Recent content by Rio_

I’m leaning toward finding some good insulation for the concrete (thanks, Yvonne), then a layer of coir/soil mix, top that with a thin layer of orchid bark (didn’t realize it is fir, which is probably why it is so expensive here, as I mentioned in my original post) to help a little with dust...

I am at a loss for what to use to cover the floor of our winter adult redfoot enclosure. It’s in our basement. Walls are lumber, and the floor is the concrete basement floor. We have used cardboard and cypress mulch in the past, but it didn’t work well. Right now it seems like the best option...

I like this! Tell us about your wood turtles!

Ours have taken experiential nibbles on our shoes and shoelaces, but so far, they have been pretty careful when eating from our hands. The male will sometimes come to sit beside us and even rest his chin on you. I’ve read an article or two about their memory and spatial intelligence, and you can...

Our male Redfoot is the same way. He’s like a slow dog, and it seems like he loves to be near people and other tortoises. Both he and the female Redfoot try to come inside whenever we open our back door. They are a lot of fun. Our leopard will eat from your hand but doesn’t pursue us every time...

Every specimen has his or her own demeanor, and keepers have different opinions about the personalities of each species. However, in my admittedly limited experience, it seems like there are a few broad tortoise personality types. If I were to categorize them, I would probably split the...

It seems like the consensus is that only a small percentage of captive-bred animals ever cross international borders to be reintroduced to the wild. On the other hand, the availability of captive bred specimens might relieve some of the pressure to collect wild specimens. So far, I have adopted...

Thank you so much for your responses. I will try other types of medication if I don’t see results.

I recently noticed an area on my Russian tortoise’s carapace / bridge that is missing part of the outermost layer. I am keeping it off substrate and keeping it clean and treated (no odor detected so far), but I would like your thoughts on whether it’s the result of a recent injury, infection, or...