JessKeen
Member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2016
- Messages
- 27
This thread is for updates on my new redfoot Morty, my six-year-old calls him Morty the Torty. It was inspired by Spud's adorable thread.
I've had Morty for almost a week now, and he is way cooler than I anticipated. He seems to be feeling pretty good, his poop is getting more normal looking and the slight whistle to his breath is almost completely gone, I can only hear it slightly when he takes those big sniffy breaths that puff out his throat. His eyes are also brighter and less watery.
We are learning lots about each other, he is so much fun to watch, and he seems to like watching me too! His hobbies include muddying fresh water, napping on his favorite plant (golden oregano ground cover, especially when freshly watered), marching along the perimeter to check for gaps in the defenses, and resting on a warm human lap while receiving shell and head rubs. The last one came about a few days ago when I sat on the floor in front of his indoor enclosure to spray it down. He climbed out onto my knee and laid there for 20 minutes getting rubs until I put him back in. He is also a nosy little guy and scurries over to get in my way if I'm messing with something in his enclosures.
He is really picky about greens, so I am chopping them fine and mixing them with finely chopped flowers and overripe fruit from the yard, and that seems to be working. I also offer him exclusively greens now and then to try to conquer his pickiness with hunger. His outdoor enclosure is planted with safe but not-yummy plants like herbs and grasses, but also has mallow, dandelion, plantain, chicory, echinacea, and clover, none of which he currently recognizes as food. My hope is that the plants will get big and strong while he is rejecting them, and will be better able to handle his munchings later on if/when he decides to graze.
He is remarkably difficult to photograph for a slower-moving critter. I think because he is so dark it's hard to get a photo that shows how pretty he is, unless he is in his outdoor enclosure. I'll attach a few of my favorites, and one for size reference so we can watch him grow. <3
I've had Morty for almost a week now, and he is way cooler than I anticipated. He seems to be feeling pretty good, his poop is getting more normal looking and the slight whistle to his breath is almost completely gone, I can only hear it slightly when he takes those big sniffy breaths that puff out his throat. His eyes are also brighter and less watery.
We are learning lots about each other, he is so much fun to watch, and he seems to like watching me too! His hobbies include muddying fresh water, napping on his favorite plant (golden oregano ground cover, especially when freshly watered), marching along the perimeter to check for gaps in the defenses, and resting on a warm human lap while receiving shell and head rubs. The last one came about a few days ago when I sat on the floor in front of his indoor enclosure to spray it down. He climbed out onto my knee and laid there for 20 minutes getting rubs until I put him back in. He is also a nosy little guy and scurries over to get in my way if I'm messing with something in his enclosures.
He is really picky about greens, so I am chopping them fine and mixing them with finely chopped flowers and overripe fruit from the yard, and that seems to be working. I also offer him exclusively greens now and then to try to conquer his pickiness with hunger. His outdoor enclosure is planted with safe but not-yummy plants like herbs and grasses, but also has mallow, dandelion, plantain, chicory, echinacea, and clover, none of which he currently recognizes as food. My hope is that the plants will get big and strong while he is rejecting them, and will be better able to handle his munchings later on if/when he decides to graze.
He is remarkably difficult to photograph for a slower-moving critter. I think because he is so dark it's hard to get a photo that shows how pretty he is, unless he is in his outdoor enclosure. I'll attach a few of my favorites, and one for size reference so we can watch him grow. <3
