Recent content by P Birch

This precisely describes my experience keeping a single male Russian tortoise in central New York State...but I hope to avoid cult membership! I'll take the "weed purist" label! This is an interesting topic. I am where I am owing to my circumstances, not dogma. A gardener first, the tortoise...

1. New York requires permits for native turtle species, which would offer a hoop to jump through for eastern box turtles, which are native to the southeastern part of the state. Just something to be aware of. Perhaps a 3-toed box turtle would be something to consider? 2. A search for...

Greetings. I also live in Upstate NY. As you know there's a lot of NY beyond NYC! I have had an adult male Russian tortoise living continuously outside since the day we got him (July 2024, Craigslist). In terms of USDA hardiness zones, we're a 5b. He's thriving in a 12' X 16' outdoor...

I definitely agree with the above. Maximizing what your situation allows would be something you would not regret. I'm entering Year 3 with a single male Russian tortoise. The enclosure is irregularly shaped, but roughly 12' X 16'. He's a rambling man and every bit of that space is used...

That represents a lot of work and it looks fantastic. I'd enjoy seeing it again after the next phases are complete, as well as any more description of the shallow pond you're looking to make. There's a lot of value in seeing such a project--thanks!

Katie, your nuanced response, info, and photos (what a great scene!) are instructive and much appreciated. I will make use of this information in the spring. Thank you! I feel like creating microclimate diversity within the enclosure is really important; any tactics you can add to your...

This perspective is quite useful; thank you.

I appreciate your response and perspective on that. Getting sunlight to ground level certainly feels key within my context; within my southern-facing enclosure nothing "tall" grows on the southern half of it. A Virginia rose (Rosa virginiana) and beach plum (Prunus maritima...fruit eaten by...

Greetings. Our Russian tortoise just passed through his second summer and fall in this enclosure. I return to this topic in hopes of eliciting feedback on the "vegetation management" aspect of my original post, as I frequently considered this over the course of the growing season. In a...

Greetings! The "landscaping" phase can be quite enjoyable. A few thoughts, for whatever they're worth: 1. The bigger the better for the enclosure. There's value in area for area's sake, as tortoises are ramblers and the ability to indulge that is healthy. Rocks and driftwood / logs can...

Greetings! I wouldn't let a tortoise venture around your home. My concern would be for the tortoise more than the humans! Lots could go wrong there. Young tortoises are regularly soaked for hydration purposes: lots of information is available on this site regarding this topic. I am not...

For whatever it's worth... My long-established patch of highly thorny eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa...totally hardy in USDA zone 5) needed to be reigned in a couple years ago. Armed with gloves and tongs and a pitchfork, abundant pads went into one of my two compost bays. Over the...

Great looking turtles there!

Very interesting! Based on the photos, does anybody else see the carapace as "longer" as opposed to more "circular"? That distinction is often made with regards to differentiating some of the subspecies, but I don't always notice any difference. I think I do here.

That's an interesting anecdote, speaking to this theme. I will have to look into The Crying Tortoise. Today our tortoise was behaving just as he did in May. In central Asia on August 8, he'd be 2 months into aestivation. 22' burrows! What an endeavor.