First outdoor adventure

[Lelalu]

Just wanted to share a couple pics of my lovely tortoise!
Today was her first experience in a yard. She's about 5 1/2 months old and the weather was gorgeous and sunny here. She hiked all over, and I rather think she enjoyed herself.

This picture shows her the day I first got her Oct 4th 2012, and her outside today March 10th 2013.

 

[Tom]

Mmmm... Sunshine. So good for them.

Got an enclosure out there yet?

 

[Lelalu]

No, no enclosure outside yet. I don't have a yard myself - it's just a patch of grass in the community with a picnic table (no pesticides). She'll get a furnished pond liner tub on my deck once it's more consistently in the acceptable temperature range.

A yard is first on my list of requirements when I move in just over a year! (Then I can get more tortoises as well)

 

[Tom]

I wonder how many of us have plans to get more tortoises when we have more space. I'm looking for some acreage right now. I'll be adding a few more tortoises once that happens.

 

[biochemnerd808]

What a beautiful little tortoise! Looks like good healthy growth, too.

 

[Lelalu]

I wonder how many of us have plans to get more tortoises when we have more space. I'm looking for some acreage right now. I'll be adding a few more tortoises once that happens.

I thought one would be enough when I got her. I was worried it would be an overwhelming amount of work to keep her healthy and growing well but you get into a habit and it's just so much fun! Instead of the "cat lady", I was previously the "chinchilla lady"... I fear now I will be the "chinchilla and tortoise lady"!

What a beautiful little tortoise! Looks like good healthy growth, too.

Thanks! I have been very mindful of her environment to prevent the dreaded pyramiding.

She is growing much faster/bigger than I thought she would! 2 weeks ago (~4 months old) she was 103 grams and 3" long. But I figure as long as she can pull all legs and her head into her shell at once then she shouldn't be overweight. And I only feed her appropriate greens and veggies, and vary the amount from day to day.

 

[kjr153]

When I get the hang of the whole Tortoise world, I 'd love to have an Aldabra. What are your opinions on those?

 

[biochemnerd808]

kjr153, please don't hijack this thread... I'd suggest posting in the aldabra portion of the forum for such questions!

Aldabras are huge, beautiful, gentle, friendly... expensive and have I mentioned HUGE! You need huge outdoor roaming areas, basically a barn or shed with winter heat, the dedication and resources to feed and care for a 200+ lb animal for the rest of your life and to arrange for care beyond that.

When I get the hang of the whole Tortoise world, I 'd love to have an Aldabra. What are your opinions on those?