Adopting any tortoises that need a home in south Florida

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

That's not me. I care more about animals than humans.

Lol wellington you and me both trust me! I feel this😂

I 100% agree with you on always pointing out the wrongs! That’s why I would never personally give a compliment like “cute tort” or “nice space” or the ‘rights’ as Ryan put, and then move on, I do think they’re potentially a good thing to add though, to encourage engagement with the person, who I like to think for the most part, has good intentions.

I understand your approach and it’s often reflecting my inner monologue I can’t lie🥲

But I think, and I could be wrong, where Ryan has been coming from is, its potentially more rewarding to try and gauge different approaches better for individuals, see what they seem to be responding to best.

I don’t want you to loose the very frank and very factual way you write, because I think it’s often the most effective, but maybe there’s times where being that little bit softer will help us achieve our ultimate goal, which is always to help the animal.
If we loose that interaction with the human, we loose that ability to help the one we care for most here🐢

Honestly though when it’s clear someone has no intention of changing or doesn’t care to, I understand the frustration coming out! I can’t hold back myself sometimes😣

 

[wellington]

Lol wellington you and me both trust me! I feel this😂

I 100% agree with you on always pointing out the wrongs! That’s why I would never personally give a compliment like “cute tort” or “nice space” or the ‘rights’ as Ryan put, and then move on, I do think they’re potentially a good thing to add though, to encourage engagement with the person, who I like to think for the most part, has good intentions.

I understand your approach and it’s often reflecting my inner monologue I can’t lie🥲

But I think, and I could be wrong, where Ryan has been coming from is, its potentially more rewarding to try and gauge different approaches better for individuals, see what they seem to be responding to best.

I don’t want you to loose the very frank and very factual way you write, because I think it’s often the most effective, but maybe there’s times where being that little bit softer will help us achieve our ultimate goal, which is always to help the animal.
If we loose that interaction with the human, we loose that ability to help the one we care for most here🐢

Honestly though when it’s clear someone has no intention of changing or doesn’t care to, I understand the frustration coming out! I can’t hold back myself sometimes😣

Yeah, I totally get what you are saying and you may be 100 % correct. However, that's not me, being softer. Never has been, never will be. But that's where all the softies can come in.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Yeah, I totally get what you are saying and you may be 100 % correct. However, that's not me, being softer. Never has been, never will be. But that's where all the softies can come in.

Lol and honestly that totally fine! Different strokes for different folks😊

I’ve often experienced firsthand when my approach has been softer, you find out it really is someone trying to do their best for whatever situation they’ve ended up in, can’t speak for this op because I’ve not interacted with them much, but others who I have, it then makes me care for both the person and the tortoise which is always nice, feels so much more rewarding when you watch their progress🐢💚

I think a lot of the time new members who go on the defence for initially being told something isn’t right, for things they’ve not asked about, is just a knee jerk reaction, sometimes guilt for not knowing better, sometimes because they genuinely don’t realise it’s wrong yet, or simply because it’s a hard thing to read.

I get wanting to bite back, I can’t say I never do😣but I definitely try to be as diplomatic as possible, sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t.
That’s why is great to have different approaches on here🙂

 

[wellington]

I get that, that's why I wrote what I wrote. Otherwise I'd just chill with popcorn.

I bet if I ask some questions about my tortoise or turtle right now, you guys will still answer it.

I just hate to see people turn away and not stick around and lose out on valuable info.

We would absolutely answer it and give you all we know to help you.
Believe me, many of those members you think are turning away are not. They are lurking and still learning. Many have admitted to themselves they were wrong but won't admit it here and many has admitted it but not always on the open forum, but in p.m.'s, I have had quite a few over the years. Some will move on, that's just a given whether they were treated like kings/queens or not and some just wanted to be right and get justified here and didn't.

 

[Tom]

I bet if I ask some questions about my tortoise or turtle right now, you guys will still answer it.

You are correct. Absolutely. I'm just having conversation here. I'm not the least bit upset with you. You are trying to get your point across and I'm doing the same. Its problematic that tone does not come across in the typed word very well. To use your example, you felt like you were being pulled over in a threatening way. I certainly didn't intend any such thing and have no idea why you'd take my words that way. Its because you couldn't discern my tone.

 

[Tom]

We would absolutely answer it and give you all we know to help you.
Believe me, many of those members you think are turning away are not. They are lurking and still learning. Many have admitted to themselves they were wrong but won't admit it here and many has admitted it but not always on the open forum, but in p.m.'s, I have had quite a few over the years. Some will move on, that's just a given whether they were treated like kings/queens or not and some just wanted to be right and get justified here and didn't.

So right. You and I, and several others, tell them what they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear. Some are grateful and some let stupid pride get in the way of helping them and their animals. Neither of us are trying to be rude or unkind, but I'm also not spending 5 extra minutes on every post trying to sugar coat everything all the time.

Personally, I love it when Yvonne, or MarkW, or Zovick or any number of other members come along and abruptly correct me when I am wrong. I prevents me from continuing to be wrong, and it then gets better info out here to people.

 

[Evansky]

That was a lot of reading , went through like six sets on the leg curl machine . I’m removing all the sand I’m glad you guys brought that up I didn’t see how dangerous it was even in a small space (the big sand space in the picture was temporary) . What should I replace it with dirt ? Is mulch over it ok or is that bad cause they could eat it ? And yea im not gonna adopt any new tortoises anymore I don’t want risk of diseases and I haven’t had a new tortoise in many years so I would hate to bring in something and ruin what I have going , at the end I got a few things from here like get rid of the sand and no new tortoises 🤙🏼 as for mixing species I agree you shouldn’t do it for no reason but hey I didn’t know any better back then when I did it and they’ve been together for over 10 years with no problems so I don’t see a reason to change that , they are very well established and used to each other and friendly, each have their own personalities and each interact in different ways with each other and they are very healthy and have beautiful shells one of them is so perfectly smooth it looks like a pebble

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

That was a lot of reading , went through like six sets on the leg curl machine . I’m removing all the sand I’m glad you guys brought that up I didn’t see how dangerous it was even in a small space (the big sand space in the picture was temporary) . What should I replace it with dirt ? Is mulch over it ok or is that bad cause they could eat it ? And yea im not gonna adopt any new tortoises anymore I don’t want risk of diseases and I haven’t had a new tortoise in many years so I would hate to bring in something and ruin what I have going , at the end I got a few things from here like get rid of the sand and no new tortoises 🤙🏼 as for mixing species I agree you shouldn’t do it for no reason but hey I didn’t know any better back then when I did it and they’ve been together for over 10 years with no problems so I don’t see a reason to change that , they are very well established and used to each other and friendly, each have their own personalities and each interact in different ways with each other and they are very healthy and have beautiful shells one of them is so perfectly smooth it looks like a pebble

Gotta love leg day

 

[jaizei]

That was a lot of reading , went through like six sets on the leg curl machine . I’m removing all the sand I’m glad you guys brought that up I didn’t see how dangerous it was even in a small space (the big sand space in the picture was temporary) . What should I replace it with dirt ? Is mulch over it ok or is that bad cause they could eat it ? And yea im not gonna adopt any new tortoises anymore I don’t want risk of diseases and I haven’t had a new tortoise in many years so I would hate to bring in something and ruin what I have going , at the end I got a few things from here like get rid of the sand and no new tortoises 🤙🏼 as for mixing species I agree you shouldn’t do it for no reason but hey I didn’t know any better back then when I did it and they’ve been together for over 10 years with no problems so I don’t see a reason to change that , they are very well established and used to each other and friendly, each have their own personalities and each interact in different ways with each other and they are very healthy and have beautiful shells one of them is so perfectly smooth it looks like a pebble

cypress mulch is extremely dangerous if they eat it.

 

[Tom]

That was a lot of reading , went through like six sets on the leg curl machine . I’m removing all the sand I’m glad you guys brought that up I didn’t see how dangerous it was even in a small space (the big sand space in the picture was temporary) . What should I replace it with dirt ? Is mulch over it ok or is that bad cause they could eat it ? And yea im not gonna adopt any new tortoises anymore I don’t want risk of diseases and I haven’t had a new tortoise in many years so I would hate to bring in something and ruin what I have going , at the end I got a few things from here like get rid of the sand and no new tortoises 🤙🏼 as for mixing species I agree you shouldn’t do it for no reason but hey I didn’t know any better back then when I did it and they’ve been together for over 10 years with no problems so I don’t see a reason to change that , they are very well established and used to each other and friendly, each have their own personalities and each interact in different ways with each other and they are very healthy and have beautiful shells one of them is so perfectly smooth it looks like a pebble

Well this is certainly a welcome change of direction. Thanks for taking the time to consider what we've been saying. With your years of experience, I think you'll be able to contribute some insight if you want to. Welcome to the tortoise forum!

Mine are all housed on the native dirt outside.

 

[Evansky]

Yea man I feel like you get it I’m not trying to do anything wrong i started this with good intentions, but at least I learned that sand is really bad even in small areas so I’m getting rid of all sand also learned about all these active viruses and diseases so I don’t want to infect my tortoise by adding a new one that I don’t know what it carries , all this saved me from that and I’m happy with that . And lmao nah brah I would never sell a tortoise , that’s more valuable than money to me , I’ve always kept everything I’ve had .but yea man I appreciate the way you came at this I read all your replies I agree with you I like your way of going about things 🤙🏼

I do agree with everyone but Evansky has a good heart. Everyone is just trying to give the best advice they can. I forgot whose post I read earlier but it mentioned rescuing a tortoise from a terrible situation and placing it in another unideal situation is also terrible. I'm paraphrasing but I don't think that's the case here. Although his environment is not 100% ideal, however if he's able to save some truly unfortunate tortoises like some I've seen on craigslist and different rescues and provide them a temporary place until he can find them a better forever home then it's still helping the tortoises. Progress and never perfection, as long as it's an improvement, it should be counted as a win.

Going off topic a bit, some dogs get kibbles everyday and a dog house to sleep outside. Some dogs get A5 Wagyu, massages and travel via private jet and helicopter rides. Not all conditions are the same. Point is always going at it with the best intention and keep an open mind, if it's something you can improve, try it. If you are set on not changing your way, that's okay too, but people will always have their opinions.

 

[Evansky]

cypress mulch is extremely dangerous if they eat it.

Well this is certainly a welcome change of direction. Thanks for taking the time to consider what we've been saying. With your years of experience, I think you'll be able to contribute some insight if you want to. Welcome to the tortoise forum!

Mine are all housed on the native dirt outside.

Thanks for the info ok definitely gonna fill it all up with dirt , and thanks brother yea I actually sat here and read every single response and definitely gonna use all the knowledge to better my animals and their environments so thanks again for all the information 🤙🏼

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

lol there was definitely a lot of food for thought!
Its cool you’ve come back and sounds like you’ve been looking into some of the points raised here with your own research which is great😁
I’m glad to hear you’re removing the sand! Is it an option to remove it by digging it up all, and planting grass/ safe plants in the ground beneath?

 

[Evansky]

lol there was definitely a lot of food for thought!
Its cool you’ve come back and sounds like you’ve been looking into some of the points raised here with your own research which is great😁
I’m glad to hear you’re removing the sand! Is it an option to remove it by digging it up all, and planting grass/ safe plants in the ground beneath?

Yea I’m gonna dig it out fill it in with dirt and add plants and stuff , I’m already working on it 💪🏼 and yes this thread has worked out good , I’m glad I can improve my tortoises living spaces and make them even happier

 

[wellington]

Yea I’m gonna dig it out fill it in with dirt and add plants and stuff , I’m already working on it 💪🏼 and yes this thread has worked out good , I’m glad I can improve my tortoises living spaces and make them even happier

I would like to say you took all posts very well. I'm glad you understood that we all just want to help and do what's best for our tortoises. We hate having to read about tortoises deaths, specially when they could be prevented.
The passion and love you have for your tortoises does come thru clearly.
Just keep in the back of your mind, if/when signs of aggression pop up with the Sulcatas being with the RF, that separation may be imminent and try to get prepared now with a plan.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Yea I’m gonna dig it out fill it in with dirt and add plants and stuff , I’m already working on it 💪🏼 and yes this thread has worked out good , I’m glad I can improve my tortoises living spaces and make them even happier

Yay that sounds awesome and makes me so happy to read!🙌

Just keep in the back of your mind, if/when signs of aggression pop up with the Sulcatas being with the RF, that separation may be imminent and try to get prepared now with a plan.

I definitely don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a back up plan in place too, to separate your species, sometimes it’s tricky to distinguish territorial behaviours in tortoise, following each other around and sleeping huddled up can actually all be bullying behaviours. I’m glad you’ve not noticed any severe outward aggression, but I don’t think it’s ever off the table, always better safe than sorry to have a back up plan in mind🙂

Hope to see you stick around so we can follow the renovations😁

 

[Evansky]

Haha all this made it go through fast , I was just reading the whole time , I was on the same machine for like an hour lol 😂

Gotta love leg day

 

[Evansky]

Yay that sounds awesome and makes me so happy to read!🙌

I definitely don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a back up plan in place too, to separate your species, sometimes it’s tricky to distinguish territorial behaviours in tortoise, following each other around and sleeping huddled up can actually all be bullying behaviours. I’m glad you’ve not noticed any severe outward aggression, but I don’t think it’s ever off the table, always better safe than sorry to have a back up plan in mind🙂

Hope to see you stick around so we can follow the renovations😁

I agree before I ever had redfoots I had a big 250+ male Sulcata I had Almost my whole life and he was an bully I would never house a tortoise like that with any others he was a monster but sadly someone stole him years ago so I don’t have to worry about that now , what I have left are some females that I’ve had since they were very young and have grown here and are very gentle but yes I always keep an eye out for anything weird and yes if I need to separate them it would be easy as there is two big areas one for the Sulcata and one for the red foots the Sulcata can’t enter the Redfoot area ever but the red foots can wonder over to the Sulcata side but I can always block that off if necessary and keep it permanently sealed to separate the species , I have only one male Sulcata and he is small and usually kept away , as for red foots there’s only 1 male the rest are female so it’s a good mix but yea I’m ready to separate at any moment

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Haha all this made it go through fast , I was just reading the whole time , I was on the same machine for like an hour lol 😂

Yes i was behind u waiting for that machine 🤬