Wow! Thank you Tom! As you well know, the rewards of keeping our tortoises happy are well worth the while
Grazing Aldabras
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Wow! Thank you Tom! As you well know, the rewards of keeping our tortoises happy are well worth the while
Wow... great job! I wish you lived near me so we can swap stories and ideas. I live in/near Houston Texas.
I am lucky to have the main Houston Zoo vet as my back up to help care for Buddy. He has 2 aldabras and was involved with Lonesome George, the galapagos that passed away last year. The last of his species. But there are 9 other galapagos species still around.
Lonesome George was taxidermied and will be on display at the Smithonion. Grand opening next month.
I am lucky to have the main Houston Zoo vet as my back up to help care for Buddy. He has 2 aldabras and was involved with Lonesome George, the galapagos that passed away last year. The last of his species. But there are 9 other galapagos species still around.
Lonesome George was taxidermied and will be on display at the Smithonion. Grand opening next month.
I've always wondered about the white sand in the aldabra huts. Why is that substrate chosen for this species? Just curiosity causing me to ask
Hey, I remember Zuni. I'm glad your keeping this thread going, even though I have missed it since my first post, I won't miss anymore though. I am curious to about the sand
Me too, I have sulcata and leopard baby's and it's recommended not to use sand. I plan on getting an Aldabra 1st of year (from Aldabraman) and would really like all the info I can get about the aldabra's. So any advise, suggestions, anything at all would be very appreciated.
Thank you! Your Buddy is a handsome Aldabra! I would love to meet you both if only we lived closer!
I've always wondered about the white sand in the aldabra huts. Why is that substrate chosen for this species? Just curiosity causing me to ask
Great questions! So why is sand chosen to be offered as bedding and why do care sheets advise against it... Brace yourself for a long explanation
First lets ask ourselves why would sand be advised against if sulcatas (and other species) naturally burrow in sand? Why don't wild sulcatas become impacted?
Or our native Gopher Tortoises...in all that sugar sand?
The answer is that sand is not the problem, it is a natural substrate for tortoises to bed down in. So why is it advised against? Simply put, removing sand as a substrate is a BANDAID to cover the real problem, that is an artificial environment and unnatural diet. If one were to put a hatchling tortoise in a tank or tortoise table with sand as the substrate and feed it sticky produce from the supermarket... Surely it would predispose that tortoise to impaction. Naturally, a grazing tortoise would eat blades of grass shooting up perpendicular to the ground or browse hanging forage, not damp lettuce with sand sticking to it
Back to Aldabra tortoises, unlike the sulcata tortoise the Aldabra does not burrow, but similarly they do have a homing instinct to bed down in a routine spot, wallowing out a shallow resting place in the ground that they frequently rest in.
I have chosen soft white sand to offer them as they would have access to this on their native islands, and they seem to appreciate this as they choose to bed down in it. They do not eat on the sand so it poses no threat to them becoming impacted.
As far as advice, I often make this analogy to clients: keeping a tortoise in a tank is like keeping a cow (grazing animal) in a tank. This may sound harsh but it's what we must keep in mind when setting up an artificial environment for our tortoises. Keeping our tortoises as natural as possible, keeps our tortoises healthy and happy. I believe natural sunshine and grazing is key. This may not be possible year round in northern states, but should be taken full advantage of when available, realizing that when we need to take our tortoises inside it is suboptimal. Starting off with a hatchling aldabra I recommend building a grazing box like the ones Aldabraman uses for his hatchlings. Here is what I started Gilligan in.
Please feel free to ask more questions! I am excited for you and your future Aldabra!
Buddies for life!
Thanks for your reply. Great explanation. And makes perfect sense.
Neck rub and a shower
That's does make sense. I wondered about that cause sand is their natural substrate. And well, after watching the Sudans, they eat dirty stuff every other bite so their system must have a way to keep things running smoothly. I will explain my idea for my Aldabra. Any corrective suggestions are much wanted.
Weather will be cold and I am planning on getting a 30 day, 3" hatchling. So we will be living inside till at least night temps are a steady 65-70. I am building a closed chamber 10'x12' enclosure. It will mainly be plywood floor and walls, covered w shower curtain, top frame made out of 2x4 to mount all the fixtures, basking lamp, UVB fixture (I use the long tube fixtures, high output) and CHE for heat. And then to enclose it, I will cover with clear shower curtains. Of course before it's done I will probably have to change something. I will use a 3" of damp Eco earth, topped with 2-3" of Repti bark. I have water dishes in the enclosure at all times, I usually put small rocks in it, they can drink water out of it but if they end up flipped over in it, their head will be out of the water. I keep humidity at 85 or above at all times and heat around 80-90, warm end, cool end, etc. basking area 95-100. Every morning I go out and pick multiple different weeds. Dandelions, plantain (wide and narrow), hibiscus leaves, mulberry leaves, clovers, purslane, and of course grass. I have some seasonal weeds I add too, right now it's sow thistle and nettle. My current torts do not like to eat grass so I chop everything except grass into quarter size peices and chop the grass so very fine and then mix so the grass is just all over everything and they don't even know it. Once or twice a week I will give them a few maurzi pellets, softened. I usually mix their calcium and multivitamin in w the tort chow. I have cuttlebone in their enclosure all the time as well. Now in the winter when all this stuff isn't available i will probably be forced to get stuff from grocery store. I plan on using the largest variety and the healthiest items I possible can. I am planting an inside garden and hopefully I won't have to use these grocery store items tho. I plan on planting a grazer mix and a bunch of different weeds. All this will go in the indoor garden and in the spring I will sow the organic garden outside with it and their enclosures as well.
now when night temps get up 65-70, and stay there, I want to put him outside. I will set up a humid night box and build a "pool", there will be shade trees, water dish, large tile area for basking. I will have a wired lids that cover the top of enclosure. To help w humidity I was thinking about putting some organic top soil in half the enclosure, keeping if real damp. I also have a fog maker that can be put in his "pool". I was also thinking about covering the lids with a clear plastic. I would take the plastic off in the morning and evenings when he is actually out and grazing so he getting a couple hours of unfiltered sun rays. The plastic won't be air tight so I'm assuming covering the top wouldn't make the enclosure temps raise to dangerous levels or anything. Now PLEASE, if you read anything that I could do, need to do, or shouldn't do, anything, please tell me. I want the very best for my torts and who better to give advise and suggestions then the people who are already raising them. Thnks!!
Weather will be cold and I am planning on getting a 30 day, 3" hatchling. So we will be living inside till at least night temps are a steady 65-70. I am building a closed chamber 10'x12' enclosure. It will mainly be plywood floor and walls, covered w shower curtain, top frame made out of 2x4 to mount all the fixtures, basking lamp, UVB fixture (I use the long tube fixtures, high output) and CHE for heat. And then to enclose it, I will cover with clear shower curtains. Of course before it's done I will probably have to change something. I will use a 3" of damp Eco earth, topped with 2-3" of Repti bark. I have water dishes in the enclosure at all times, I usually put small rocks in it, they can drink water out of it but if they end up flipped over in it, their head will be out of the water. I keep humidity at 85 or above at all times and heat around 80-90, warm end, cool end, etc. basking area 95-100. Every morning I go out and pick multiple different weeds. Dandelions, plantain (wide and narrow), hibiscus leaves, mulberry leaves, clovers, purslane, and of course grass. I have some seasonal weeds I add too, right now it's sow thistle and nettle. My current torts do not like to eat grass so I chop everything except grass into quarter size peices and chop the grass so very fine and then mix so the grass is just all over everything and they don't even know it. Once or twice a week I will give them a few maurzi pellets, softened. I usually mix their calcium and multivitamin in w the tort chow. I have cuttlebone in their enclosure all the time as well. Now in the winter when all this stuff isn't available i will probably be forced to get stuff from grocery store. I plan on using the largest variety and the healthiest items I possible can. I am planting an inside garden and hopefully I won't have to use these grocery store items tho. I plan on planting a grazer mix and a bunch of different weeds. All this will go in the indoor garden and in the spring I will sow the organic garden outside with it and their enclosures as well.
now when night temps get up 65-70, and stay there, I want to put him outside. I will set up a humid night box and build a "pool", there will be shade trees, water dish, large tile area for basking. I will have a wired lids that cover the top of enclosure. To help w humidity I was thinking about putting some organic top soil in half the enclosure, keeping if real damp. I also have a fog maker that can be put in his "pool". I was also thinking about covering the lids with a clear plastic. I would take the plastic off in the morning and evenings when he is actually out and grazing so he getting a couple hours of unfiltered sun rays. The plastic won't be air tight so I'm assuming covering the top wouldn't make the enclosure temps raise to dangerous levels or anything. Now PLEASE, if you read anything that I could do, need to do, or shouldn't do, anything, please tell me. I want the very best for my torts and who better to give advise and suggestions then the people who are already raising them. Thnks!!
[QUOTE="Amanda81, post: 944284, me******* Post shortened to save space***********. Thnks!![/QUOTE]
Don't forget the spineless optuna cactus pads. You can buy them year round at farmers markets or via the internet. I have an account with a grower that automatically sends me a box of them every month for about 40$ per month. They are a great food item for aldabaras (and other tortoises). Optuna has a really good calcium to phosphorus ratio (if I remember correctly) and it also keeps the digestive tract moving right along to hopefully prevent impaction.
Also be cautious about covering the enclosure with plastic- even if there is airflow. If it gets too hot in there your tortoises are done. Being unable to cool off wrecks reptile brains VERY quickly. Maybe cover part of it and leave the other part open so they can get away from the heat if they so desire. They love the heat- but too much can be a bad thing really fast.
Good luck!
-Jeff
Don't forget the spineless optuna cactus pads. You can buy them year round at farmers markets or via the internet. I have an account with a grower that automatically sends me a box of them every month for about 40$ per month. They are a great food item for aldabaras (and other tortoises). Optuna has a really good calcium to phosphorus ratio (if I remember correctly) and it also keeps the digestive tract moving right along to hopefully prevent impaction.
Also be cautious about covering the enclosure with plastic- even if there is airflow. If it gets too hot in there your tortoises are done. Being unable to cool off wrecks reptile brains VERY quickly. Maybe cover part of it and leave the other part open so they can get away from the heat if they so desire. They love the heat- but too much can be a bad thing really fast.
Good luck!
-Jeff
Thanks for the reply to my sand question
Now I wonder, is the sand damp at all? Or completely dry? Like a kids sand box for building sand castles or near the fire pit area on the beach?
Again, totally just curious and I appreciate your answers
I, like so many others am fascinated by these guys but can't easily keep them. so we just have to enjoy the info and photos you share!
Now I wonder, is the sand damp at all? Or completely dry? Like a kids sand box for building sand castles or near the fire pit area on the beach?
Again, totally just curious and I appreciate your answers
I, like so many others am fascinated by these guys but can't easily keep them.
so we just have to enjoy the info and photos you share!
Don't forget the spineless optuna cactus pads. You can buy them year round at farmers markets or via the internet. I have an account with a grower that automatically sends me a box of them every month for about 40$ per month. They are a great food item for aldabaras (and other tortoises). Optuna has a really good calcium to phosphorus ratio (if I remember correctly) and it also keeps the digestive tract moving right along to hopefully prevent impaction.
Also be cautious about covering the enclosure with plastic- even if there is airflow. If it gets too hot in there your tortoises are done. Being unable to cool off wrecks reptile brains VERY quickly. Maybe cover part of it and leave the other part open so they can get away from the heat if they so desire. They love the heat- but too much can be a bad thing really fast.
Good luck!
-Jeff[/QUOTE]
I do give the cactus pads, just not daily do to it acting like a laxative. I planted a pad years ago in the corner of my yard and now it has took over the whole area. I usually do not include it because it's a occasional item, the items I listed earlier are gave daily, everyday. I don't give the tortoise pellets daily either. I give it once/twice a week, sometimes I skip it altogether. I have read it accelerated growth and accelerated growth might help encourage pyramiding so i try my best to stay as close to natural as I can. My ultimate goal is to eventually get as close to natural as I can. I would like to mimic their natural habitat as closely as possible. This is one reason I have always questioned the "no sand" issue. Like I plan on moving south in a couple years, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, a much warmer area is my goal, I haven't really decided exact location, I just know I want warmer winters. When this happens I plan on really trying to get as close to natural for them as I can cause I will be able to keep them outdoors year round. Right now and for the next couple years I am here in Tennessee where the winters are cold and long and until they are bigger, they will have to live indoors for a couple months of the year.
As for the outdoor enclosure, like I say, it's an idea I had, I'm sure before it's finished I will have changed multiple things multiple times. I have quickly learned that when it comes to building enclosures, it's one step at a time and you are modifying your original plan step by step. Lol. Thanks for your suggestions and advise.
This might be a little off subject but wasn't sure where to post this.
I myself, would never allow anybody, a toddler, a 10 yr old, nor a grown man to ride my tortoise. I was doing some research on the Aldabra and came across a video of oeople actually riding an Aldabra. First a lady put a little toddler on him, I thought " not my tortoise" and them a larger kid, maybe 11-12 yr old climbed on, I thought "that's to much weight" and the tortoise was attempting to walk but wasn't fully standing up. Then, a grown man climbed on top him. Really??! ! Is this ok? I personally would never allow this to go on with one of my torts but is it ok to climb on them and use them for 4- wheelers?
I myself, would never allow anybody, a toddler, a 10 yr old, nor a grown man to ride my tortoise. I was doing some research on the Aldabra and came across a video of oeople actually riding an Aldabra. First a lady put a little toddler on him, I thought " not my tortoise" and them a larger kid, maybe 11-12 yr old climbed on, I thought "that's to much weight" and the tortoise was attempting to walk but wasn't fully standing up. Then, a grown man climbed on top him. Really??! ! Is this ok? I personally would never allow this to go on with one of my torts but is it ok to climb on them and use them for 4- wheelers?
* Just to support and add to ToitoiseDVM, we find that using beach sand is much easier to keep clean and work with. We also find it seems to stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summers.
Do you use it only in their hut? Do you moisten it?
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