- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Messages
- 16
We recently rescued a 13 year old male Western Hermann's Tortoise.
My husband and I have been busy researching and doing our best to create a safe and sound home for tortoise. We created a tortoise table out of a sandbox. The substrate is a 50/50 mix of sterile organic soil + playsand. Steve had fun designing the landscape. We also put in a shallow water area using a ceramic bowl. Our tortoise had fun yesterday exploring his new digs but Steve was concerned that the moisture from the water encouraged the substrate to stick to Franklinstein so we have also added a small layer of aspen bedding to help with that.
Yesterday we purchased a 160 W Mercury Vapour Lamp as we wanted to increase his UVB absorption by allowing him to bask under UVB. We had a ceramic lamp and seperate UV light before that. We are monitoring the temperature of his habitat with a laser heat gun.
I am doing my best to provide a correct diet for him but it is a bit of a challenge in Canada in the winter. I am purchasing organic spring mix from the grocery store, sprinkling it with cuttlebone scraping (for Ca). I intend to grow seeds and purchase plants to increase the variety and depth of his diet. My list of appropriate food is from The Tortoise Table and The Tortoise Lady. I cross referenced and will choose the foods that are suggested as suitable to be fed all the time. And from that list will obtain as many non-contaminated plants that I can find.
http://www.tortoiselady.co.uk/page6.htm
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/files/Booklet 2nd edition_March 2012.pdf
ANY ADVICE IS MUCH APPRECIATED
Thanks,
Lori & Steve
Franklinstein, 13 year old Hermanns Tortoise
Winnie, 15 year old Shih Tzu
Kipper, 7 year old Black Labrador
My husband and I have been busy researching and doing our best to create a safe and sound home for tortoise. We created a tortoise table out of a sandbox. The substrate is a 50/50 mix of sterile organic soil + playsand. Steve had fun designing the landscape. We also put in a shallow water area using a ceramic bowl. Our tortoise had fun yesterday exploring his new digs but Steve was concerned that the moisture from the water encouraged the substrate to stick to Franklinstein so we have also added a small layer of aspen bedding to help with that.
Yesterday we purchased a 160 W Mercury Vapour Lamp as we wanted to increase his UVB absorption by allowing him to bask under UVB. We had a ceramic lamp and seperate UV light before that. We are monitoring the temperature of his habitat with a laser heat gun.
I am doing my best to provide a correct diet for him but it is a bit of a challenge in Canada in the winter. I am purchasing organic spring mix from the grocery store, sprinkling it with cuttlebone scraping (for Ca). I intend to grow seeds and purchase plants to increase the variety and depth of his diet. My list of appropriate food is from The Tortoise Table and The Tortoise Lady. I cross referenced and will choose the foods that are suggested as suitable to be fed all the time. And from that list will obtain as many non-contaminated plants that I can find.
http://www.tortoiselady.co.uk/page6.htm
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/files/Booklet 2nd edition_March 2012.pdf
ANY ADVICE IS MUCH APPRECIATED
Thanks,
Lori & Steve
Franklinstein, 13 year old Hermanns Tortoise
Winnie, 15 year old Shih Tzu
Kipper, 7 year old Black Labrador