New Owner Show-and-Tell!

Nephelle

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Sep 14, 2015
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266
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Pittsburgh, PA
Hello!
I am Adam.
This is a marvelous thread, most splendid.
Every day is like a new day with my darling Tidgy, I will never be an older owner.
She was near death when i rescued her 4 years ago and now.
View attachment 152555 View attachment 152556
Wifey and I can't have kids.
This is our baby girl who we love very much.
Thanks, Nephelle.

So glad you joined this thread, Adam! Thank you for being here! I read your rescue story and it certainly seems like you and your wifey came in at the exact time Tidgy needed you. My partner and I are human kid-less, too, so our babies are a weird looking mutt dog and now a baby tortoise! I am of the opinion that parenting comes in all forms ;)

AND Tidgy is BEAUTIFUL!! So glad to get to see her pretty self after talking to you these past weeks! What kind of tortoise is she? I am too new to this to even try to guess!

:<3::<3:
 

Nephelle

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Sep 14, 2015
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266
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Pittsburgh, PA
My brand new Russian baby. Hatched last night.
View attachment 152559
View attachment 152560

Jodie, that picture made my entire being ache with teh cute. Omg. And just one, too...I sense a very spoiled future for that little munchkin! How insanely special of an experience to have!!

Please keep posting pictures! I would love to see how that itty bitty grows. My Millie is right around 4 months, so she's still so little, however there is a lot of magic in brand new to the world :)

Congratulations!! So exciting :D:D:D
 

Nephelle

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Sep 14, 2015
Messages
266
Location (City and/or State)
Pittsburgh, PA
:)Just got Herbert two weeks ago and he's been so great! He loves to eat!View attachment 152643

Hello to you and hello to Herbert!! So glad you posted....and what a cute baby!! I see tortoise tongue!! Man, I wish I could get as excited as these guys about salad!

I hope you'll come back and show us more of your cutie!! And congratulations :) Isn't this so exciting?!?!

:<3::<3:
 

Nephelle

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Messages
266
Location (City and/or State)
Pittsburgh, PA
I am loving all these photos and seeing all the different breeds of tortoises! That teeny baby is so darn cute. We have had our guys since Monday, one of them is going to his new home tomorrow. It's been neat watching their personalities come through as they get comfortable in their new home. My boston terrier Murphy seems to be a little wary and barks at them if they move. My bulldog can't calm down enough to meet one yet. Our enclosure is 6 x 3 and it was super easy to build. We lined in with a shower curtain. We added a cross beam yesterday so the lights and heater point straight down.

Hi aundreagwen!! :) Thank you for joining the thread and congrats on your new babies! I read your introduction thread as well, and was so impressed how quickly you found a home for your second one! Being able to share this experience with a friend "in real life" would be so great...all my friends think I've gone off the deep end LOL

Your enclosure looks so great!! And it's encouraging to hear it's wasn't that difficult! I've been doodling on paper the past few days with ideas, so still very much in the planning phase...but that's part of the fun :)

Hope you keep sharing your pics and updates!! :<3::<3:
 

Tidgy's Dad

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48,236
Location (City and/or State)
Fes, Morocco
So glad you joined this thread, Adam! Thank you for being here! I read your rescue story and it certainly seems like you and your wifey came in at the exact time Tidgy needed you. My partner and I are human kid-less, too, so our babies are a weird looking mutt dog and now a baby tortoise! I am of the opinion that parenting comes in all forms ;)

AND Tidgy is BEAUTIFUL!! So glad to get to see her pretty self after talking to you these past weeks! What kind of tortoise is she? I am too new to this to even try to guess!

:<3::<3:
A Moroccan spur-thighed greek, Testudo graeca graeca.
We're only a few kilometres from her homeland here.
Tidgy had neck damage and used to twist her neck at all angles in a silent open-mouthed scream, one off her carapace scutes had been cut out and used for jewellery and she's been fed on meat fat and lamb meat with a little lettuce.
I had to wash her wound that was seeping yellow, gently hand feed her and spent at least 12 hours a day, every day for weeks with her.
She's a miracle.Carapace.JPG
The yellowy scute top right is where the wound was.
She wanted to live so much and is now the happiest, most content, people friendly tort imaginable.
And now I help care for other local torts with the info I've learned here and my own experience.
( my famiy had two other Greeks for 20 years when I was young).
Thanks for the welcome and the thread.:)
 

AnimalLady

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Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
1,136
A Moroccan spur-thighed greek, Testudo graeca graeca.
We're only a few kilometres from her homeland here.
Tidgy had neck damage and used to twist her neck at all angles in a silent open-mouthed scream, one off her carapace scutes had been cut out and used for jewellery and she's been fed on meat fat and lamb meat with a little lettuce.
I had to wash her wound that was seeping yellow, gently hand feed her and spent at least 12 hours a day, every day for weeks with her.
She's a miracle.View attachment 152722
The yellowy scute top right is where the wound was.
She wanted to live so much and is now the happiest, most content, people friendly tort imaginable.
And now I help care for other local torts with the info I've learned here and my own experience.
( my famiy had two other Greeks for 20 years when I was young).
Thanks for the welcome and the thread.:)

that's one gorgeous tort Adam! I need to see more of this beauty! oh, she is so lucky to have come across you and your wife! :<3:
 

AnimalLady

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Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
1,136
I am loving all these photos and seeing all the different breeds of tortoises! That teeny baby is so darn cute. We have had our guys since Monday, one of them is going to his new home tomorrow. It's been neat watching their personalities come through as they get comfortable in their new home. My boston terrier Murphy seems to be a little wary and barks at them if they move. My bulldog can't calm down enough to meet one yet. Our enclosure is 6 x 3 and it was super easy to build. We lined in with a shower curtain. We added a cross beam yesterday so the lights and heater point straight down.

Your enclosure is nice! I love the different textures on your substrate, love it. Your dogs are pretty awesome too! You should post a pic of your bully! I want to see the face! Looks like a huge beast! I love bullies!!!!!

I will mention~ one of your torts looks like the beak is a bit long, be sure to feed on a slate (or upside down tile) to get that baby trimmed. You can also avoid cutting up the food to help with this more..
andddd, one more little thing, you might want to watch out for tort bullying, Russians especially don't do well in pairs. Wishing you the best of luck!! Keep posting pix! :)
 

aundreagwen

Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2015
Messages
46
Thanks for the tip on his beak, I was wondering how to fix that. I learned this week from this forum that it is not good to keep two so one of them is going to his new home with a friend tomorrow! Both of their beaks are long so I will let her know as well.
This is Bronson my old english bulldog. He is 3 years old (and supposed to have ears...)
 

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Jess84

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Sep 22, 2015
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PA
Thanks for the tip on his beak, I was wondering how to fix that. I learned this week from this forum that it is not good to keep two so one of them is going to his new home with a friend tomorrow! Both of their beaks are long so I will let her know as well.
This is Bronson my old english bulldog. He is 3 years old (and supposed to have ears...)

Hi aundreagwen! Whate a cute dog OMG. And a cute tortoise of course too :D

It sounds like you're about to be a wonderful tortoise parent, and you have definitely come to the right place to learn everything there is to know (and so much more you never realized you could know) about the care and upkeep of your new baby! I think Nephelle has asked that health advice be referred out to other threads. You can use the search function to locate threads that might address explicit questions, or you can post a new thread with any health related inquiries in the Tortoise Health Section of the forums, and I have no doubt that you will find some very helpful and informed advice from forum members! The best of luck with your tort! Can't wait to see more pictures as you go <3
 

Nephelle

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Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Messages
266
Location (City and/or State)
Pittsburgh, PA
Thanks for the tip on his beak, I was wondering how to fix that. I learned this week from this forum that it is not good to keep two so one of them is going to his new home with a friend tomorrow! Both of their beaks are long so I will let her know as well.
This is Bronson my old english bulldog. He is 3 years old (and supposed to have ears...)

aahhhhh hahahahaha!! OMG SO CUTE!! That expression! He does not seem that impressed with the current state of affairs, buuuuttt he's just too comfortable to care LOL

:<3::<3:
 

Nephelle

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Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Messages
266
Location (City and/or State)
Pittsburgh, PA
A Moroccan spur-thighed greek, Testudo graeca graeca.
We're only a few kilometres from her homeland here.
Tidgy had neck damage and used to twist her neck at all angles in a silent open-mouthed scream, one off her carapace scutes had been cut out and used for jewellery and she's been fed on meat fat and lamb meat with a little lettuce.
I had to wash her wound that was seeping yellow, gently hand feed her and spent at least 12 hours a day, every day for weeks with her.
She's a miracle.View attachment 152722
The yellowy scute top right is where the wound was.
She wanted to live so much and is now the happiest, most content, people friendly tort imaginable.
And now I help care for other local torts with the info I've learned here and my own experience.
( my famiy had two other Greeks for 20 years when I was young).
Thanks for the welcome and the thread.:)

Rescue stories are always so hard, because they make your heart hurt and sing at the same time. You certainly were needed...and I don't know if there is any better feeling in the world than knowing you are making a difference in a life. You are awesome, Adam :<3:

Do all Greeks have that gorgeous dark shell? I just love it!!
 

Tidgy's Dad

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5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
48,236
Location (City and/or State)
Fes, Morocco
Rescue stories are always so hard, because they make your heart hurt and sing at the same time. You certainly were needed...and I don't know if there is any better feeling in the world than knowing you are making a difference in a life. You are awesome, Adam :<3:

Do all Greeks have that gorgeous dark shell? I just love it!!
Thanks.
Greeks come in a wide range of colours from 'gold' through pale to dark browns and khakis to very dark like Tidgy.
They can also fade due to years of hot sun.
Very varied, the Atlas mountain ones, like my Tidgy, are quite dark, generally while those in the South, near the Souss valley, tend to be paler and those in the north more brown/greeny.
Other countries have different variants.
 

Nephelle

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Joined
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Messages
266
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Pittsburgh, PA
Thanks.
Greeks come in a wide range of colours from 'gold' through pale to dark browns and khakis to very dark like Tidgy.
They can also fade due to years of hot sun.
Very varied, the Atlas mountain ones, like my Tidgy, are quite dark, generally while those in the South, near the Souss valley, tend to be paler and those in the north more brown/greeny.
Other countries have different variants.

That's amazing! Gah, so much to learn!! So are each of the different shell color variations from a different subspecies, or are they all "Greeks"? I should look that up, that's awesome!

I have no idea if Russians do that? I know that there are different color variations but it doesn't seem as dramatic. I should look that up, too! haha!

SO COOL!
 

Tidgy's Dad

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5 Year Member
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Messages
48,236
Location (City and/or State)
Fes, Morocco
Well, some say the more widespread ones here are subspecies graeca, the southern ones soussensis and the northern bunch marokkensis.
graeca also occurs in Spain an then there are several other subspecies around the southern Mediterranean area.
For me, the Moroccan ones are all the same sub species, the overlaps and types seem so similar to me, i think different subspecies is pushing it a bit.
Russians seem to be pretty varied, but perhaps not as varied as Greeks, but I've seen far fewer.
 

AnimalLady

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Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
1,136
Hello!
I am Adam.
This is a marvelous thread, most splendid.
Every day is like a new day with my darling Tidgy, I will never be an older owner.
She was near death when i rescued her 4 years ago and now.
View attachment 152555 View attachment 152556
Wifey and I can't have kids.
This is our baby girl who we love very much.
Thanks, Nephelle.


Stunning! What a sweetie! I'm going to need to see more of the pretty lady :)
 

AnimalLady

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
1,136
Thanks for the tip on his beak, I was wondering how to fix that. I learned this week from this forum that it is not good to keep two so one of them is going to his new home with a friend tomorrow! Both of their beaks are long so I will let her know as well.
This is Bronson my old english bulldog. He is 3 years old (and supposed to have ears...)

Ahh! The cuteness. Looks like a big ol teddy!!
 
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