Eggbert has moved outside, and I have a tort table that could hopefully help some other little tort... It comes with a hanging light fixture with a combo uv/heat bulb that was only used for a month. Only catch is you will need to pick it up.
Seems I can't post pictures here, but if you do a...
The plant is a globe mallow. It grew very large over the winter and does a nice job of hiding the entrance to Eggbert's burrow. Eggbert will eat the leaves, but prefers the abundant orange flowers it produces.
It's currently 72 degrees in the shade in the back yard, and Eggbert has emerged. He didn't see his shadow thus spring must be here... I'm in north Phoenix, and am hoping the warm temperatures are here to stay...
It seems Eggbert is preparing to hibernate. Eating has stopped, and the plants have been recovering. Eggbert's adventures out of her/his burrows have become less frequent, and I am going to take advantage of this time to sew dandelion and plantain seeds for spring feeding. Here are some pictures...
Thanks Candy! All of the plants in Eggbert's home are edible. Favorites include the hybiscus, elephant food, angelita daisies, evening primrose, portulaca (sparingly--it's like tortoise crack!), and desert honeysuckle.
Eggbert refuses to try the gama or deer grasses??
Since the enclosure...
Sorry to take so long in responding... I am a 6th grade teacher, and the school year began with a bang! :)
I did not construct Eggbert's home--we hired http://www.desertgardensnursery.com/ to design and install. They took out half of the lawn and also planted a desert scape. The large...
Thanks for all of your kind comments! The lawn was previously 30' x 30', and this was meant to cut down on the watering bills... We'll need a couple months to pass to recoup costs... *smirk*
The "finished" product isn't quite finished--there are still several trips to find grasses and other...
Thank you for providing me with further insight. I have attached a picture of the plants growing in my yard.
Currently, Eggbert is living in his/her tortoise table, but I am in the works of sectioning off a portion of the backyard for her/his outdoor enclosure. These daisies are not watered...
My yard is overrun with Angelita Daisy (Hymenoxys acaulis) and I am trying to figure out if my DT may eat it.
I have done extensive searches to determine whether or not this plant is poisonous and have not had any luck.
Any feedback would be greatly welcomed!
Thanks!
Wow! I just popped in here and couldn't believe the conversation going on regarding Eggbert.
Crazy1 did post my original explanation given when I first joined the forum.
I have been assured the father was a Sulcata who was MUCH bigger than the mother. Their desert tortoise hibernates...
CGKeith--Thank you for the advice on the Power Sun bulb. I found one at a feed store just up the street from my home.
mtdavis--I have learned to never trust the salespeople at the local mega-hardware stores for advice. In depth research has always proven more valuable. :)
evin--The...
I went to the local mega hardware store and purchased a piece of pine plywood 2'x4' and two pine planks 1' x 10" x 6. With the aid of my battery operated skill saw I was able to throw together a bookcase looking enclosure in about 2 hours. The enclosure was stained with a water-based sealant...
Itort,
I spoke with my friends and they did have a herpetologist come to their house after they arrived home to find their patio a mess due to their female digging a nest next to it.
The story...
They have had their female desert tortoise for about 10 years and are unsure of her age...
Thanks for the warm welcome! I am going to speak to my friends and find out as much as possible about Eggbert's parents. I'll report back.
Thanks again!
Derek