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Olive doesn't even attempt to visit hide when something frightens her... she'll run back & forth in the habitat, even climbing over plants, but never into the Petmate shell. I may try placing her there after tomorrow's soak. Oh, that's cool... my little tort is a gourmand! But seriously, Olive...

We've decided to cancel Olive's appointment on Friday. I've been convinced to resume her soaks (which she had as <4.5" hatchling), and tomorrow will be the 1st day. We'll make a new appointment in a few weeks-month... whenever she adjusts to new routine. Little tort is eating & pooping like a...

Thankfully, our herps-vet didn't make any quack recommendations for my box turtle ("Sunshine"). That visit just ran especially long because she enjoyed the interaction. My family tends to assume that our pets (even immature rescues) are female, simply because the majority have been. Not...

Most definitely not... I've seen enough horror stories about "vitamin injections" on this forum! We'll ask many, many questions when the time comes. Our herps-vet is pretty knowledgeable, but turtles/torts are not the majority of her patients. We'd have to visit state capital (Little Rock), or...

I was reluctant to handle Olive before she was fully acclimated to new habitat. Like most young Aldabras, she's rather timid. Other family members have seen her in water dish, but couldn't say how long she lingered there. Based on feedback here, I think we're going to begin soaking her (in tub...

UPDATE: Hi folks... ~2 weeks have passed since a little Aldabra joined our family. We are going to assume that she's female until proven otherwise, at which point "Olive" will become "Oliver". ♀️ ♂️ Olive seems to enjoy her enclosure... alternately grazing and napping beneath the LED bars. She...

Thanks! I don't believe her shell is pyramiding; the position of LumenIZE bars overhead just makes it appear so in pictures. Under different light conditions, we only see normal growth rings. Either way, I'm watching humidity & temp with Sensorpush app. 📡

Yes, we did. She arrived in multiple layers of protection... cheesecloth, Styrofoam, straw and cardboard. I was nervous about live shipment via FedEx, given past experiences with home delivery, but employees at their 'Ship Center were more professional. Little tortoise was completely unfazed by...

@COmtnLady It took longer than expected, but we finally have the little Aldabra.

UPDATE: My tortoise has finally arrived! The little one is very rambunctious and shows a healthy appetite (for grass, herbs and Mazuri pellets). She (?) had ~5h to explore the enclosure before nightfall and fell asleep next to sedge clumps. It's fun to watch from our kitchen table. 🍿 We have...

UPDATE: This enclosure is ready for a new tenant. I hung two spider plants from LumenIZE chain and scattered grass seed (African grazer mix) over the substrate. We also have some herbs (mint, cilantro, thyme) and self heal to add. 👨‍🌾

I'm convinced, thanks. We're going to use some unglazed Pennington brand saucers.

I couldn't remove the protective mesh (because of how temperature probe is mounted), but I did reduce lamp runtime & intensity somewhat. The basking lamp runs between 6am - noon. The UVB and LED bars have initial 3% brightness (at 5am), building to 100% brightness (at noon), then gradual fade...

I spent the whole afternoon programming a gradual day/night cycle. The presets are way too abrupt.

If I remember correctly, unglazed terra cotta is porous and difficult.to sterilize. While human food safety guidelines may not be strictly applicable here, I generally scrub pet bowls every day. Some are textured plastic, and more difficult to clean (less slippery though). I'm also worried...

UPDATE: Opening day is nearly here! The enclosure is undergoing a final shakedown before its future occupant arrives (FRI or SAT). All hardware is working as intended, though ambient temperatures are (85F in the hide) if basking lamp runs for 8+ hours. We could address this in several ways...

UPDATE: The enclosure is basically finished now. All hardware, substrate and rocks are in place; some plants will be added this weekend (I had to order small hanging pots from Amazon). I'm also searching for a hollow log (preferably natural) to put in vacant space of rear LH quadrant. We still...

(Belated) happy cakeday! 🎂

UPDATE: Our replacement heat panel arrived last Friday. Unfortunately, the packaging was identical to first unit (ie: no Styrofoam or bubble wrap). One corner of RHP frame was slightly warped, but I was able to correct this with a small rubber mallet. This device seems to be functional and very...

UPDATE: I've fallen behind schedule, thanks to heat and holiday plans, but should have this enclosure finished by next week. We finally settled on a repurposed doghouse as best interim hide. Only the upper half (not floor) will be needed indoors, but that may change once lil' tort moves outside...