he does eat, but he's growing more fond of the outdoor weeds, which I prefer him eating anyway. He absolutely LOVES hibiscus, and is beginning to eat more than he used to like. His first year, he wouldn't eat dandelions or elephant ears, but now loves them. He has yet to really enjoy any of the succulents I've planted (including aloe and prickly pear cactus). I read that an all kale diet was no good, as it's actually too rich in minerals and can damage organs. Of course, all lettuce is no good, as there is no nutrients, so I figured a mix should work, complete with the natural weeds he loves. Some days, he's all about the organic mix, other days, he wants nothing to do with me (boo hoo), and only wants to walk around & munch weeds. I let him choose, figuring he knows best. He always has access to water in a shallow dish, but a few days a week, I do attempt to soak him.
He's growing well, all life cycles seem normal (eating, sleeping, pooping, peeing). He's never had any nasal discharge (no sign of illness or breathing difficulties). No major injuries, though he recently scraped his leg attempting to climb a step. We have a great routine, and he's always ready to go outside in the afternoons, when I get home from work. He prefers toileting outside, and very hardly ever uses his tank for this. Sometimes, his left eye bulges out when he pushes too hard (to poop), but if he's eating, it goes right back down, and he's fine. Rarely, though, he struggles to get it to calm back down. I know the eye bulging is also a sign of stress. The only time it happens (when it does) is when he toilets. I haven't let him hibernate yet - I read that it's dangerous for such a young tort. Our winters here are so mild, I'm not sure that hibernation will be necessary, but as he transitions from indoors to full-time outdoors, I'll let him decide.
Overall, I think he's doing well. He's just over a year old now. I'm looking forward to creating his new indoor habitat. I'm predicting about 5 years before I'll screen the outdoor area, and move him to be more outside than inside. He should be big enough by then, and having the area screened will give me a bit more piece of mind.
If anything I'm doing looks out of place, please feel free to let me know. Mad Max seems perfectly happy & healthy, and appears to be thriving. I'm looking forward to our lives together. Oh, and he was such a hit when I got him, we created his own FB page - Mad Max, Tortoise Life. He's growing quite the fan club. Thanks for having me here, and I will likely ask some questions as I start the new indoor table-top project. Looking forward to meeting others and always learning with this little guy. Thanks! Diane