New Owner Show-and-Tell!

Linhdan Nguyen

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Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
1,790
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
Great! Yeah, I'm pretty sure your tortoise is a Russian . Mine is a Russian, and she's identical to yours! Great job with the top soil and sand mixture. I use coconut coir as it's cheap and not smelly, but you have a pretty good mixture as it is! I'm sure your tortoise will be thrilled to go outside!
My husband is in the process of building a wooden turtle table for outside that we have seen on net. Right now we made a temporary home out of 50 gallon storage container, with top soil and play sand mixture. It was a locally owned pet store that's been around for 30 years. They acted like sure he was a Hermann's but looking at pictures of tortoises made me question it. I will get pictures of the tail and underside soon. Thank you to everyone for their knowledge of tortoises and for all the help!
Sand is not recommended. If a tortoise digests enough of it, it can cause blockage and this can be fatal to the tortoise. stick with just soil or coco coir (or a mixture of both) :)
 

GingerLove

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
1,287
Sorry for giving you a false lead on the sand mixture... I thought it would be alright because you had top soil too! My bad! :) By the way, what're you feeding your little guy/girl?
 

amoore

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2016
Messages
32
Location (City and/or State)
Lubbock, Texas
Sorry for giving you a false lead on the sand mixture... I thought it would be alright because you had top soil too! My bad! :) By the way, what're you feeding your little guy/girl?

No problem on the sand! We are feeding him leafy greens like a spring mix for now. Any other suggestions on food for the tort?
 

GingerLove

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5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
1,287
My tort likes a spring mix as well, but her favorites are zucchini, cucumber, and summer squash. They are cheap and they last a long time! It just requires a little chopping. Usually I combine a spring mix and the things listed above. I wouldn't recommend too many leafy greens... romaine isn't great for them and I discovered that kale made my tort constipated! (Though I still feed her kale on special occasions because she loves it!)
 

JoesMum

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10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
21,606
Location (City and/or State)
Kent, South East England
No problem on the sand! We are feeding him leafy greens like a spring mix for now. Any other suggestions on food for the tort?
Here's a list of suitable greens

Look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database if you're not sure what they look like.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard
 

amoore

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2016
Messages
32
Location (City and/or State)
Lubbock, Texas
Here's a list of suitable greens

Look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database if you're not sure what they look like.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard
Thank you so much for all your help! We appreciate it!
 

HappyHermanns

Active Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
200
Location (City and/or State)
Rochester, Michigan
So many cute babies! I just gave Millie a bath. Usually when she poops in her bath, she puts her head back into her shell and pushes. Today, she just stared at me. We have reached a new level.

This picture is of the bath, sans poop. View attachment 152098
LOL, great bonding time! ..I guess.. haha.. Probably the only things we don't mind "watching" as they "go" lol
Cute!!
 

HappyHermanns

Active Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
200
Location (City and/or State)
Rochester, Michigan
We have had our guys for almost a week. :D:D
Names are still to be determined.. :confused:
They are so cool to watch!
Over the weekend the lightest on in the group was wandering around while his siblings slept so I was talking to him (I know you all will understand!! haha).. I put my hand in the tank because he seems to like walking on me and he climbed on me and we spent about 30 minutes with him walking up my arms then on my shirt. It was so fun!

He also seemed to follow my instructions a few times as I was telling him to wake up his siblings to eat and have their soak.. They love piling up and walking on eachother.. ha ha.. so when I told him to wake them up he turned around and crossed half the tank and climbed them a couple of times. It didn't wake them up
but I thought it was awesome! lol
mama's pet ;);)

...and then there's Mr. Piggy who likes eating With his food..haha
Tort.jpg Tort1.jpg
 

HappyHermanns

Active Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
200
Location (City and/or State)
Rochester, Michigan
They are so cute!!!! It sounds like your little fella is super friendly, too!
Thanks! I love your torts hat!! :D
We were shocked when they started to loosen up so quickly. We expected them to need a week or more before they warmed up to us. But that hasn't been to case, for the most part..
We can't wait until they are a little bigger and we can be a little less......helicopter parent..ish..haha :D:D
 

GingerLove

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
1,287
Ha! Thanks! My tort took forever to warm up to me, you are really lucky to have such a friendly-cutie bunch! And I understand about the "helicopter parenting". Mine is larger and I'm still a helicopter parent. ;) I can't help it!
 

HappyHermanns

Active Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
200
Location (City and/or State)
Rochester, Michigan
Ha! Thanks! My tort took forever to warm up to me, you are really lucky to have such a friendly-cutie bunch! And I understand about the "helicopter parenting". Mine is larger and I'm still a helicopter parent. ;) I can't help it!
I'm taking so many pictures of them, everything is soo cute!! ..don't tell my kids, but I don't think I took this many when I had THEM!! ahaha
Last night my little buddy climbed himself up on top of the log we have in with them (we couldn't believe it!), we caught him as he started and coahed him through it (haha, I am Sure he was listening!!), was the cutest thing ever! haha.. He got up there and I got pics of him going all over trying to find the down spot, haha.. He got himself down, I hit record just in time to catch him "jump" down (it really looks like he springs forward, as much as he could, anyway..haha) and do a face plant. hehe.. love when you catch the good stuff on tape. :D:DTorts3.jpg Torts4.jpg
 

GingerLove

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
1,287
What a cutie!! What's on his head in the first picture??? I freaked out because I thought it was blood at first!!! Ha! (It isn't... right??)
 

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