ShirleyTX
Active Member
Note: Unlike most tortoise species, Egyptian tortoises are housed on primarily inorganic material. Please be calm when you see (the recommended) white oyster shell substrate in my photos!!
I thought I would share this photo of Sunshine's behind. This is mostly what I have been looking at the past three days. Good thing her behind is so darn cute. She is two years old and arrived three days ago.
Aside from moving to get herself as far into that pot as possible, she is mostly motionless. @HermanniChris tells me this is common at this time of year for the t. kleinmanni.
Aestivation? Dormancy resulting from hot arid environments and commonly practiced in the wild..... Even though her enclosure temps are by the book, according to the care sheet here as well as what I've learned from @HermanniChris. (Ambient 75-85 F, three basking spots 106F, 100F, 97F.) The RH is gradient as well, as high as 70RH in the morning with the mister decreasing to the warm end where the humidity is 28-38RH depending on the ambient temp. I've noticed that the room temperature is an easy (but probably expensive!) way to alter all the temperatures up and down.
It's only her third day. I should relax. Let her hide. She probably thinks I'm going to eat her. Overthinking as usual. Right?
PS That is dry timothy hay you see. I'm leary of it but wanted her to feel like she is hiding in grass. I'm checking it frequently, smelling it, feeling for moisture, etc. Thoughts?
I thought I would share this photo of Sunshine's behind. This is mostly what I have been looking at the past three days. Good thing her behind is so darn cute. She is two years old and arrived three days ago.
Aside from moving to get herself as far into that pot as possible, she is mostly motionless. @HermanniChris tells me this is common at this time of year for the t. kleinmanni.
Aestivation? Dormancy resulting from hot arid environments and commonly practiced in the wild..... Even though her enclosure temps are by the book, according to the care sheet here as well as what I've learned from @HermanniChris. (Ambient 75-85 F, three basking spots 106F, 100F, 97F.) The RH is gradient as well, as high as 70RH in the morning with the mister decreasing to the warm end where the humidity is 28-38RH depending on the ambient temp. I've noticed that the room temperature is an easy (but probably expensive!) way to alter all the temperatures up and down.
It's only her third day. I should relax. Let her hide. She probably thinks I'm going to eat her. Overthinking as usual. Right?
PS That is dry timothy hay you see. I'm leary of it but wanted her to feel like she is hiding in grass. I'm checking it frequently, smelling it, feeling for moisture, etc. Thoughts?