Recent content by johnsonnboswell

  1. J

    Help: Russian tortoise drop in activity and appitite

    Experiment. It may be too hot. Raise the lamp & see what happens.
  2. J

    Hermann's enclosure

    You should start your own thread instead of piggybacking on someone else's. You'll get a better response. 2' is a little narrow, but it would work.
  3. J

    Hibernating Paints outside

    Don't add mud. Decaying vegetation forms something special. It's very soft and doesn't compact. That's the stuff you need at the bottom, the stuff that forms naturally when you have plants in the pond. The winter I lost all my goldfish was the year I cleaned the pond. Last year the fish...
  4. J

    Can I keep a box turtle on my porch?

    He won't be able to live on the porch in the winter
  5. J

    Hibernating Paints outside

    Your pond should be below the frost line with a layer of muck at the bottom for aquatic turtles to hibernate safely.
  6. J

    Do dessert tortoises go to Heaven?

    After the Flood, God made a covenant with Noah, and also a covenant with the animals. So it's hard to conceive of a heaven without animals.
  7. J

    Russian Tortoise Shell

    Looks like growth lines to me. Anyone else? That substrate needs to be replaced with something that holds moisture. Coconut coir is a good choice. No wood chips are okay, and cedar (Is that cedar?) is particularly bad. Don't you hate it when you think you have a problem but you don't have the...
  8. J

    Can I keep a box turtle on my porch?

    An animal that is new to you should not hibernate its first year. It's too dangerous. Any health issues can become fatal. The prep for hibernation- good food- should have started months ago.
  9. J

    mint+russain tortoise=?

    There is nothing wrong with your tortoise preferring weeds. There are, however, many choices of weeds and flowers to add variety. The grocery store sells a lot of good ones, too. Romaine is like crack. Tortoises love it and become picky eaters. Cut it up and mix it into other foods. Gradually...
  10. J

    Asian box turtle

    It's a native turtle, a cuora amboinensis. Semi aquatic. Best to let her go. The species is threatened, and considered vulnerable in your country. I don't see the point in taking her to a vet. A tub would be better than an aquarium. She needs both land and water. Water area should be as...
  11. J

    Tortoise travelling on train?!

    It's going to be cold. There is a microwavable disk that works, but you won't be able to recharge it. Hot water bottles can be refilled from any tap. Plastic bottles work fine, or you can use a dedicated hot water bottle.
  12. J

    Can I keep a box turtle on my porch?

    How about a small outdoor habitat, say 5 feet square? That's really the minimum. 6x12 would be better. Boxies are small, but they are active
  13. J

    why not to use timothy hay for a substrate

    weeds make the best food.
  14. J

    Is My Tort Feeling Lonely?

    Things turn on a dime. Everything seems fine and then suddenly it isn't. It's the old joke about the guy falling off the empire state building. He passes the 15th floor and another guy asks him how it's going. He answers, it's alright so far. So, it is interesting that the system (in general...
  15. J

    Is My Tort Feeling Lonely?

    No, you need to rethink here. Oli does not like his indoor environment, it does not suit him. He is not lonely and calcium won't help.
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