Hello from Ohio

[Feylin]

I just found this forum, but I've had Lois my redfoot tortoise for 15 years.

I adopted her from the Toledo Zoo when I was 12 and Lois was 1. Now I'm 26 and Lois is 16. She's lived with me ever since then- I've learned a lot about diet and housing over the years but I'm really looking forward to seeing what other redfoot owners do.

I teach high school science and Lois comes to school with me every day. Lois absolutely loves school- she waits by her carrier every morning for me to put her inside. Lois keeps track of the kids and patrols my room for me- no one sleeps in MY class because they know Lois will walk on their feet.

We're looking forward to meeting everyone around here!

ETA: Pictures!

Lois likes collards the best

I just built her a new enclosure. We'll see how long it takes her to figure out how to break out of this one.

There's a lot more (I have a nice new camera!) but I wont over load you all.

 

[terryo]

You must have taken good care of her ....16 years old..Wow! Mine is only 7 months old. Can you post some pictures of her.
Oh...Welcome!

 

[Feylin]

Thanks! I had to take good care of her- Lois won't let me get away with anything else!

Seriously, she KNOWS what foods are for her and when I make her dinner. If I fail to serve her on time she comes looking for me and walks all over my feet until I get up and do my job already!

 

[Coldliz]

Hello and Welcome! I'm in Ohio also. I love your story of you and Lois!! Great pics, can't wait to see more.

 

[Josh]

welcome to tortoise forum .org! your stories about lois are cute. great to hear that a tortoise can become such a close companion (i think many non-tortoise owners would doubt this)
great photos too!

 

[micki]

a big welcome to urself and lois to the forum

 

[Feylin]

Josh- people hear about Lois and think I'm nuts all the time. Until they meet her. Lois has charmed every single person we've met...it's really strange how she fascinates every one equally. Last year, my vice principal was very against a reptile being in the classroom. I invited her to come visit and it took litteraly less than 5min for the woman to get down on the floor and talk to Lois.

Have people around here owned their tortoises for as long as Lois and I? I kind of assumed that's just how it worked.....

 

[cvalda]

Welcome! Lois seems TOTALLY cool I love Red-Foots! YAY to you for keeping such good care of her all these years! LOVE the photos!

 

[jlyoncc1]

Welcome to the forum! Some people here have been tort owners for a very long time and some not very long. I myself have only been a couple of years.

 

[Jacqui]

Love your history with your tort! Welcome to the group.

 

[TestudoGeek]

Welcome to TFO Feylin. wonderfull tort you've got there.
I had no idea tortoises could enjoy traveling thar much. (wich is somewaht reassuring).
16 years... wow.
oh, feel free to post more pics.

 

[Yvonne G]

Have people around here owned their tortoises for as long as Lois and I? I kind of assumed that's just how it worked.....

My very first tortoise was Mi-Shell, a California desert tortoise. I took her in about 35 years ago. I still have her, but she is very sick with an infection (abcess) on her head that has a bad strain of bacteria that is almost impossible to kill. For the past three years we've been trying everything we can but we can't get rid of it. Now it has gone into the bone. I'm afraid I'm going to lose her.

Yvonne

 

[terryo]

She looks really good...and BIG!

 

[Feylin]

oh how terrible, emysemys! I always worry about Lois getting sick since it takes so long for them to show symptoms and then it seems like twice as long for things to clear up. The one big scare we had (a respiratory infection) was more than enough for me! We'll be thinking of you- I hope your Mishell gets better.

Lois LOVES to travel, Testudogeek. I think this iss because the zoo had her and her siblings as part of a teching program for local schools. She spent the first year of her life traveling every day to kindergarden classrooms! As a kid, Lois and I were so attached I carted her everywhere with me. My parents have pictures of a baby Lois scrambling after me in all kinds of places from the living room to a sand box- she didn't want to be left alone! She still likes to stay around me, but she's content to keep tabs on me from across a room now. She gets agitated when I've moved though- new floor plans means she can't be sure where I am in the house! She's not very good at staying in her OWN enclosure but I keep humidifiers in most rooms for her.

Now, she's a creature of habbit and gets crabby with me when I don't take her to school. She knows that her carrier is for HER too. I recently had to make an emergency trip to a vet with a sick guinea pig and the only carrier I had was Lois'. ( I disinfected it first!) She was SO MAD that someone else was in her space and was getting to leave too!

 

[JustAnja]

Welcome to the TFO family! Lois looks great, cant wait to see more pictures. I think more teachers should have reptiles in the classroom. My 8th grade honors Bio teacher did and it was a great year for all of us.

 

[Crazy1]

Feylin, it sounds as if you and Lois have such a special relationship. Your stories made me smile and lifted my heart when I read them. I am happy to welcome you and Lois to the forum. I think you will be a great asset.

Yvonne, I am so, so sorry to hear bout Mi-Shell. My thoughts and prayers are with you and her.

 

[Feylin]

Well, the administration is worried (paranoid) about samonella harming the students and I"M worried about the students harming Lois (they're 17 after all). So I dont know that it is a good idea in all situations.

I have strict rules about hand washing and my admisitration is content with that.

 

[Itort]

Welcome to another long time Redfoot lover from another lond term Redfoot lover (33 year).

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, the administration is worried (paranoid) about samonella harming the students and I"M worried about the students harming Lois (they're 17 after all). So I dont know that it is a good idea in all situations.

I have strict rules about hand washing and my admisitration is content with that.

When I used to take turtles/tortoises to schools for education purposes I always brought a roll of paper towells and several bottles of hand sanitizer. You can usually buy the hand sanitizer pretty cheaply (in a pump bottle, too) at the dollar store. Then before anyone handles or touches a turtle, they sanitize, and after each touch they sanitize. The teachers were usually ok with that system.

Yvonne

 

[Feylin]

ohh, 33 years! Lois and I look like babies in comparison. Well, teenagers more like.

The hand sanitizer doesn't cut it around here. Lois is basicaly free range in my classroom and its impossible to sanitize everything. So I just have students trained to wash their hands on entering and leaving (it's a science classroom so we have 6 sinks). It's something we establish at the begining of the year with the other rules. So far every one (including Lois) is just fine.