cbs
New Member
Hello all tortoise/turtle families!
We adopted a 3 year old desert tortoise from a family that was moving to a colder climate. We adore her, she blows me away with her persistence in exploring. We live by the coast in Southern California. I would love to get any and all tips you have to offer. We have never owned a tortoise before, and I worry that I am not meeting all her needs. (We think it's a her, the other family thought she might be...)
Currently she is very picky about eating.... She eats collard greens, pansies, zucchini, dandelion greens. The previous family fed her almost strictly butter lettuce, which I've heard isn't good for her, so we use that as a little treat when she doesn't seem to be eating much. She noses and ignores geraniums, roses, hibiscus, red leaf lettuce, turnip greens, timothy hay, mustard greens. If anyone has any tips on any other foods she might be interested in, I would be grateful! Also, should I be dusting some of the greens with calcium? If so, any brand that is best? And how often would I dust?
We haven't noticed her drinking water, I have a water dish in her yard. I worry about that, so I've washed her veggies and left them wet, hoping that helps with her liquid intake.... Sometimes, when she is on my lap eating, she urinates quite a bit. So I know she is getting fluids, but is that through veggies, or?
She roams around a yard just for her, it's about 30' x 20', fully fenced. We take her out in the morning and bring her in the evening. In the evening, she "parks" herself in her "garage" a reptile tunnel like thing that appears as if it is made out of tree bark. The nighttime enclosure is also lined with bark.
I've noticed that people talk about giving their tortoises baths, is that true for desert tortoises? If so, are there any helpful directions on how to do that? We don't currently have a heating system. The yard has sunny and shady areas. But should we have some type of heater for her nighttime enclosure? And if so, do you have any suggestions on the best type?
I also have questions about hibernation. Does this naturally occur? Does it have to happen, would it be bad if she didn't hibernate? I heard it could be dangerous, if she doesn't get enough nutrition before. How do we know if she is starting the hibernation process? What temperature should the room be, when she is hibernating?
Thank you in advance to everyone that read all of this! I do appreciate any suggestions/tips you have to offer. We have had her since July, and just adore her!
We adopted a 3 year old desert tortoise from a family that was moving to a colder climate. We adore her, she blows me away with her persistence in exploring. We live by the coast in Southern California. I would love to get any and all tips you have to offer. We have never owned a tortoise before, and I worry that I am not meeting all her needs. (We think it's a her, the other family thought she might be...)
Currently she is very picky about eating.... She eats collard greens, pansies, zucchini, dandelion greens. The previous family fed her almost strictly butter lettuce, which I've heard isn't good for her, so we use that as a little treat when she doesn't seem to be eating much. She noses and ignores geraniums, roses, hibiscus, red leaf lettuce, turnip greens, timothy hay, mustard greens. If anyone has any tips on any other foods she might be interested in, I would be grateful! Also, should I be dusting some of the greens with calcium? If so, any brand that is best? And how often would I dust?
We haven't noticed her drinking water, I have a water dish in her yard. I worry about that, so I've washed her veggies and left them wet, hoping that helps with her liquid intake.... Sometimes, when she is on my lap eating, she urinates quite a bit. So I know she is getting fluids, but is that through veggies, or?
She roams around a yard just for her, it's about 30' x 20', fully fenced. We take her out in the morning and bring her in the evening. In the evening, she "parks" herself in her "garage" a reptile tunnel like thing that appears as if it is made out of tree bark. The nighttime enclosure is also lined with bark.
I've noticed that people talk about giving their tortoises baths, is that true for desert tortoises? If so, are there any helpful directions on how to do that? We don't currently have a heating system. The yard has sunny and shady areas. But should we have some type of heater for her nighttime enclosure? And if so, do you have any suggestions on the best type?
I also have questions about hibernation. Does this naturally occur? Does it have to happen, would it be bad if she didn't hibernate? I heard it could be dangerous, if she doesn't get enough nutrition before. How do we know if she is starting the hibernation process? What temperature should the room be, when she is hibernating?
Thank you in advance to everyone that read all of this! I do appreciate any suggestions/tips you have to offer. We have had her since July, and just adore her!