Craigslist rescue, Dozer

[zolasmum]

LOL dis baby is now approx the size of my adult Russian!

Hope you are having a great birthday !!!
Angie

 

[jsheffield]

I don't know if Dozer hit some keystone size, got more comfortable with their new enclosure, or just was really hungry the other day but...

I've been feeding them off of a 6" round stainless steel plate (I use bigger ones for the other torts), and the pattern has been that I feed every day (occasionally every other day) and there has almost always been some food left over on the plate when I collect it to wash and replenish/replace.

This morning when I went in, having fed all of the torts yesterday morning, their plate was empty and looked as though it had been squeegeed clean.

I've been feeding mostly a mix of chopped collard greens, kale, dandelion greens, and plantago greens, topped with a bit of Mazuri 1-2 times a week, and some pumpkin or butternut squash 1-2 times per week, and chopped mushrooms once a week.

I made enough food to fill two of the little plates in different parts of the enclosure, and will adjust the amount based on what I see tomorrow.

Jamie

 

[jsheffield]

Dozer's five month health-check and weigh-in. According to the target weight formula they're a bit more dense than they've been trending in recent months, but I think that's due to them not pooping during their pre-weigh-in soak.

Today was a treat-day for Dozer, some Mazuri and a bit of butternut squash in addition to the greens and orchard grass pellets... most days they're getting just greens and the pellets.

In general, I think they're doing very well.

 

[SuzanneZ]

I've brought 6 tortoises into my home off of Craigslist... 4 Russians and 2 Hingebacks.

The Russians all still live with me, I kept the Hingebacks until they were healthy and eating and then shipped them to people already working with breeding groups of, and more experience with, them.

I keep an eye on my local craigslist for tortoises, particularly the more esoteric or exotic types, so that I can keep them out of the hands of muttonheads and either invite them to join my creep or live with them a while and then move them along to someone better suited to long-term living with them.

This is all leading up to a listing I saw today for an Aldabra hatchling a few hours away from me. I initially assumed it was a scam but in texting with the guy I'm considering the possibility it's legit.

1) he answered my questions with knowledgeable responses about their feeding and care
2) when I asked him for a pic of the tortoise with a random item I'd picked, he seemed confused/amused, but sent the pic of his tortoise with a metal spoon within a minute
3) he asked me to call him to discuss the tortoise

View attachment 357185

I'm tempted to make the drive and get the tort, just to keep it out of the hands of someone who cannot actually take care of it, and then figure out who to move it along to within a year (before it gets huge).

Am I crazy, or stupid, or gullible, or all three?

Jamie

Stop calling yourself names. Just pick one. 🙂

 

[jsheffield]

Stop calling yourself names. Just pick one. 🙂

Crupible.

J

 

[SuzanneZ]

Crupible.

J

Excellent.

 

[jaizei]

Crupible.

J

a perfectly cromulent word

 

[jsheffield]

I'm feeding Dozer mostly greens, with a bit of veggies and Mazuri, at the moment... wondering whether I should begin shifting them towards more orchard grass pellets in their daily feed.

Any thoughts and advice will be appreciated.

Jamie (and Dozer)

 

[dd33]

I'm feeding Dozer mostly greens, with a bit of veggies and Mazuri, at the moment... wondering whether I should begin shifting them towards more orchard grass pellets in their daily feed.

Any thoughts and advice will be appreciated.

Jamie (and Dozer)

Ours would never eat Orchard grass pellets. You can't get good quality orchard pellets in Florida though, only this one type that is apple flavored.
I would cut out the old style mazuri entirely and switch to the LS. Less vegetables, more weeds too if possible.

 

[jsheffield]

Dozer enjoying a breakfast of Kale tossed in some dried flowers and herbs and seaweed and grasses, along with some pumpkin guts... I make up a couple of these small plates of food for Dozer every day, and put them in different spots around the enclosure.

Jamie

 

[dd33]

Those pumpkin seeds are risky! The typically pass through a larger animal undigested, I’m not sure if your little guy is big enough to do that.

 

[jsheffield]

Those pumpkin seeds are risky! The typically pass through a larger animal undigested, I’m not sure if your little guy is big enough to do that.

I'll grab them out... thanks.

J

 

[jsheffield]

Messing around with my phone's "not-quite macro" mode this afternoon....







Jamie

 

[vladimir]

Amazing photos!

 

[SinLA]

Messing around with my phone's "not-quite macro" mode this afternoon....

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Jamie

LOVE HIM

 

[jsheffield]

Pics from the morning soak...





Jamie