Hi from Françoise Tortoise, know to her friends as Fancie Francie

C3Colla

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Hi! I just rescued a 7-year-old Western Hermann. She was a “school pet” and lived in a plastic tub. She is a sweet lady, although my dogs do not understand why looking at a rock with feet in a box is fun :)
She went to the vet and is healthy!

PS, ever since I have been sharing pictures of my new friend, all kinds of people find it necessary to tell me how they had a tortoise as a child/ when their children were young, and how they drilled a hole in their shell and how okay that is. It makes me sick to my stomach! I have been called a bleeding heart and too sensitive for denouncing this practice as animal abuse.
 

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zolasmum

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Hi! I just rescued a 7-year-old Western Hermann. She was a “school pet” and lived in a plastic tub. She is a sweet lady, although my dogs do not understand why looking at a rock with feet in a box is fun :)
She went to the vet and is healthy!

PS, ever since I have been sharing pictures of my new friend, all kinds of people find it necessary to tell me how they had a tortoise as a child/ when their children were young, and how they drilled a hole in their shell and how okay that is. It makes me sick to my stomach! I have been called a bleeding heart and too sensitive for denouncing this practice as animal abuse.
Welcome -she is lovely, and obviously will have a much happier life with you. People often tell me similar things about drilling a hole in the shell, and also of all the unsuitable things they fed their tortoise . One can't condemn them too much, as there was so little information then - but if anyone did it now, I hope the full force of the law would descend on them !!
Angie (from UK)
 

Ink

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Welcome to the forum. Enjoy your tortoise
 

wellington

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Welcome. We don't agree with most of the stuff people out in internet land spew. Most of it is old outdated info or like you said, abuse and I agree.
Be sure to read and follow the caresheet on this forum to keep your tortoise happy and healthy for years
She needs a 4x8 minimum enclosure asap. A nice outside enclosure too of same size or bigger is better.
 

C3Colla

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I am working on an outdoor playpen; I ordered seeds for her to graze because it is hard to find any weeds out here in parched California!
I thought the 8x4 was for groups of three or more. Should she get that much by herself?
Thanks for the info, I’ve been reading like a champ!
 

ryan57

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I agree. I am against all piercing (humans too) and drilling as that is not our intended form. Obviously... or we would have holes for hanging ornaments and leaking through our lips and noses.

As far as size of outdoor pen; I went on a walk with my 4mo old sulcata (169grams) after I opened the door on its outdoor enclosure (8'x8') as it went grazing/foraging/exploring for a couple hours earlier today without picking it up. It walked about 800' over 2 hours with 1" legs and walked back to its burrow in the outdoor enclosure by itself so... Yes. Your large Hermann can use a lot of space.

To cover the same distance, in a 4x8 it may choose to walk around the perimeter about 50 times when factoring for scale. In a two hour period.
 
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TammyJ

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Hi and welcome to you and your beautiful tortoise!
 

C3Colla

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Marin County California
I agree. I am against all piercing (humans too) and drilling as that is not our intended form. Obviously... or we would have holes for hanging ornaments and leaking through our lips and noses.

As far as size of outdoor pen; I went on a walk with my 4mo old sulcata (169grams) after I opened the door on its outdoor enclosure (8'x8') as it went grazing/foraging/exploring for a couple hours earlier today without picking it up. It walked about 800' over 2 hours with 1" legs and walked back to its burrow in the outdoor enclosure by itself so... Yes. Your large Hermann can use a lot of space.

To cover the same distance, in a 4x8 it may choose to walk around the perimeter about 50 times when factoring for scale. In a two hour period.
I don’t know you, so I have to wonder if you are being sarcastic about the piercings on humans for ornamentation… and also, how do you qualify my Francie as big? Compared to your friend?
 

wellington

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I am working on an outdoor playpen; I ordered seeds for her to graze because it is hard to find any weeds out here in parched California!
I thought the 8x4 was for groups of three or more. Should she get that much by herself?
Thanks for the info, I’ve been reading like a champ!
That size, 4x8 is for one. A group would need a lot more space then that. They may be a small species but they still cover a lot of ground in the wild. We can't give them that kind of space but we can give them the minimum. Most medium sized needs a large room size and that's for one.
 

Tom

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Does anyone have a building plan? My son is very handy; he would love to build us one!
Hello and welcome.

Most of the care info online and from vets and pet stores is wrong. We've been doing it wrong for decades, and most people still don't know that we've figured out better ways to do things. Here is the current and correct care info, and it includes housing indoors and out:

Your current water bowl is not suitable for tortoises and it is a flipping hazard. I recommend replacing it with an inexpensive terra cotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate ASAP.

I also agree that your tortoise will need much large accommodations. 4x8 feet is a somewhat arbitrary number made up as a good reference point. People need a number and that one is pretty convenient and easy since lumber and plywood come in lengths of 8 feet as a standard. Bigger than that would be better. A little smaller than that isn't a death sentence by any means, but larger enclosures keep them healthier.

Your questions are welcome. We are all hear to talk tortoises.:)
 

MenagerieGrl

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Hi @C3Colla, and welcome to TFO from a West Contra Costa County girl. Where about's in Marin do you and Fancie Francie reside?
You have come to a wonderful community of folks. Some of us gush over or lil ones, and we try to do our best for their care.
Fancie Francie IS a cutie :tort:
Ask questions, and we all try our best to help out in the care of our Tort's and turtles.
Welcome again from El Sob.
 
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