AW: Peter's thread
Jamaica it is then!
Btw: who can find the tortoise?
Jamaica it is then!
Btw: who can find the tortoise?
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Peter's thread
- Thread starter peasinapod
- Start date
Nice spot, Peter!
Is that inside his cold frame?
Is that inside his cold frame?
peasinapod said:Jamaica it is then!
Btw: who can find the tortoise?
Peekaboo! [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]
AW: Peter's thread
Yes! He now has a cozy hideout in his cold frame and hasn't left his "bed" in a few days, although we had really warm weather.
Yes! He now has a cozy hideout in his cold frame and hasn't left his "bed" in a few days, although we had really warm weather.
I'm enjoying this thread-don't know why it took so long for me to find it!
My Hermann's, Elsa, is about 5. She's not yet full grown but is growing well. So far, her personality is very different from Peter's: she's pretty shy but will come to us if we offer treats. She's my first tort and I've just had her a year. I live in the US, in south Louisiana (where the
Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico). Blessedly, our winters are quite mild: we'll get in the 80s (F) a few days next week. I am too afraid to let her brumate because this is my first year owning a tort, Elsa is still immature, AND I work out of town 4 days a week (that was NOT part of the plan when I got her, but Life happens! My hubby looks after her). I know this is Peter's thread but it's nice to talk with other Hermann's owners!
WONDERFUL enclosure, btw!!!
My Hermann's, Elsa, is about 5. She's not yet full grown but is growing well. So far, her personality is very different from Peter's: she's pretty shy but will come to us if we offer treats. She's my first tort and I've just had her a year. I live in the US, in south Louisiana (where the
Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico). Blessedly, our winters are quite mild: we'll get in the 80s (F) a few days next week. I am too afraid to let her brumate because this is my first year owning a tort, Elsa is still immature, AND I work out of town 4 days a week (that was NOT part of the plan when I got her, but Life happens! My hubby looks after her). I know this is Peter's thread but it's nice to talk with other Hermann's owners!
WONDERFUL enclosure, btw!!!
Thanks for your nice comment! Hermann's just are the best aren't they?
Elsa sounds really cute!
Here a few pictures I took of my darling during his pre-winter weighing.
Here's a close-up of an old injury. The white stuff is dead bone apparently.
After weighing him (he's exactly 1020g), I put him in a large box with hay in the sun as I wanted to clean out the cold-frame very quickly. Peter decided that he wanted to show us his "submarine" skills and dove into the hay head-first until he was buried completely. Too cute for words!
Elsa sounds really cute!
Here a few pictures I took of my darling during his pre-winter weighing.
Here's a close-up of an old injury. The white stuff is dead bone apparently.
After weighing him (he's exactly 1020g), I put him in a large box with hay in the sun as I wanted to clean out the cold-frame very quickly. Peter decided that he wanted to show us his "submarine" skills and dove into the hay head-first until he was buried completely. Too cute for words!
Ha ha!! LOVE the submarine image! Yes, they are super good at it!
Maybe they dream of being sea turtles?
Could be!!!
When I first got Elsa it would freak me out that she would bury herself COMPLETELY. I just HAD to carefully poke a finger down into different areas of the substrate until I found her. It's amazing they don't smother...
When I first got Elsa it would freak me out that she would bury herself COMPLETELY. I just HAD to carefully poke a finger down into different areas of the substrate until I found her. It's amazing they don't smother...
AW: Peter's thread
They are masters at making your heart drop into your pants.
They are masters at making your heart drop into your pants.
Yes, indeed!!
AW: Peter's thread
Official pre-hibernation weight as of a week ago: 1020g
For now he's in a box in the garage, but as soon as the temperatures go below zero constantly, we'll move him to the fridge (which has been up and running for some time now). Once the temperatures go over 0 again next spring, we will move him to the garage again, so he can decide for himself when to wake up.
That's the plan at least. Gosh I'm nervous! I miss him already. :-/
Official pre-hibernation weight as of a week ago: 1020g
For now he's in a box in the garage, but as soon as the temperatures go below zero constantly, we'll move him to the fridge (which has been up and running for some time now). Once the temperatures go over 0 again next spring, we will move him to the garage again, so he can decide for himself when to wake up.
That's the plan at least. Gosh I'm nervous! I miss him already. :-/
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What a stunning thread!! I've just read through the whole thing and the passion you have for Peter is amazing. And that enclosure is one of the best I've seen on here. What an amazing setup. I wish I could do the same for our Hermanns, but as I live in Scotland, it's damn cold all the time. So she gets out VERY sparingly. I won't be hibernating her, as she has never been done, and I don't have the knowledge to safely do it.
Quick question though....can u use hay in an enclosure permanently? Peaches doesn't have anything like that, but she has 2 areas to hide. I have spare hay in garage from when we had a rabbit, and I wondered if I could put that in her hide area for extra warmth. Would there be a danger she would eat it and choke? Or would she just burrow into it?
Quick question though....can u use hay in an enclosure permanently? Peaches doesn't have anything like that, but she has 2 areas to hide. I have spare hay in garage from when we had a rabbit, and I wondered if I could put that in her hide area for extra warmth. Would there be a danger she would eat it and choke? Or would she just burrow into it?
StuMac said:
Thank you! Peter loves to snuggle into a nice hay-pile and he eats some of it too. just be careful with the humidity, it might get moldy, so I wouldn't put it inside a humid-hide but rather in a drier spot of the enclosure.
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Excellent, thanks. I can pile a little up in a corner for her. She is in a custom made open top table that I built. So nothing too humid. But our house is always warm and she gets daily soaks. Here is what I made ( don't want to highjack your thread!)
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Highjack away! I love the painted hideout, it looks like a secret base!
Btw: Is that a coil-type uv-bulb? I do not have any firsthand experience as I don't use any uv-ligts, but I've heard several times on here that they might cause eye problems. Maybe you could check with some of the experienced people here.
Btw: Is that a coil-type uv-bulb? I do not have any firsthand experience as I don't use any uv-ligts, but I've heard several times on here that they might cause eye problems. Maybe you could check with some of the experienced people here.
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Thanks. I am a chef to trade so it was quite an achievement! Yeah, it is a coil bulb unfortunately. I don't have it on too much, but will be replacing it. She gets a lot of her calcium from powder. Obviously needs sunlight too. But as seems to be the case, the coil was the bulb recommended to me
AW: Peter's thread
I had a lot of help with building the enclosure, especially from my dad (but of course he had stuff to do when it was time to lug around the stones for the "paths"). There's lots of confusing infos out there and we're all still learning. For me this year has been a major crash course in proper tortoise keeping as well, but I am proud of what we have achieved.
I had a lot of help with building the enclosure, especially from my dad (but of course he had stuff to do when it was time to lug around the stones for the "paths"
). There's lots of confusing infos out there and we're all still learning. For me this year has been a major crash course in proper tortoise keeping as well, but I am proud of what we have achieved.
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Absolutely. I studied for months about tortoise keeping, with the intention of buying one. However I was lucky to get the chance to re home peaches so she didn't cost anything! And with the custom made enclosure I've saved a few pennies along the way. I've only had her 8 months but I am on here every day and read what I can to get further knowledge. After all, we are looking after live animals, and we want them to have a long and healthy life!!
StuMac said:Thanks. I am a chef to trade so it was quite an achievement! Yeah, it is a coil bulb unfortunately. I don't have it on too much, but will be replacing it. She gets a lot of her calcium from powder. Obviously needs sunlight too. But as seems to be the case, the coil was the bulb recommended to me
She'll need the UV, in conjunction with the calcium powder, to utilize the calcium, but get a tube-type, about the same length as the walking area.
I, too, like the hide-box!
