three questions

[Stitchpunk]

1) At what ages does a hatchling become a juvenile and a juvenile become an adult?

2)Is it possible to attach things to a tortoise's shell without causing them any discomfort? I'm thinking about those "I just turned my back for a minute and the tortoise had disappeared" stories and it made me wonder if one could, for instance, attach something like a suction cup (temporarily, obviously) and put a flag on a pole into it so the tortoise could be easily found? Like those whippy flags kids had on the back of their bicycles in the 1970s. (yes, I'm being whimsical. But I'm genuinely curious.)

3) I want to start a long term thread where I can document the process of becoming owned by a tortoise, with information relevant to NZ - just so that the next Kiwi who comes along doesn't have to do as much research as I am and doesn't spend ages looking for things like readymade tortoise tables and tortoise food that you just can't get here. Would that be ok, and if so, where should I put it? Regional?

 

[Lyn W]

Hi
1. I'm not sure about your first question - my tort was 3 + when I got him.
2.Tort's shells are sensitive to touch so they do feel things.
I would imagine that something like a flag could get knocked off under bushes etc.
Some people mark the shells with some sort of harmless paint but that spoils the natural beauty of it and again wouldn't help if he was in a planted area.
Is he not in a secure enclosure? When he is outdoors you will need to make sure he doesn't just get lost, but is safe from predators including birds that may pick him up.
3.I think the regional thread would be a good place for information relating specifically to NZ.
Although lot of the info on torts is common to all parts of the world.

 

[jaizei]

1. Pretty much arbitrary.
2. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/levis-new-tracking-system.97082/
3. Regional is fine. Once you make it, we can always move it to a different forum if you'd like.

 

[Stitchpunk]

Hi
1. I'm not sure about your first question - my tort was 3 + when I got him.
2.Tort's shells are sensitive to touch so they do feel things.
I would imagine that something like a flag could get knocked off under bushes etc.
Some people mark the shells with some sort of harmless paint but that spoils the natural beauty of it and again wouldn't help if he was in a planted area.
Is he not in a secure enclosure? When he is outdoors you will need to make sure he doesn't just get lost, but is safe from predators including birds that may pick him up.
3.I think the regional thread would be a good place for information relating specifically to NZ.
Although lot of the info on torts is common to all parts of the world.

I don't get my tortoise till April, and he will have secure indoor and outdoor enclosures - I was just pondering
The general care info is common to everywhere, but the things I'm doing include figuring out where to get tortoises from in NZ, which of the tortoise-safe plants are readily available here, lighting and substrate options (we don't have access to some of the products you do in the US and UK), AND *sigh* converting Fahrenheit to celsius, inches to cm, pounds to kg. aka REAL measurements, not those weird made up things that Americans use!

 

[Stitchpunk]

1. Pretty much arbitrary.
2. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/levis-new-tracking-system.97082/
3. Regional is fine. Once you make it, we can always move it to a different forum if you'd like.

That bow is fabulous! Hmmm. As a knitter I may be compelled to knit some kind of hi-viz tortoise coat...

 

[W Shaw]

1) At what ages does a hatchling become a juvenile and a juvenile become an adult?

2)Is it possible to attach things to a tortoise's shell without causing them any discomfort? I'm thinking about those "I just turned my back for a minute and the tortoise had disappeared" stories and it made me wonder if one could, for instance, attach something like a suction cup (temporarily, obviously) and put a flag on a pole into it so the tortoise could be easily found? Like those whippy flags kids had on the back of their bicycles in the 1970s. (yes, I'm being whimsical. But I'm genuinely curious.)

3) I want to start a long term thread where I can document the process of becoming owned by a tortoise, with information relevant to NZ - just so that the next Kiwi who comes along doesn't have to do as much research as I am and doesn't spend ages looking for things like readymade tortoise tables and tortoise food that you just can't get here. Would that be ok, and if so, where should I put it? Regional?

There's a woman who crochets what she calls "yard finders" -- soft, stretchy bands that slip around a tortoise's shell like a little tortoise sweater and have something bright standing up (stegasaurus plates, shark fin...) so the tortoise is more visible in the grass.

 

[Lyn W]

I don't get my tortoise till April, and he will have secure indoor and outdoor enclosures - I was just pondering
The general care info is common to everywhere, but the things I'm doing include figuring out where to get tortoises from in NZ, which of the tortoise-safe plants are readily available here, lighting and substrate options (we don't have access to some of the products you do in the US and UK), AND *sigh* converting Fahrenheit to celsius, inches to cm, pounds to kg. aka REAL measurements, not those weird made up things that Americans use!

I must admit we have been metric now in the UK for many years but we all still use the old imperial units.
We measure in cm and m yet distances on roads are still in miles. Old habits die hard here!

 

[Stitchpunk]

There's a woman who crochets what she calls "yard finders" -- soft, stretchy bands that slip around a tortoise's shell like a little tortoise sweater and have something bright standing up (stegasaurus plates, shark fin...) so the tortoise is more visible in the grass.

That sounds like an excellent idea! Shark fin. Rampaging t-rex. a TARDIS. 4 elephants carrying a tiny Discworld. Oooooh the possibilities....

 

[Tom]

1) At what ages does a hatchling become a juvenile and a juvenile become an adult?

2)Is it possible to attach things to a tortoise's shell without causing them any discomfort? I'm thinking about those "I just turned my back for a minute and the tortoise had disappeared" stories and it made me wonder if one could, for instance, attach something like a suction cup (temporarily, obviously) and put a flag on a pole into it so the tortoise could be easily found? Like those whippy flags kids had on the back of their bicycles in the 1970s. (yes, I'm being whimsical. But I'm genuinely curious.)

3) I want to start a long term thread where I can document the process of becoming owned by a tortoise, with information relevant to NZ - just so that the next Kiwi who comes along doesn't have to do as much research as I am and doesn't spend ages looking for things like readymade tortoise tables and tortoise food that you just can't get here. Would that be ok, and if so, where should I put it? Regional?

1. There is no set scientifically accepted standard, but here is how I break it down:
Hatchling = The day they hatch until the egg tooth is gone.
Baby = From the time they lose their egg tooth until one year.
Yearling = From one year to two years.
Juvenile = From two years until they reach breeding size (varies by species).
Sub-adult = Breeding size, but still small for the species. For example, a 14-15" male sulcata.
Adult = Full size mature animal.

2. The solution to this problem is to not turn them loose. Put them in a safe, escape proof enclosure.

3. What jaizei said.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Ask us your questions also. We are here to help your tortoise and you to take better care of him...so welcome and ask away. What species?

 

[Jodie]

I lose my small tortoises ALL the time in their secure enclosure. My husband, I and my kids spent hours last year looking for 1 tortoise or the other. I have contemplated several options, and reject them all as unnatural for the tortoise. You will learn the common hiding spots. It helps to get them before they settle in for night. As long as the enclosure is secure though, they always come out when the sun comes up the next day. Happy tortoising.

 

[Stitchpunk]

Ask us your questions also. We are here to help your tortoise and you to take better care of him...so welcome and ask away. What species?

greek spur thigh. My Significant other would rather we were getting something bigger, so that he "won't stand on it" (EEEEEK! Another good reason not to let a tortoise wander around outside the enclosure). But sulcatas and the like aren't available here from what I can tell. Greek, Hermanns and box seems to be about it.

 

[teresaf]

I lose my small tortoises ALL the time in their secure enclosure. My husband, I and my kids spent hours last year looking for 1 tortoise or the other. I have contemplated several options, and reject them all as unnatural for the tortoise. You will learn the common hiding spots. It helps to get them before they settle in for night. As long as the enclosure is secure though, they always come out when the sun comes up the next day. Happy tortoising.

how about a spot or two of glow in the dark paint on the middle of some of the chutes? you may have to wait until a little after dark to see them....

 

[WithLisa]

2)Is it possible to attach things to a tortoise's shell without causing them any discomfort? I'm thinking about those "I just turned my back for a minute and the tortoise had disappeared" stories and it made me wonder if one could, for instance, attach something like a suction cup (temporarily, obviously) and put a flag on a pole into it so the tortoise could be easily found?

I've never tried it myself, but I heard some people tape a piece of tinfoil on the shell and use a metal detecting device. Sounds like an interesting idea to me.

 

[Jodie]

how about a spot or two of glow in the dark paint on the middle of some of the chutes? you may have to wait until a little after dark to see them....

Except my Russians will completely bury themselves. We have had to dig several inches to find them. My husband is really good at finding the loose dirt spots thankfully.

 

[Jodie]

I've never tried it myself, but I heard some people tape a piece of tinfoil on the shell and use a metal detecting device. Sounds like an interesting idea to me.

We considered this. I don't think tape would hold up though, and gluing it on just doesn't please me. All the trials and tribulations of tortoises.

 

[WithLisa]

We considered this. I don't think tape would hold up though, and gluing it on just doesn't please me. All the trials and tribulations of tortoises.

When I was a child we used to mark our torts with small pieces of band-aid on the backside and I think we had to replace it only every 2-3 weeks, but I guess it depends on the substrate, humidity,...

 

[Big Charlie]

I don't get my tortoise till April, and he will have secure indoor and outdoor enclosures - I was just pondering
The general care info is common to everywhere, but the things I'm doing include figuring out where to get tortoises from in NZ, which of the tortoise-safe plants are readily available here, lighting and substrate options (we don't have access to some of the products you do in the US and UK), AND *sigh* converting Fahrenheit to celsius, inches to cm, pounds to kg. aka REAL measurements, not those weird made up things that Americans use!

When I got my temperature controller I had a heck of a time trying to convert it to Fahrenheit! It defaults to Celsius. There is a Fahrenheit option but it wasn't easy to get to.

 

[Yvonne G]

When I got my temperature controller I had a heck of a time trying to convert it to Fahrenheit! It defaults to Celsius. There is a Fahrenheit option but it wasn't easy to get to.

Well, I'm too old to change. Even my news stations report our weather in fahrenheit. Whenever one of our members asks a question including celsius I have to go to Google and get a conversion.

 

[Stitchpunk]

When I got my temperature controller I had a heck of a time trying to convert it to Fahrenheit! It defaults to Celsius. There is a Fahrenheit option but it wasn't easy to get to.

I have a conversion app on my phone because I'm forever having to run the numbers, whether it's F to C or yards to metres for knitting patterns. I'm pretty used to it, but I did smile when I read your post. Revenge is sweet!