Been busting butt the past few weeks getting ready for spring. We run a big garden every year which I’ve been getting ready as well as building an outdoor pen for the tortoises! It’s coming along well and I’m excited to be getting close to done. Just need to fasten the cold frame to the pen and...
These guys have been a joy! Still deciding what I’m gonna do once the weather is better. I don’t want to go all out on an outdoor enclosure as we are still in the market for a house. Might just do a simple 8x4 pen for this spring/summer. They are still doing well. Had a bit of pyramiding which I...
Try as I might to have super smooth shell growth the guys are pyramiding a bit. I have to assume it’s from to quick growth. Conditions in the enclosure have been ideal. It’s an 8 foot box with the hot end at 100-104 with humidity at 45-50%, degrees he middle is at 83-85 with humidity at 65% give...
Had a very easy and great transaction with Southern Reptiles. Good communication, good prices, and great healthy animals. I purchased 3 eastern hermann hatchlings, 4 spotted turtle hatchlings, and 3 yearling Razorback musks. The hermanns devoured food the moment they arrived after a soak. I...
I finally got some of the original mazuri tortoise diet. Mine eat the LS stuff but only if I fine chop weeds and mash and mix it. The original had them devouring food! I mean it was grub city this morning??? I’ve only been offering it once a week anyways but it’s good to know they will chow down...
Was putting the kiddos back after a soaking and noticed that there was word looking spots on two of their plastrons. Hoping it’s nothing to worry about but am also worried it is something. Can anyone shed some light. The other two don’t have a blemish on their bottoms but spot and tiny do. The...
Here’s all 4 and I wrote their names in their individual pics. Things are still going well. Eating, pooping, and very active!!! They are all steadily growing from week to week. They are a joy!
The first pic is from the day they arrived. The second pic is from today. Same saucer lol. They barely all fit in it now. I always stick them in there around noon when I add some more food to the pile. I soak them in the morning but they have a drink when I put them in mid day as well. Hydration...
I think this little one thinks it’s a cuddle bone instead of cuttlefish bone??? All of mine nibble at it and in as such I’ve not felt the need to add any calcium to their foods. They have a very varied diet with only fresh grown stuff that is healthy for them. They will only eat mazuri if I chop...
I first noticed this a few days ago and am unsure if it just natural color chance of the skin. You can clearly see the drastic difference in the coloration around the eyes. Is this normal or is something amiss? This is the same kiddo. First pic is no long after I hey got here, second is from...
Kiddos have been doing very well!! Eating a bunch and growing. I so enjoy just watching them explore the enclosure. They mostly stuck to the one end where the basking bulb is for awhile but now they all roam about the entire 8 foot of the enclosure. So happy I went with an 8 foot box over the 4...
I was busy this morning. I started a few new seeds but also took cuttings from the mulberry bushes, spider plant, and Swedish ivy. Doing so is very easy and you get free new plants!!! I simply take my cutting, dip it an organic rooting hormone, then stick it in some soil. I’ve had 100% success...
I found a plant a while back that was from the same area of Italy that our tortoises are from. It’s called babies tears. I was hoping to have it in the enclosure and hoped that they would eat it. Well they haven’t went down to that area of the enclosure much as it’s a big chamber for the little...