Don't tell him that! His head is big enough already.
Cute, the most overused word on TFO, but then again...
- Thread starter Kapidolo Farms
- Start date
Cute is not in my vocabulary bank. It is a lazy, over-used Americanism and actually makes me shudder, like 'quaint'. And 24/7. And 'gee' and so on.
But these Egyptians are soooo cute.
Darn it! This way lies madness.
But these Egyptians are soooo cute.
Darn it! This way lies madness.
Donna/Turbo
Well-Known Member
I absolutely love the Egyptians!! I am not going to say they are cute...I will use amazing!! Can you give me any info on where you got them? I have looked at all the known sellers here on the forum and can't find any available. I am learning this is not the time to purchase. I guess spring is nesting and I should wait a few months until they start hatching. They are the perfect size and cuteness!! haha I really want one!!
ahmed helmy
Member
why they are in water ?
Yes! ! !
Why you have them knee deep in water? But I like to place an order of some baby Egyptian tortoise from you! ! ! ! !
They are so..........Now i don't know what to say! !
Why you have them knee deep in water? But I like to place an order of some baby Egyptian tortoise from you! ! ! ! !
They are so..........Now i don't know what to say! !
Hello, Ahmed and welcome to tortoise forum.
Young tortoises are best soaked in water for about 20 minutes a day to help with their hydration. Tortoises should always have access to fresh water to drink and soak in when required, but shallow enough not to drown. A terracotta saucer sunk flush with the substrate is commonly used.
Older tortoises should be soaked a couple of times a week.
it is important to keep humidity up too.
I hope this is what you mean.
Young tortoises are best soaked in water for about 20 minutes a day to help with their hydration. Tortoises should always have access to fresh water to drink and soak in when required, but shallow enough not to drown. A terracotta saucer sunk flush with the substrate is commonly used.
Older tortoises should be soaked a couple of times a week.
it is important to keep humidity up too.
I hope this is what you mean.
In that area of the world (where the Egyptians hatch), the baby tortoises hatch during the monsoon season. Will is offering them a very moist environment trying to mimic what it would be like in their native space.
And Will need to do this till when?? 3 months old? Yeah.........How old are Will's baby Egyptian Tortoises?? @Will ?? Do you know how old are they? Thanks! !
ahmed helmy
Member
I'm from Egypt and we never do that , all we have to do is placing a plate of water in the enclosure and it works fine
Ahmed: You're very lucky to be living in the geographical area where the tortoises originate. Will doesn't. He lives in a very different geographical area. Tortoise care depends upon where you live. No one particular rule holds true for every location.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,173
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
Yes that is one very cute tortoise.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,173
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
So the prior care for these guys created chronically dehydrated tortoises IMO. I have kept them very hydrated until their urea/urates come out like egg whites not ground up egg shell. I soak them at least every other day. I had just added water when I took the image in the OP, and within a few hours the orchid bark absorbed much of that water. When I add water it is usually so that the level seen in the side of the box is about halfway up the orchid bark, by the next day it is mostly all dry again. The clump of sphagnum also wicks water up, all to keep a higher level of humidity than otherwise. They are gaining weight like crazy. At one year of age they were under 20 grams each. I've spoken to others and understand at one year 40 grams might be a better gain. So even if they got as much to eat as they wanted prior, they are now getting water as well. Water is THE most important nutrient and it catalyses almost all other nutrient absorption reactions.
Little tortoise are more volatile than larger tortoises. Water loss physics doesn't change when they are small, so they can dehydrate so much more quickly than larger specimens. I don't have adult burrows and palates already in their enclosure for them to retreat to as they might have in the wild. So the small amount of water in the lower portion of their substrate is a surrogate for the higher humidity that might be retained in a burrow after the morning marine influence fog wets their natural territory. Many naturalists who have published narratives of their home range indicate they exist in the range of where the marine influence reaches x days a year. I don't recall the number of days. The further inland reaches of their range are in low lying areas, valleys etc, where that marine influence can penetrate the land area, and/or retain the moisture better.
Little tortoise are more volatile than larger tortoises. Water loss physics doesn't change when they are small, so they can dehydrate so much more quickly than larger specimens. I don't have adult burrows and palates already in their enclosure for them to retreat to as they might have in the wild. So the small amount of water in the lower portion of their substrate is a surrogate for the higher humidity that might be retained in a burrow after the morning marine influence fog wets their natural territory. Many naturalists who have published narratives of their home range indicate they exist in the range of where the marine influence reaches x days a year. I don't recall the number of days. The further inland reaches of their range are in low lying areas, valleys etc, where that marine influence can penetrate the land area, and/or retain the moisture better.
Very useful information. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and techniques.
ahmed helmy
Member
did you mean that high humidity levels helps in gaining weight ??!!
I think he meant that water aids all other nutrient absorption, so water helps the baby absorb the nutrients from the food.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,173
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
No. Not exactly, but yes indirectly. If they are continually losing water through exhalation from breathing then some of the water in their food which gets exhaled (after it was absorbed in the intestines and distributed throughout the body via blood circulation) no longer does other jobs, like facilitating nutrient absorption. And not having to recycle water through the bladder (an energy use that might be better used growing the body). Some water loss through exhalation will always occur, but less so in a higher humidity microclimate. Precisely I do not know how much this may contribute, but it does contribute.
So, yes, as a matter of fact within a range that I have only defined qualitatively, higher humidity does increase weight gain and growth, albeit indirectly.
ahmed helmy
Member
ok but my egyptian tortoises hardly drinks water & i give them a bath every friday
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2011
- Messages
- 546
I am curious on how you keep them. From the photograph,it looks like you keep them in a rack system with a heatpad undearneath and overhead U.V. I would love to see a photo as I am in the process of making a rack system for raising babies.
turtlemanfla88
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2014
- Messages
- 443
I am making the observation that the women use cute while the men do not use cute to describe anything . The animals are nice looking. I like how you said getting different bloodlines. I cannot wait till what the Great David Lee said comes true one day that the people who are serious will start a DNA test with turtles and tortoises.
chinese guy
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2016
- Messages
- 14
so cute,nice!
