New home for Eggbert the AZ Desert Tortoise...

[fgately]

I am seriously impressed. I want to build something like that for my torts. I am inspired. Do you have experience working with concrete and stucco?

 

[Laura]

like a zoo! do you have pics of it during construction so we can see how it was done!??!! did you do it? Was it hard to do?

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oh.. i see the beggining now.. wow..

 

[TOK DADDY]

Probably one of the nicest enclosures I have ever seen. I also live in AZ - who did the masonry work for the walls? I'd like use that wall concept in my enclosure as well. If you did it how long did it take from start to finish (walls only)? How deep down does the concrete block go?

 

[Becki]

Eggbert looks quite content and spoiled.

 

[RV's mom]

What a beautiful enclosure~ happy happy tort.

 

[jdawn]

Wow! What an amazing home

 

[Eggbert]

Sorry to take so long in responding... I am a 6th grade teacher, and the school year began with a bang!

I did not construct Eggbert's home--we hired http://www.desertgardensnursery.com/ to design and install. They took out half of the lawn and also planted a desert scape. The large boulders and gravel came from http://www.pioneersand.com/ .

It took 3 days to complete the project, and it was completed on 6/20/10. Attached are some pictures of the process and the last picture is what it looks like as of this morning 9/19/10. Now that it is a bit cooler in the morning, Eggbert doesn't venture out until around noon.

 

[Candy]

The enclosure is beautiful. I was wondering what he eats? Did you plant things for him to feed off of or do you give him something else to eat? I have to say that I just love his name.

 

[Eggbert]

The enclosure is beautiful. I was wondering what he eats? Did you plant things for him to feed off of or do you give him something else to eat? I have to say that I just love his name.

Thanks Candy! All of the plants in Eggbert's home are edible. Favorites include the hybiscus, elephant food, angelita daisies, evening primrose, portulaca (sparingly--it's like tortoise crack!), and desert honeysuckle.

Eggbert refuses to try the gama or deer grasses??

Since the enclosure plantings are newer I do occasionally provide supplementary greens which include organic dandelion, turnip, mustard, and collard.

Eggbert has become quite the tank and has learned to begin at the lower portion of the hybiscus branches and climbs out over them, weighing them down, and eating her/his way to the end!

 

[terryo]

I seemed to have missed this thread when you first posted. Your enclosure is beautiful. The total opposite of a humidity loving tortoise. It's absolutely stunning.

 

[Candy]

Tortoise Crack that is too funny. I'm going to have to plant some of those plants for Fernando although so far he won't touch the hibiscus that I have for him and Dale. I don't know why he won't eat it, but he just walks away. I have me some pretty picky eating tortoises. I did plant him a cactus not long ago and so far he's left it alone.

 

[Half Decaf]

Beautiful enclosure, Eggbert; and I appreciate the info on what you feed little Eggbert. For my desert tortoises, I planted globe mallow, ruella, deer grass, yellow trumpet, and a hibiscus. They attacked that hibiscus until there was nothing left. So I planted another and then another and another, etc. I now have thirteen hibiscus in my tortoise enclosure and that appears to be keeping my two guys pretty satisfied. They also like the globe mallow and the ruella, but they don't care too much for the deer grass.

 

[Dutch-az]

...All of the plants in Eggbert's home are edible. Favorites include the hybiscus, elephant food, angelita daisies, evening primrose, portulaca...

I am still in the building/designing stage of our Sonoran DT enclosure. I have been doing extensive research on habitat, etc. For your edible plants you may want to look at the "Captive Desert Tortoise Diet' put out by AZ G&F. It can be found at: http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/tortoise/documents/CaptiveDesertTortoiseDiet_20100315_002.pdf. If you have trouble locating these plants, check with the Boyce Thompson Arboretum (near Superior). The sell native desert plants - and have a plant sale coming up Oct. 8.

I am assuming when you say you have an Arizona DT you mean a Sonoran DT. Their natural habitat is where you live now - minus the development. So as long as you have a proper burrow and some plants providing shade, you don't need to build a sunshade nor do you need a sprinkler system (or mister). Just put water out a couple days a week.

The best reference I have found is "The Sonoran Desert Tortoise: Natural History, Biology, and Conservation". (2002). Thomas R. Van Devender, Ed. There is research on what they eat in the wild as well as a an entire chapter on caring for and feeding a captive SDT.

 

[Yvonne G]

Beautiful enclosure, Eggbert; and I appreciate the info on what you feed little Eggbert. For my desert tortoises, I planted globe mallow, ruella, deer grass, yellow trumpet, and a hibiscus. They attacked that hibiscus until there was nothing left. So I planted another and then another and another, etc. I now have thirteen hibiscus in my tortoise enclosure and that appears to be keeping my two guys pretty satisfied. They also like the globe mallow and the ruella, but they don't care too much for the deer grass.

Hi Half Decaf:

Welcome to the forum!!

(I apologize for the slight hi-jack)

 

[goReptiles]

That is gorgeous for a non-humidity loving tortoise!

I have been trying to figure something nicer for my Russians. I must get pictures up for tips and advice.

 

[Eggbert]

It seems Eggbert is preparing to hibernate. Eating has stopped, and the plants have been recovering. Eggbert's adventures out of her/his burrows have become less frequent, and I am going to take advantage of this time to sew dandelion and plantain seeds for spring feeding. Here are some pictures of the enclosure today 11/14/10. The deer grass has gone crazy and the globe mallow has also taken off!

 

[Yvonne G]

I just love Eggbert's enclosure. You are SO talented!

 

[Eggbert]

I just love Eggbert's enclosure. You are SO talented!

Thanks Yvonne, that means a lot to me--coming from you.