Aldabra tortoise from South korea...

Amanda81

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
710
Location (City and/or State)
Northeast Tennessee
Great!!! :) Thank you so much!!! I hope to see your pics. It'll be big help to me.View attachment 172079
Hello again, sorry it's took me so long w the pics, I'm super busy these days, if it hadn't been for the rain I wouldn't have got to it today. Lol.

Your winter looks about like mine, October to around April or May. It's just now getting warm enough for my guy to go outside. I looked at ya pics today and he is a cutie!! He looks adorable in the sand but I would really suggest listening to the earlier advise about the sand and food. That sand will stop him up and given fruit more then a once in awhile treat isn't the best diet. What type of diet do u feed? I feed fresh picked weeds and grass during the warm months, Mazuri twice weekly and cactus twice weekly. Last summer I collected weeds, chopped em up in a food processor and froze them along w grass and mulberry leaves and cactus and other things so I could still feed him the weeds and grass like he gets in the warm months, it's not fresh picked but he didnt seem to mind. Lol. My guy was hatched Dec 2014 and last time I got measurements (about 2 months ago) he was a little over 21/2 pounds. So here are some pics of his enclosures.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463700649.178702.jpg
This is his outside area. He's been getting to spend sometime out here now and he really seems to like it. Once the temps get up and stay up I will put him outside all the time. I have built an insulated box and have a CHE mounted in it which is hooked to a thermostat so he will b able to stay out day and night once the weather levels out and my day temps are staying up nice and warm.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463700698.520789.jpg
This is side shot, not the best but I tried. Lol.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463700728.356509.jpg
This is his hide, he loves his hide.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463700751.107539.jpg
Feeding station. These are so easy to pull out and scrub down, I like to ensure his feeding area is cleaned good every couple days. I clean and refill his water daily.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463700816.533004.jpg
This is his basking area, he will sit there until his shell temp is around 95° or so. The two small vases in the corner I keep full of water for humidity levels.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463700896.646873.jpg
This is his pond. He soaks himself in this daily. I still soak him myself everyday but after he eats he will mess around a bit and before returning to his hide he will soak awhile.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463700989.557306.jpg
This is how I have my lights mounted. I have the shop light to brighten things up, the UVB for his UVB requirements and then the other thing hanging is his heater which is hooked to a thermostat and it keeps things just right for him.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463701096.122447.jpg
The entire front of enclosure is plexiglass so I can see every inch of everything. I have it on a sliding track so I can simply slide whichever piece open I need to and reach in and get to whatever area I need.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463701270.626721.jpg
This is another enclosure I built for a group of leopard hatchlings I planned to get, unfortunately the leopard I had passed away so I decided to just focus on my Aldabra so I built a tunnel that attaches to both enclosures and my Aldabra can go into this one as well and mess around as he wants.
I have made some other enclosures in the past and learned from my mistakes. All the joints, anywhere one piece of wood attached to another I sealed up, the inside wood has been waterproofed and a very thick heavy plastic was put down to protect the wood as well. My humidity levels stay high and my heat hardly ever runs with these enclosures. They have really done well over the winter. I worried about doing live plants but even those have thrived, the ones he didn't eat anyways. Lol. I had some other plants in there but those must been his favorites cause he mowed them down every time I put more in. Lol. I'm no expert at this, at all, I actually got the idea for my inside enclosure from the forum here and the heated insulated box for outside came from the forum as well. I of course changed a few build details to suit my situation but I would suggest getting in the enclosure section and just start reading and looking at others enclosures, there are some great ideas in there! And if ya need some diet ideas u can find loads of stuff in the diet section on here as well. I had sulcatas and leopards before I got my Aldabra and I couldn't find a Aldabra specific diet list so I just followed along w the diet I provided my sulcatas and leopards and it's been fine. I attempt to go as natural as possible. I feed just weeds and grass I collect from places I know haven't had any chemical treatments, i grow most the diet myself. I have grape vines, hibiscus, wild roses, cactus, strawberrys, wild violets, wild geraniums, yarrow, plantain, to many to name that I've collected from here or there and brought home and planted and grew to use to fed, I don't use any type of supplements except cuttlebone, and I attempt to set up my enclosures as natural as possible.
When I decided to purchase a tort I got online and started researching and found this forum and it's been a great help to me. U will always have to adjust somethings to accommodate your specific situation but as for basic care things u can learn all that right here. I hope I have helped in some sort of way. Your guy looks great!
 

Oxalis

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10 Year Member!
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
3,040
Location (City and/or State)
Michigan
Very nice. I enjoyed how thorough your post is! I like the vases idea to keep the humidity levels up. I also feel almost silly for not considering a tile to use as an feeding station! It seems so obvious! It's lightweight and flat; it serves its purpose so well. What is the big, hairy looking plant that somewhat resembles dill? It's the one covering his hide in the third photo down. I've seen it before but I can't think of the name. I like it and I kind of want one now. :D
 

Amanda81

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
710
Location (City and/or State)
Northeast Tennessee
Very nice. I enjoyed how thorough your post is! I like the vases idea to keep the humidity levels up. I also feel almost silly for not considering a tile to use as an feeding station! It seems so obvious! It's lightweight and flat; it serves its purpose so well. What is the big, hairy looking plant that somewhat resembles dill? It's the one covering his hide in the third photo down. I've seen it before but I can't think of the name. I like it and I kind of want one now. :D
Thank you. I wanted to mention that the tiles I use for his feeding station do have a light texture to them, a bit gritty feeling I guess I would say, their still easy to scrub off but the texture still gives my guy tread so he's not slipping or anything. The plant that is covering his hide is a fern, asparagus or something similar to that. I bought it 2 summers ago and have forgot the proper spelling. Walmart usually has them every year around here for $5 or so. They grow really good. It was only about half that size when it went into the enclosure and has done well. The hide is actually topless so I can get easy access if needed so it serves as the top to block the light so my guy feels secure in there.
 

khanz

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
78
Location (City and/or State)
Seoul, Republic of Korea
Hello again, sorry it's took me so long w the pics, I'm super busy these days, if it hadn't been for the rain I wouldn't have got to it today. Lol.

Your winter looks about like mine, October to around April or May. It's just now getting warm enough for my guy to go outside. I looked at ya pics today and he is a cutie!! He looks adorable in the sand but I would really suggest listening to the earlier advise about the sand and food. That sand will stop him up and given fruit more then a once in awhile treat isn't the best diet. What type of diet do u feed? I feed fresh picked weeds and grass during the warm months, Mazuri twice weekly and cactus twice weekly. Last summer I collected weeds, chopped em up in a food processor and froze them along w grass and mulberry leaves and cactus and other things so I could still feed him the weeds and grass like he gets in the warm months, it's not fresh picked but he didnt seem to mind. Lol. My guy was hatched Dec 2014 and last time I got measurements (about 2 months ago) he was a little over 21/2 pounds. So here are some pics of his enclosures.
View attachment 174088
This is his outside area. He's been getting to spend sometime out here now and he really seems to like it. Once the temps get up and stay up I will put him outside all the time. I have built an insulated box and have a CHE mounted in it which is hooked to a thermostat so he will b able to stay out day and night once the weather levels out and my day temps are staying up nice and warm.
View attachment 174089
This is side shot, not the best but I tried. Lol.
View attachment 174090
This is his hide, he loves his hide.
View attachment 174091
Feeding station. These are so easy to pull out and scrub down, I like to ensure his feeding area is cleaned good every couple days. I clean and refill his water daily.
View attachment 174092
This is his basking area, he will sit there until his shell temp is around 95° or so. The two small vases in the corner I keep full of water for humidity levels.
View attachment 174093
This is his pond. He soaks himself in this daily. I still soak him myself everyday but after he eats he will mess around a bit and before returning to his hide he will soak awhile.
View attachment 174094
This is how I have my lights mounted. I have the shop light to brighten things up, the UVB for his UVB requirements and then the other thing hanging is his heater which is hooked to a thermostat and it keeps things just right for him.
View attachment 174096
The entire front of enclosure is plexiglass so I can see every inch of everything. I have it on a sliding track so I can simply slide whichever piece open I need to and reach in and get to whatever area I need.
View attachment 174097
This is another enclosure I built for a group of leopard hatchlings I planned to get, unfortunately the leopard I had passed away so I decided to just focus on my Aldabra so I built a tunnel that attaches to both enclosures and my Aldabra can go into this one as well and mess around as he wants.
I have made some other enclosures in the past and learned from my mistakes. All the joints, anywhere one piece of wood attached to another I sealed up, the inside wood has been waterproofed and a very thick heavy plastic was put down to protect the wood as well. My humidity levels stay high and my heat hardly ever runs with these enclosures. They have really done well over the winter. I worried about doing live plants but even those have thrived, the ones he didn't eat anyways. Lol. I had some other plants in there but those must been his favorites cause he mowed them down every time I put more in. Lol. I'm no expert at this, at all, I actually got the idea for my inside enclosure from the forum here and the heated insulated box for outside came from the forum as well. I of course changed a few build details to suit my situation but I would suggest getting in the enclosure section and just start reading and looking at others enclosures, there are some great ideas in there! And if ya need some diet ideas u can find loads of stuff in the diet section on here as well. I had sulcatas and leopards before I got my Aldabra and I couldn't find a Aldabra specific diet list so I just followed along w the diet I provided my sulcatas and leopards and it's been fine. I attempt to go as natural as possible. I feed just weeds and grass I collect from places I know haven't had any chemical treatments, i grow most the diet myself. I have grape vines, hibiscus, wild roses, cactus, strawberrys, wild violets, wild geraniums, yarrow, plantain, to many to name that I've collected from here or there and brought home and planted and grew to use to fed, I don't use any type of supplements except cuttlebone, and I attempt to set up my enclosures as natural as possible.
When I decided to purchase a tort I got online and started researching and found this forum and it's been a great help to me. U will always have to adjust somethings to accommodate your specific situation but as for basic care things u can learn all that right here. I hope I have helped in some sort of way. Your guy looks great!

Thank you very much for your great kindness!! Your advices are big help to me. Thank you!! :) I have provided fresh weeds and grasses for my aldabra. I feed Timothy grass & hay, Bermuda grass & hay, Mulberry leaves, Plantain leaves, Cactus (Opuntia), Dadelion flower & leaves, Grape leaves, wormwood leaves, balloonflower leaves, Thistle leaves, Honeysukle flower & leaves, and mazuri once a week. I don't feed artificial and chemical food, too. Your indoor and outdoor enclosure is so excellent!! Your aldabra is so lucky guy :) I hope to your tortoises' pics.. Thank you!!
 

Oxalis

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
3,040
Location (City and/or State)
Michigan
I have provided fresh weeds and grasses for my aldabra. I feed Timothy grass & hay, Bermuda grass & hay, Mulberry leaves, Plantain leaves, Cactus (Opuntia), Dadelion flower & leaves, Grape leaves, wormwood leaves, balloonflower leaves, Thistle leaves, Honeysukle flower & leaves, and mazuri once a week.
I just planted my mulberry bush this season and can't wait for it to grow bigger. I'm very excited for my Russian to try mulberry leaves for the first time! This anticipation has lead me to read about more and more forum users who feed mulberry leaves, of course! :p
 

khanz

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
78
Location (City and/or State)
Seoul, Republic of Korea
I just planted my mulberry bush this season and can't wait for it to grow bigger. I'm very excited for my Russian to try mulberry leaves for the first time! This anticipation has lead me to read about more and more forum users who feed mulberry leaves, of course! :p
Mulberry leaves contains many calcium, fiber and minimum necessary protein for baby aldabra tortoise. It's one of main food sources for my aldabra tortoise. I think that mulberry leaves are great for your russian tortoise. Thank you and good luck!! :)
 

GingerLove

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
1,287
I just found this thread, your tortoise is beautiful. You are such a great owner! How is s/he doing now? Anymore pictures? :)
 

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