AZ Tortoise keeper's almost-anything-goes thread

[motero]

Ok, I just came home and found a 4 ft western diamond rattlesnake with my trio of leopards. I have a five ft high block fence and it still managed to get in. I almost loaded my pants! So, if you live in an area were rattlers are common be safe. I use a compact mirror to check burrows before I put my hand in to check on my torts.

So what did you do with the snake? They can squeeze through any tiny space like under the gate. They can climb trees two. I don't think they can climb block fences, but I could be wrong.

Motreo
Keep a eye on C L they sell baby's for 2 for $70.00 large ones are more . Have a great tort day Sent from my iPhone using TortForum

I am not looking for Sulcatas to buy, I am open to rehoming any that need help. Thanks

 

[parrotlady]

Believe it or not, but where I am located in tucson you call 911 and they send the fire dept out to pick them up! Actually those guys are kinda cute and very nice. They arrived within 5 minutes. They relocated them in the park. They don't kill them, they use snake tongs (?) and place them in a ventilated plywood box. Btw they remembered from last year, you know the crazy old lady with the strange tortoises.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Motero
I'm sorry they have people that need to re- home their torts . And you have a great day !


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[Ramaah]

Hello fellow Arizonans. I am fairly new to the forum and just happened upon the AZ thread. Curious what others are doing for outdoor hides now that the heat is on. Anyone keep Russians outside in this heat?

 

[parrotlady]

Yes, I do I have a small group of 10 producing adults. I have dug burrows lined them with concrete blocks, filled the center in with soil, used 3/4 inch plywood as a top,and covered that with more soil. I also have them under a huge mesquite tree that provides filtered sun. That being said they still tend to dig themselves in the soil where it is slightly damp. They do come running in the morning when the chow arrives. I hope you will find a better solution and share your info. Where are you located in Az. I am in Tucson.

 

[Ramaah]

Thank you Parrotlady. I am in Avondale, just west of the city of phoenix. I do not currently have any russians however I am preparing an outdoor enclosure for one. The cinder block shelter appears to be one of the best solutions I've come across for a cool hide. I wonder do your torts hibernate in the same shelter? Thanks for the info and I will let you know if I find another solution.

 

[parrotlady]

Actually they did not hibernate in the burrow. They each dug down and covered themselves, this was not acceptable in my opinion. I had a couple with damp noses, and I lost a male. He did not resurface. So I am assuming that because he hibernated under a plant that was on a drip system that it was just too damp. Also, you cannot determine where they burrow as they back fill. They are not like the sulcatas or desert tortoises that leave an opening to their burrow. This year I plan on buying a couple of stock tanks and setting them up in my garage so I can monitor them better. One tank for the females and one smaller one for the males. I plan to add a foot of substrate and let them hibernate. Also be aware, they will dig down and uproot what ever you plant in their enclosure.

 

[Ramaah]

Sorry to hear that. The possibility of a down pour worries me for that exact reason. I am curious if it will stay cool enough in my garage for a similar hibernation setup. Can I ask how deep is your substrate in the outdoor enclosure? I just purchased a hibiscus plant today for the enclosure but I think I will put it in a pot or keep outside of the enclosure. Thanks

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Here's a tort to set as your golds


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[parrotlady]

The plant will do better in the ground rather than a pot. Anything in a pot has to be watered at least twice a day, they seem to dry out so fast. As you know our humidity stays low most of the year. The monsoons did not bother them I made sure that their enclosure had adequate drainage. I don't know if the rain will affect the eggs in the ground. This is the first year for them to lay for me. So I am still learning by reading everything I can find and by making mistakes. Perhaps by sharing, you will learn by my past experiences. Btw the last group of Russians I bought came from Tempe, and they lived outside and the eggs hatched in the ground. So I know it can be done.

As far as my substrate is outside, I don't know. When I purchased my home it was just the usual caliche, I keep buying bags of top soil at Home Depot and working it in the soil. The first babies (Greeks ) that hatched in the ground had worn their nails all the way down. That was my first clue that I had to modify my soil.

 

[parrotlady]

I would really like one that big! Do you think 1 acre would work?

 

[Ramaah]

Here's a tort to set as your golds View attachment 82931


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The plant will do better in the ground rather than a pot. Anything in a pot has to be watered at least twice a day, they seem to dry out so fast. As you know our humidity stays low most of the year. The monsoons did not bother them I made sure that their enclosure had adequate drainage. I don't know if the rain will affect the eggs in the ground. This is the first year for them to lay for me. So I am still learning by reading everything I can find and by making mistakes. Perhaps by sharing, you will learn by my past experiences. Btw the last group of Russians I bought came from Tempe, and they lived outside and the eggs hatched in the ground. So I know it can be done.

As far as my substrate is outside, I don't know. When I purchased my home it was just the usual caliche, I keep buying bags of top soil at Home Depot and working it in the soil. The first babies (Greeks ) that hatched in the ground had worn their nails all the way down. That was my first clue that I had to modify my soil.

Thank you so much for sharing. I hope to keep several Russians someday as well. What do you use as the flooring for your outdoor enclosure to prevent them from burrowing out? Wow you have Greeks also, do you care for them the same as the Russians as far as outdoor enclosure setup? Sorry to throw so many questions at you but I am trying to limit my mistakes.

 

[parrotlady]

Greeks are very similar, they don't burrow like the Russians and they will use burrows/hides.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Well people my wife and I went away for the weekend . Look what we found :


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[AZtortMom]

Very nice!

 

[parrotlady]

Too cool, looks like I need to take a side trip.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

If you have the time , you should go we had a ball .


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[Ramaah]

Which species did they have on the ranch?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

I believe they were Sulcatas but it was 110 degrees and the torts were smarter then us they were hiding from the heat ! We didn't see any of the torts . But we did see the jack - asses . In the small western town .


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[littleginsu]

Ok, AZ peeps, how on earth or at least in AZ, do you grow beautiful flowers and weeds!? I don't have the greenest thumb, but am willing to learn!!