Float and fly, like a pig-nosed turtle

[Adua]

Taking a 10-min course, divided into 2 lessons of 5 mins per day, my Fancy Future now has the skill to swim.
Too bad after swimming she gained some weight(1.2 to 1.3 kilograms) and skipped breakfast.

Sent from my LT28h using TortForum mobile app

 

[luvpetz27]

So cute!!

 

[Sh3wulf]

Such a pretty tort and those pictures are great

 

[Adua]

I had her go swimming again late in the afternoon today, eagerly thinking that she would have good time enjoying the warm tub. But she didn't show what she did yesterday. In fact, she sank like a rock and couldn't manage to get her head off the water. I guess when the stomach is full, the magic is gone.

 

[LeopardTortLover]

I haven't yet seen a tortoise on here with the same exact amount of pyramiding that mine has (i've either seen more or less pyramiding).... until now! I wondered what others looked like lol. And she's beautiful!!! So pretty

 

[LisaTurtle]

Cute! The 2nd pic is my favorite! I've wondered if they could be taught to swim. I have a Russian and I've seen videos on YouTube of other Russians swimming. Mine doesn't have that natural ability but I've wondered if a little practice every day would work. Let us know how it continues to go!

 

[Adua]

When I chose to have a Leopard tortoise, there were some pictures of a boy and a Leopard tortoise swimming in the river that kept haunting me nights and days (those pictures are here: http://kiss-of-light.photoshelter.com/gallery/Fauna-Non-Mammal-of-Namibia/G0000bGLFgfoKFBA/ ) ultil I had the tortoise of my own. After keeping Fancy Future for almost a year, I suddenly think that I dont need to wait ten years for her to grow up adult, if the tortoise can swim, then she can do it as a baby. So I did some search about "leopard tortoise swimming", not many results ,the swimming title is not common in tortoise. However, there are some videos and pictures about baby leopards and a real big beautiful male leopard tortoise swimming in bowls and pools. They encourage me.

When i put Fancy Future in deep water the first time (first day of the course) she didn't know to raise her head at all. She stretched her neck out but still kept her head under water, turning left and right with eyes wide openned. I gave her 10 seconds, but then she still didn't get it, yet her legs were moving very calmly, so she was not panic at all. I took her off and gave some another quick try and try, but got the same results.

The next day she made huge progress. This time her front legs had a fulcrum, and I pushed her rear a little bit to remind her raising head. She understood very well, and i was so so happy to see that lumpy head raising and looking up at me. This is so awesome. It's not that i want to push her to the limit, just give her another "option" (like Yvonne said)

Too bad, the summer is over. The North Eastern seasonal wind started blowing cold airs yesterday.

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Laura, I got Fancy Future on 09.28.12, she was 4-4.5" length and had some terrible grow lines that popped up seperately like a bunny's ears. I cracked them all with hand and tried to gave her as much humid as I could, soaked and sprayed twice a day. And I believe she is not getting worse despite those badly shaped grow lines, though it hurts everytime I look at the new grow lines and how they are affected by the old ones.

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Laura, I got Fancy Future on 09.28.12, she was 4-4.5" length and had some terrible grow lines that popped up seperately like a bunny's ears. I cracked them all with hand and tried to gave her as much humid as I could, soaked and sprayed twice a day. And I believe she is not getting worse despite those badly shaped grow lines, though it hurts everytime I look at the new grow lines and how they are affected by the old ones.

 

[kanalomele]

Many of my tortoises of several species swim. I developed a method to teaching swimming to the rescue torts because it is very good at developing strength and helping those that are too weak, sickly or ill to bear their own weight. Swimming therapy rocks!