I ordered my orchid bark (Doug fir) from amazon, and Ripple doesn’t seem to mind it. Though she does “burrow” (more move it out of the way) in the bark in both of her hides so her plastron is only touching coconut coir when she sleeps (which is most of the time since she’s still a baby).
Here’s...
Her hide is typically in the 90s. It is almost directly beneath her CHE. Maybe she hasn’t learned to seek relief from the heat on the other side of the enclosure yet. Should I move the hide?
I ordered some orchid bark. It’s on the way.
Thanks,
-c
Oh okay that’s good to know. I will turn the thermostat up some in that case. Seeing temps in the 90s was causing my head to spin. Glad it’s normal. She spends most of her time underneath her hide that is nearby the CHE though. Should I maybe move this hide so she isn’t spending too much time in...
Hi there tortoise peeps!
I would just like to begin by saying thank you to the many members (you know who you are) who were so very helpful in the creation and fine tuning of my enclosure. Ripple seems to be adjusting well. I’ve had her for a couple of weeks now, and she is just beginning to...
Thanks y’all!
I dug out the sediment beneath the water dish and packed it down to be almost level with the coconut coir. I also ordered a new terracotta saucer on amazon that should be here in a couple days. I’m going to keep the pet store dish because it looks cool, and I’ll add the saucer, as...
Thanks everyone for the tips and advice! I feel better knowing that other people have had similar issues. I appreciate you all sharing your experiences, and it sounds like there are some cool tortoises and a wealth of tortoise knowledge here in this thread!
Tortoise (calling her Tortoise til I...
What’s up chelonian peeps!?
I just got my “female” tortoise today via FedEx from an online pet delivery service. I was nervous about having “her” shipped, but I couldn’t find any cherry heads in my area. I know it isn’t ideal, but the current enclosure is a terrarium (closed chamber) with duct...
My first tortoise is a Cherry Head. “She” doesn’t have a name yet, and I just got her today. She came from Back Water Reptiles. Obviously I still have her.
I am fairly pleased with her setup, though this is her temporary enclosure. I plan to move her to something bigger in the next 3 - 5...
I wouldn’t be so sure. Though it is definitely not an exact science yet, skeletochronology is a science with great promise for the future of chelonians. Though I am not as well versed in tortoises, I do have experience researching sea turtles, and I can definitely say that some papers have come...
Thanks Taylor and Yvonne! These look and sound like amazing bulbs and fixtures that I will probably be buying down the road when I build tort's permanent enclosure. However, unless I read something substantially scientific, I think I am going to take my chances and use the bulb I've got and...
Thanks everyone for all the input! I have definitely read mixed reviews about bulbs, and I think that I’m just going to take my chances with this one. I used it to start a couple of pots of jalapeño plants, which worked well, so I definitely know it’s putting out enough good stuff that my tort...
I have this bulb (not 150w, but 150 something [?]). Says it is a desert bulb but I also read that it is okay to use with forest species as long as the light fixture has a cover.
Thanks,
-c
Thanks everyone!
Something I forgot to mention is that there is heating cable beneath the floor of the terrarium (don’t worry, it’s on the outside!)...
I plan to remove the cardboard and the heat emitter bulb. I let them run for a few hours and tested them again, and the hottest spot I...
Hi there,
I just wanted to put a post up with a picture of my artificial habitat that is for a redfoot hatchling. I am waiting for a couple of bulbs that I ordered, but I think that almost everything else is in place. I do have a strawberry plant and an aloe plant that I would like to add to...
Great! Thanks for the information everyone. I will be sure to get with a breeder about getting an egg. Y’all please feel free to chime in with anymore tips and advice :tort: