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As many of us know, it's not a good idea to house different species of tortoise together. This is because they might have different environmental requirements, they could fight or hybridize, and they could spread diseases to each other. However, recently the question has come up as to whether...

We often get threads in which people ask, "Can I keep tortoises of different species, or tortoises and box turtles together?" The answer is almost always "No," and here's why: 1) Environmental requirements - Different tortoise species (and box turtles) often come from different types of...

Here's a classic David Attenborough documentary on islands from 1984. The section from minutes 8:00 - 22:00 features Aldabran tortoises. It's amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSBhTgQwTGM

Just thought I'd share this photo with all you canid fans out there. It's a rare sighting of a wolf hanging out with dholes! http://www.conservationindia.org/gallery/dhole-and-indian-wolf-debrigarh-odisha

Until recently, my Russians have had a diminished appetite. At first I thought it was because their basking spot wasn't hot enough, and changing the bulbs did help. But they still didn't seem to be as hungry as I remembered. I thought it could just be that they were well fed, but then I looked...

Check out this footage of Ibera Greek tortoises in a national park in southern Russia. It's springtime, and they emerge from brumation and mate. The video also features European bison (wisent), but the narration about them is not entirely accurate. Also, ignore the comment of the person in the...

Check out these enormous leopard tortoises!

Last month marked two years since my wife and I got our Russian tortoise pair, Mork and Mindy. And this month marks two years since I joined Tortoise Forum. It has been so interesting and fun, and continues to be so. Thanks, TFO! :D

Puffy eyes are a common complaint in chelonian husbandry, and a potentially very dangerous condition. Because they can be due to a variety of factors, I'd like to run this short poll to find out what the most common causes appear to be in the experience of people here Tortoise Forum. If you...

How far south in South America (Argentina) do chaco tortoises (Chelonoidis chilensis) go. How cold-tolerant are they, and are they good burrowers? People don't really brumate (hibernate) them in captivity, but how often do they do so in the wild? I don't keep this species, but since they are...

We often talk about the threat posed by carnivores like raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and dogs. That's why many folks cover their outdoor tortoise enclosures: to prevent these predators from preying on our pets. It's also known that rodents like mice and rats can seriously injure vulnerable...

Footage of a golden eagle preying on a Hermann tortoise by dropping it from a height onto rocks to break its shell. Caution: Not for the faint of heart! http://www.maniacworld.com/eagle-vs-turtle.html http://www.cracked.com/article_19263_the-6-most-disturbingly-evil-birds.html :tort:

Hi, all. Question about heating. I have always used 150-W CHEs to provide basking heat for my tortoises' hot spots (my redfoot in Florida, and my Russians here in Colorado). They usually worked fine, although I did have one recently that lasted only 1 year instead of 3-5 years, like they should...

The Eastern Box Turtle Documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=sjhMpVNFu2A

Ever wonder what a tortoise with a goiter looks like? Well, here you go: http://salsainchina.blogspot.com/2012/08/partying-it-up-with-tortoises-again.html This blogger appears to be a tortoise fan, but she doesn't seem to notice that this Galapagos tortoise has a massive goiter in his...

When I first got my Russian pair two years ago, they were wild-caught and ate only plants. I offered them commercial food, and although they didn't want what I consider the best stuff (Mazuri and Zoomed Grassland), they did in time accept the colored stuff (Rep-Cal and T-Rex), which I don't...

My Russian pair have had an uncharacteristically small appetite this past week. All they get during the winter is grocery greens, Mazuri, and the occasional carrot or fruit as a treat, so I think they might be a bit tired of the usual fare. Spring is being a little sluggish about coming to...

When I first got my Russian tortoise pair almost two years ago, the male was slightly bigger than the female. Since then, the female has surpassed the male in size, as you'd expect in Testudo. However, while the female grows almost continuously (she did go through one growth spurt last spring)...

Lately, our cat has been sneezing, and we think it's from her kitty litter. So, after doing some research, we've found that there are basically three types of kitty litter: 1) clay-based, 2) silica-based, and 3) plant fiber-based. Our cat's current litter is clay-based (sodium bentonite), and...

Science News ... from universities, journals, and other research organizations Lizards Undergo Rapid Evolution After Introduction To A New Home Apr. 18, 2008 — In 1971, biologists moved five adult pairs of Italian wall lizards from their home island of Pod Kopiste, in the South Adriatic...