JudyR
New Member
I’ve been lurking around the forum all summer and I finally need some help. This is Shelby, he was found in our front yard the beginning of May. We tried finding his owners to no avail and so now he is a member of our family!
I have gotten lots of good information from this forum but I have a few questions specific to Shelby that I’m not comfortable answering from previous forum answers and I’d hate to hurt him.
Right now, Shelby is almost 3 pounds. His plastron (bottom shell, right?) measures 9” x 4 1/2”. We just started weighing him 2 weeks ago but we think he is growing. Here are some pictures from May and last week.
My 2 questions; humidity/hydration and his winter home.
1. Phoenix has been very dry this summer, it’s has only rained twice in our area. I worry that his pyramiding will get worse. This is what we’ve done all summer. Hose down/mist his yard 2 or 3 times a day, we soak him at least 30 min every other day (and every day when the temp is over 105). On the days it’s been over 110, we bring him into the garage all afternoon until the temp drops under 110. And finally, I wet his evening meal, and the grass lawn and make sure he eats a few slices of cucumber with every evening meal to make sure he gets enough fluids. Is there more we should be doing? Will this stop any further pyramiding?
2. Winter home. I downloaded Tom’s night box instructions and convinced my husband we would build Shelby’s winter home this weekend but everything I’ve read and pictures I’ve seen on this forum seem to be for sullies that are so much larger. Is he too small to spend the winter outside? Will he be ok if we built him the night box with all the accessories?
His outside enclosure is pretty big and he has a few ‘houses’ he uses throughout the day and night. I think he would hate being in a small box inside the house all winter. This past week it has finally started cooling off at night so we know we have to do something ASAP.
This was in May
This is last week
And some random shots
Thank you
I have gotten lots of good information from this forum but I have a few questions specific to Shelby that I’m not comfortable answering from previous forum answers and I’d hate to hurt him.
Right now, Shelby is almost 3 pounds. His plastron (bottom shell, right?) measures 9” x 4 1/2”. We just started weighing him 2 weeks ago but we think he is growing. Here are some pictures from May and last week.
My 2 questions; humidity/hydration and his winter home.
1. Phoenix has been very dry this summer, it’s has only rained twice in our area. I worry that his pyramiding will get worse. This is what we’ve done all summer. Hose down/mist his yard 2 or 3 times a day, we soak him at least 30 min every other day (and every day when the temp is over 105). On the days it’s been over 110, we bring him into the garage all afternoon until the temp drops under 110. And finally, I wet his evening meal, and the grass lawn and make sure he eats a few slices of cucumber with every evening meal to make sure he gets enough fluids. Is there more we should be doing? Will this stop any further pyramiding?
2. Winter home. I downloaded Tom’s night box instructions and convinced my husband we would build Shelby’s winter home this weekend but everything I’ve read and pictures I’ve seen on this forum seem to be for sullies that are so much larger. Is he too small to spend the winter outside? Will he be ok if we built him the night box with all the accessories?
His outside enclosure is pretty big and he has a few ‘houses’ he uses throughout the day and night. I think he would hate being in a small box inside the house all winter. This past week it has finally started cooling off at night so we know we have to do something ASAP.
This was in May
This is last week
And some random shots
Thank you