Moving to Tallahassee Florida from Ohio

[24christina24]

Me and my family are moving to Florida from Ohio and I was wondering how to make the move from being indoors most of the time to outside easier. I was also wondering what kind of bugs/ plant to keep away from my tortoise. He/ she has a 3’/6’ shed for a house we are gonna put a fence around and put a chicken wire top or any other tips to make the move easier for him/ her.

 

[Big Charlie]

How big is your tortoise? He will love being in Florida.

 

[24christina24]

4 -5 pounds

 

[Bass.Isles]

I live in Florida. Your tort will LOVE the massive amounts of chickweed that is everywheeeere lol. Mine is crazy for it. Also thistle, wild dandelion, wandering jew, and St.Augustine grass too! And hibiscus trees grow amazingly well here, so make sure to plant some. Do not plant or have any azaleas or sago palms in your yard, they are poisonous to almost all animals. Also, begonia and ivy are a big NO.

Oh, and I know you said your tort is 4-5 lbs, but a large hawk or eagle could still swoop down and grab something of that size. We have lots of both (hawks and eagles). So be careful just leaving your tort out in the yard.

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

I live in south Florida too and it's wonderful that the plants grow year round. My plants from my property are the only food Shelby gets except once a week I break up a leaf of Romaine and put it in a clay plant pot bottom with water in it. Shelby loves to climb in and munch. One little problem. I gave it some Mexican Petunia flowers today and it loved them. ( I say it because it's only a couple of months old) I sent a picture to my granddaughter and she asked me what the flower was. I could not remember if my name for the plant was correct so I googled it. Shocked and dismayed! it said POISONOUS. OUCH. Shelby ate every one of them about 6 flowers. When I did my research I found it was toxic to dogs but did not mention any other animals. We had 2 hours today of heavy wind and thunderstorms. Shelby's habitat is on the patio next to the screening for the light. When this storm came, it blew a lot of rain inside and cooled it off drastically. Being the heat lamp is plugged in and I keep the cords held up off the floor in case the floor gets wet it was not useable. Poor Shelby had a two-hour chill. I plugged back in as soon as I could and turned in on. Shelby has been in her cave buried all afternoon. Now that I found out these delicious purple flowers are poisonous to dogs are they poisonous to my Tortoise? She has been sleeping in the cave so I do not want to disturb her to find her sick. She likes to come out and bask under the heat lamp at night so I will see her soon. I really am nervous about this flower hurting or even killing her. Help!

I also found this
Toxic to Cats and Dogs - Cocoa Mulch will kill them!
I need a list for my tortoise of all things poisonous, is there one here somewhere?

 

[Big Charlie]

the list is here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/
Mexican petunia is safe to feed.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=778&c=5#.W2-aEcInapo

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

the list is here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/
Mexican petunia is safe to feed.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=778&c=5#.W2-aEcInapo

THANK YOU I just went to check on Shelby and she was sleeping where she likes to go at night as I expected near the heat lamp. I cleaned out all the plants not eaten or planted and picked Shely up. She is fine. I also cleaned up 6 poops! Here's another question that probably should be asked somewhere else but here goes. I swear Shelby responds to my voice. She will search around for me when she hears me, I watch her and I think when Shelby spots me it's looking right at me. My husband said "I think this tortoise knows your voice" I think she might. Does she? I talk to it all the time. I pet the shell and Shelby loves me to pet the top of her head and neck and will stretch out for me. So am I crazy or does Shelby know me? And if Shelby knows me, I am a dog trainer so I have the urge to try to teach her things to like to come to my voice not just look at me but to come to me, can that be accomplished in time?
I'm printing the list of plants thank you. oops too much to print

 

[Big Charlie]

THANK YOU I just went to check on Shelby and she was sleeping where she likes to go at night as I expected near the heat lamp. I cleaned out all the plants not eaten or planted and picked Shely up. She is fine. I also cleaned up 6 poops! Here's another question that probably should be asked somewhere else but here goes. I swear Shelby responds to my voice. She will search around for me when she hears me, I watch her and I think when Shelby spots me it's looking right at me. My husband said "I think this tortoise knows your voice" I think she might. Does she? I talk to it all the time. I pet the shell and Shelby loves me to pet the top of her head and neck and will stretch out for me. So am I crazy or does Shelby know me? And if Shelby knows me, I am a dog trainer so I have the urge to try to teach her things to like to come to my voice not just look at me but to come to me, can that be accomplished in time?
I'm printing the list of plants thank you. oops too much to print

I think they recognize your voice. I talk to my tortoise all the time. I think most pet tortoises see us as a food god and will come to see what treats we bring. My tortoise lives outside. When I go outside, he will mostly ignore me until I start talking to him and then he will follow me, either to get sprayed with the hose or to get a treat I cut from something growing in our yard.
There is a video somewhere of a man who trained a tortoise (I think maybe a box turtle) to do a bunch of tricks, like lift up a front leg.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I think they recognize your voice. I talk to my tortoise all the time. I think most pet tortoises see us as a food god and will come to see what treats we bring. My tortoise lives outside. When I go outside, he will mostly ignore me until I start talking to him and then he will follow me, either to get sprayed with the hose or to get a treat I cut from something growing in our yard.
There is a video somewhere of a man who trained a tortoise (I think maybe a box turtle) to do a bunch of tricks, like lift up a front leg.

Interesting that you say that. What I've notice about mine is that (especially when outdoors) mine will follow my voice and head in my direction whereas he withdraws at the sound of my wife's voice.....kinda like I have a tendency to do. lol.

This message will self-destruct prior to her waking up.

 

[Big Charlie]

Interesting that you say that. What I've notice about mine is that (especially when outdoors) mine will follow my voice and head in my direction whereas he withdraws at the sound of my wife's voice.....kinda like I have a tendency to do. lol.

This message will self-destruct prior to her waking up.

lol!

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

the list is here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/
Mexican petunia is safe to feed.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=778&c=5#.W2-aEcInapo

lol!

Good to know I am not imagining my tortoise at only 2 months old actually does know my voice I was amazed when Shelby

Because I have been a newbie too, also bringing up a baby Sulcata and I live in Florida too. I have a wonderful ap to tell you all about no matter where you live.
It's free in the ap store (from apple) called Garden Answers. Best if loaded on a cell phone. What you do is take a photo of a plant, leaf, tree, flower etc. and then the ap will try to match your photo with the database. I've used this ap in Massachusetts, Tennessee and FL, it correctly identified my photos. Today I took photos of all the plants and flowers I have been feeding from my property, most are weeds and flowers. I wrote down from the "Tortoise Table" all that is poisonous that I know grow in South FL and will post on my refrigerator. All the safe foods my tortoise can eat that we normally buy from the fruit and vegetable section, and a list of my plants in my gardens that are safe. I did it that way because there are less safe than toxic although the list of safe foods is abundant I only put on our list what we buy for ourselves and it's a long list. Even though I have this wonderful page "The Tortoise Table" I still have no clue what the plants are that I am cutting in my yard. This way I can have the answer of what my weeds are and if they are safe or not. I did notice that just as my horses do outside, that Shelby was given a plant on the DO NOT FEED list and it was passed over and never eaten so the tortoise has the same instinct I see in my horses not to eat what is not good for them. Unlike dogs and cats that will drink antifreeze and eat rotten foods even dig up a bone that's been buried in dirt months before, yuk

 

[Big Charlie]

Good to know I am not imagining my tortoise at only 2 months old actually does know my voice I was amazed when Shelby

Because I have been a newbie too, also bringing up a baby Sulcata and I live in Florida too. I have a wonderful ap to tell you all about no matter where you live.
It's free in the ap store (from apple) called Garden Answers. Best if loaded on a cell phone. What you do is take a photo of a plant, leaf, tree, flower etc. and then the ap will try to match your photo with the database. I've used this ap in Massachusetts, Tennessee and FL, it correctly identified my photos. Today I took photos of all the plants and flowers I have been feeding from my property, most are weeds and flowers. I wrote down from the "Tortoise Table" all that is poisonous that I know grow in South FL and will post on my refrigerator. All the safe foods my tortoise can eat that we normally buy from the fruit and vegetable section, and a list of my plants in my gardens that are safe. I did it that way because there are less safe than toxic although the list of safe foods is abundant I only put on our list what we buy for ourselves and it's a long list. Even though I have this wonderful page "The Tortoise Table" I still have no clue what the plants are that I am cutting in my yard. This way I can have the answer of what my weeds are and if they are safe or not. I did notice that just as my horses do outside, that Shelby was given a plant on the DO NOT FEED list and it was passed over and never eaten so the tortoise has the same instinct I see in my horses not to eat what is not good for them. Unlike dogs and cats that will drink antifreeze and eat rotten foods even dig up a bone that's been buried in dirt months before, yukView attachment 248067 View attachment 248067 View attachment 248067 View attachment 248067

You still have to be careful. Tortoises don't necessarily have this instinct. They might pass over something because they don't like the color. There are sad stories on this forum of tortoises dying from eating what they shouldn't. I remember one ate the foam they put around pipes to keep them from freezing.

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

I have spent this entire day listing the fruits and veggies that are ok and that are DO NOT FEED, then I went to house plants did the same thing. Then I went to the things I have been putting in for her to eat some she likes some she never touches. She does not eat Hibiscus flowers yet but does munch on the leaves. I give her a variety of things all along her route around her 6-foot enclosure. She likes to go shopping after her morning soaks every day. I have to call it something so I am going with she. Anyway, then I used my Garden answers ap to identify them of which I might say so myself it did a great job and considering your list is from the UK my ap is for the world. Now that I have the names of my weeds I have to go back into the Tortoise Table and identify them there. All day devoted to be sure I do not poison my baby. She is very healthy and actually smart. I can imagine how much she will learn over her years with me, then she goes to my granddaughter who loves her too. I highly recommend the Plant ap, Garden Answers.

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

I live in Florida. Your tort will LOVE the massive amounts of chickweed that is everywheeeere lol. Mine is crazy for it. Also thistle, wild dandelion, wandering jew, and St.Augustine grass too! And hibiscus trees grow amazingly well here, so make sure to plant some. Do not plant or have any azaleas or sago palms in your yard, they are poisonous to almost all animals. Also, begonia and ivy are a big NO.

Oh, and I know you said your tort is 4-5 lbs, but a large hawk or eagle could still swoop down and grab something of that size. We have lots of both (hawks and eagles). So be careful just leaving your tort out in the yard.

Yes that is correct these hawks and eagles pick up small breed adult dogs like Shitzu or Chihuahuas, there are alot of hunting birds and where I live next to a preserve we even have to worry about large owls. We lose dozens of baby ducks every year, but we have way too many ducks so its ok with me.

 

[Big Charlie]

I have spent this entire day listing the fruits and veggies that are ok and that are DO NOT FEED, then I went to house plants did the same thing. Then I went to the things I have been putting in for her to eat some she likes some she never touches. She does not eat Hibiscus flowers yet but does munch on the leaves. I give her a variety of things all along her route around her 6-foot enclosure. She likes to go shopping after her morning soaks every day. I have to call it something so I am going with she. Anyway, then I used my Garden answers ap to identify them of which I might say so myself it did a great job and considering your list is from the UK my ap is for the world. Now that I have the names of my weeds I have to go back into the Tortoise Table and identify them there. All day devoted to be sure I do not poison my baby. She is very healthy and actually smart. I can imagine how much she will learn over her years with me, then she goes to my granddaughter who loves her too. I highly recommend the Plant ap, Garden Answers.

I think the hibiscus leaves are better for her than the flowers anyway. My tortoise isn't interested in the hibiscus branches I give him unless there is at least one flower.

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

I think the hibiscus leaves are better for her than the flowers anyway. My tortoise isn't interested in the hibiscus branches I give him unless there is at least one flower.

All day of taking photos and identifying plants and weeds then I went back to the Tortoise Table and I think because it is a list form the UK many of my identified names were not found. So it was back to looking at every picture again on the site and only feeding the plants and weeds I see that say moderation or ok to feed. If I can't be sure I will not feed what I have been feeding because it may not affect her now but might later. Take no chances! There is so much I need to put on a spreadsheet now for references. I will post on my fridge, only the list of OK to feed what we eat. WOW, I'm glad my Tort is only a couple of months old while I take this long time to research and learn. I should have done this before taking on my baby.
Thank you for all your help with feeding do's and don't.