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The sun has finally decided to visit us a bit in western washington. So far my redfoots haven't been able to enjoy their new outdoor enclosure much this so-called summer, but for the last few days they've been able to spend a couple hours a day there. For the longest time it had just been...

Paul and I had another crazy idea for an experiment... go figure. Tortoise eggs don't "set" for something like 48 hours after laying to the point that you can no longer move them. Maybe if they were sent next day air the morning following laying, they could survive and be incubated. This...

It seems to me that a large part of the argument for not "over-feeding" torts comes from the knowledge that they are hind gut fermenters. They can hold food for weeks and extract every last bit of energy from it. Therefore, to simulate wild conditions and allow them to utilize their hind gut...

Nice little setup and a handsome little Leo. I love the live grass, etc. Overpriced IMO, but might be worth it to somebody. http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/pet/2300507824.html

Please forgive my condescending manner here, however I see a HUGE lack of understanding in our membership of what a debate means. Used properly, it is a useful tool to explore ideas and broaden our knowledge, used improperly its a force of dissention which is what we've been seeing here for a...

Today I'm noticing a strange problem. Many of my posts haven't been going through. I type everything out, hit submit and when I come back later they're not there. Anybody else experiencing anything like this? It could be that I'm just a big idiot and not actually hitting submit, but I...

**DISCLAIMER** I'm bored and feel like debating something for my own amusement. Its been far too long since we discussed anything controversial in an adult manner. What I present here is theory, not fact and should be taken as such. This is not suggestion for new keepers, this is food for...

Never cared much before, but looking to the future I'm curious if anyone has an idea on where my two came from. Obviously northern, but beyond that I'm having trouble with the information I have at hand :) Rocky: Adrienne: Together: Thanks in advance!

Some time back Mark and I had an incredibly productive email dialog that went on for days. At the time I was studying dietary needs of redfoots in my ongoing quest to provide the absolute best of everything I can for my torts. Thanks to Tom McLellan we got our hands on DK Moskovits' "Diet and...

Wife shared a story with me that had her in tears tonight. At a local store, that shall remain nameless, with which my wife is associated, an associate sold a russian tortoise with a 10 gallon tank. Two days later the tortoise was brought back dead. That associate is no longer employed...

I've been trying to sift through Ed Pirog's thousands of cryptic posts here and elsewhere to get a grip on his take on pyramiding. I came across this thread in which Ed (EJ) debates with Andy Highfield (AH). It is somewhat dated, so I hope it has not been brought up before. I have some...

Crazy idea number 357... :) Tortoises as a Family are literally older than dirt. It has always seemed very odd to me that it could be so "easy" for them to become so hideously malformed in captivity. Many consider this a sign of just HOW BAD we are doing at taking care of them. Yet at the...

DISCLAIMER: This is purely an experimental exercise on my part, to investigate some theories of my own regarding thermo-dynamics and its application to tortoise keeping. I've decided to post a thread on it for the benefit of the curious. This is NOT intended as a guide or informational for...

Ok, we all know the standard "weed" diet in some form or another to feed our torts. Its supposed to be the "ideal" it usually goes something like Dandelion, Plantain, Turnip Greens, Collard Greens, etc etc etc with a few adds or subtracts. I've heard Collard Greens poo-poo'd before, too...

For a long time I just made due with setting environmental temps with normal thermometers, and letting the torts self-regulate. Somewhat recently I finally got a temp gun, wish I'd done that sooner, SOOO handy. As I started monitoring the torts' shell surface I noticed a trend. Rocky...

I realized that I may be throwing away good tort food all the time out of my aquariums. In particular I was interested in Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and Red Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri). These both grow like weeds, and rapidly consume the nutrients in the water, turning hard water...

Time to tackle this sore spot. I realize I should just let it lie, but feel I need to clear my chest one last time. I'm starting to think a certain buddy of mine has taken on a crusade against CFL UVB lamps just to goad me. Maybe I'm wrong and he really has a personal Vendetta against these...

I read somewhere recently (darn if I can remember where) that non uv blocking plex is no longer manufactured and getting hard to come by. Any folks out there know of a source? Thanks

I decided to go ahead and try put Adrienne with Rocky. It was technically too short a quarantine, hopefully I won't regret that. -They both came from the same wholesaler, so likely same stocks. -Neither appears sick at all anymore. In both cases it was what I'd call "onset MBD". I had a...

This is a crazy idea that has been bouncing around in my head for some time. Many keepers breed tortoises in hopes to offset the the capture of wild specimens to feed the appetite of the pet trade. This is a noble venture and I applaud their efforts, as it also serves to ensure the survival...