Recent content by maybeshoe

I guess it depends what kind of soil. My guy could easily go 6" of potting soil. I've been told Hermanns aren't supposed to dig. They hide under things. But my 4 month hatchling has burrowed from day 1.

In SoCal I worry about crows. Whatever your neighborhood obnoxious king bird is (myna bird, bluejay, mockingbird, etc) they have great eyes and see from above. I understand human development in Death Valley has brought in seagulls and they eat the native tortoise hatchlings. We have a kiddie...

Looks like the nymph stage of a jadera or red shouldered bug. When I lived in HI they came in through imported nursery plant/trees. Not bad for reptiles but they eat any sort of fruit. No fruit they may suck on stems.

Thank you! He's eating it which is great because he's kinda picky and only likes dandelions and lettuce.

But the leaves look so different. Theres a older patch and it also still has straight leaves. Variety?

Really? Does yours have the red stem with spikes? It looks perfect and it grows in an empty lot with no gardeners and far from dog walkers. Spineless opuntia...What a misnomer! Glocchids are way crueler than spines. It seems silly to remove spikes/spines/etc considering who's eating it but...

I've been waiting for them to flower but they just keep growing taller. Unlike dandelions, the leaves are wispy thin and wilt pretty fast after picking. Hoping it's a plantain herb but it grows from a single stem. Any idea? Bonus Dumb Question: For those of you that use sowthistle to feed...

We chose a Hermann because SoCal apparently shares a Mediterranean climate (though this year has been cooler and wet). Our Hermann is a 2" hatchling. No plans to hibernate it next winter. But my friend asked me if I knew how to hibernate a tortoise indoors? He raises Greeks and lives in...

The irony is when we had a yard, weeds galore. Now we try and grow weeds, they die. I've been growing out dandelion flowers to spread the seeds. And I like how Brits say 'Zebra.'

I wonder if the size of the pad or season affects the taste? Our is starting to flower. He gulped it down the first time he tried it. Now, no way. Still not sure what a "good" diet is for a Eastern Hermanns. Geography from the Peloponnesus coast looks dry. Forests, fields with mostly...

I just got that when I realized you're a Brit.

He was on the lanai eating dandelions while the kids were rearranging his garden. The broom's an old Mexican handmade one that came with the place. He only roams his tortoise table inside and a kiddie pool garden on the lanai. But even in controlled environments he can vanish. He has...

Regular. Only eats it by accident. He's outside in his kiddie pool garden. I killed one of those sprouted wheatgrass plants you can buy at the grocery store but didn't care because he never ate it. It was all dried up so I cut it to use as mulch for his garden. He's chowing down on it...

Is a diet of 75-80% dandelions ok for a Hermann? Also, isn't lettuce and kale not ideal for tortoises? Just going by Tortoise Table which I'm sure everyone is familiar with. If I tough-love a new food option, I want it to be a staple rather than a treat or moderation. Well, except opuntia...

Our hatchling Hermann is very picky. All the foods people say tortoises love go untouched. Mazuri, opuntia, flowers and even treats like cucumber or watermelon. Nope. But he/she will try to gnaw on a broom. Good news is he eats dandelions-unless we mix opuntia on it. We don't mind hiking...