Search results

Thank you for your kind words and support!

Koulouri has passed today. He went to his hide after morning basking and a few hours later I have found him dead with open mouth and rigid body. We have buried him under a small orange tree. At least, he didn't end his life as a cats toy and he is not numb and not in pain now. It was a great...

Thank you! I won't release him back. The recovery will take a long time (and I doubt he will fully recover). Also, I don't want him to carry any diseases back in the wild (like it happened with Gopher tortoises for example). So he will stay as long as he wills to live. I'll see if veterinary...

A small update on Koulouri: 1. He's still alive. That's good. 2. Back legs are still not working, that confusing him and he flips on his back when climbing up or down. 3. During a soak I've seen single "seizure-like" movements of back legs. Also, when I gently poke his back I see legs movement...

Hello! Looks fine to me. Did you hand-packed it? This helps to retain moisture and prevents mess. In fact, hygrometer should tell you if you need it more dry or damp. He needs a larger water dish by the way - 1.5-2 times more then he is. Terracotta saucers from a gardening store (underpot...

Hello! To me it looks fine. But Tom can tell you better. Just a few tweaks, maybe: 1. I would not pour water every day. You don't need a bog in the substrate. It should moist but no standing water there. You can add water in the basking area, though - under the heat lamps substrate dries out...

Hello! Most "full spectrum" plant grow LED strips are actually an assembly of red, blue and other colored LEDs. Cheaper bars use low density LED placement which results in non-perfect color blend and may affect tortoise color vision. You have to use either common (non-grow) LEDs for human...

Yes, coco peat is fine. Jaizei explained the meanings of "coco coir" and "coco peat" better than I did.

Questions are welcome! Perhaps, you are right: the water color has changed from pee and it can be darker after eating some plants or flowers like dandelions.

Oh, poor guy... On these photos it is seen clearly what is the problem. @Yvonne G @zovick Can you advise what to do? Can we use nail clippers to cut a part of lower beak ("the tooth")?

Don't spray the substrate. I see no benefits. Regular soaks, high humidity environment and a water dish for taking baths when she wants - it's enough hydration. You may do a substrate "turn over" from time to time to keep it from becoming dusty. Also it gives a humidity boost without adding...

Hello! Probably, everything you need is described in this post: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/ In short, perhaps your sulcata is too young for the hay and his current diet needs some changes to make the transition to grass and hay smooth.

You can also try another app, like Flora Incognita to double check. We also have a section on the forum called "Plant Identification" specially for questions on plant ID/safety. One of the safest options is to grow your own plants (there are special tortoise seed mixes) to supplement grocery...

Great finding! (I'm bad at plant IDing, so can't say if it's really a Coreopsis). Just a word of warning about gathering plants - sometimes in public places (like parks) they can be treated with pesticides. You can ask the park management or municipality if they use something like this.

Yes, coco peat is fine. It's basically the same thing. I suppose, "coco coir" is just a common name for it in US. For a 8 months old tortoise you can use just coco peat. Don't forget to hand-pack it :) At 8 months it is early to tell the sex reliably. If you can post a photo of its tail we...

Yes, of course, you can ask here! There are a few basics to choose the right greens: 1. Toxicity - generally, if it is safe for human consumption then it's safe for a tortoise. 2. Calcium to Phosphorus ratio (can be found on many "healthy foods" sites or in food lists compiled for other...

Hello! Yes, arugula, rocket and ruccola are the same. You may add it on some days for variety instead of kale. Maybe you can list some local plants sold in shops? There are many foods missing from The Tortoise Table but good for tortoises like drumstick (moringa) leaves. Also can you get...

Hi! The links were posted above - https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/hello.214771/#post-2119258

Hello! Yes, they definitely need some places to hide. 1. Plan an enclosure so there are a shady and a bright lit areas. Simply put: install UVB and basking spot lamp over one half of the enclosure and shift ambient lights closer to them. For a long enclosure you can mount everything in the...

@EddieMaher This thread is from 2017, probable too late for questions...