Our new home

[Yourlocalpoet]

So, I've finally become an adult and bought my own house and after a few stressful weeks I’m all moved in and it is perfect!

Slight problem on moving day being Esmeralda’s indoor enclosure wouldn't go up the stairs, (why we imagined it would I don’t know) so after 20 minutes of three big men sweating and putting dents in my brand new walls, we put it in the garage.

My dad is now stripping it, replacing the tiles with some other kind of waterproof cladding, as it is SO heavy even in pieces, and soon it should be ready to move upstairs in her own room.

She has settled in absolutely fine, stomping around the garden for most of the day, (the weather has been awesome for the past 2 weeks too) grazing, exploring and generally seeming completely un-phased by her new surroundings.

Half of the garden is going to be fenced off for her so I can start transferring all my plants and create some shade as currently it gets sun all day. Anyway, here are a few photos of the garden I need to turn into tortoise paradise and her 'settling in'.

 

[bouaboua]

Congratulations! Congratulations, CONGRATULATIONS! ! ! ! ! !

Looks like every member of your family are very happy. Your yard looks perfect for Esmeralda. Good for you. Congrats! ! ! !

 

[akbecker]

I LOVE the first picture, the light is perfectly coming through the fence and her shell is gorgeous - definitely frame-able! That and the one with her nose against the brick - great photography.

 

[Tom]

I still think you win the prize for the most gorgeous leopard tortoise in all of Europe. I've never seen anything else even close.

Congrats on the move.

 

[ShadowRancher]

Her markings are amazing! I agree with Tom, he could definitely win some beauty contests. Congrats on the new house.

 

[verda]

OMG! What a gorgeous tortoise! And Congrats on your new home

 

[Yourlocalpoet]

Congratulations! Congratulations, CONGRATULATIONS! ! ! ! ! !

Looks like every member of your family are very happy. Your yard looks perfect for Esmeralda. Good for you. Congrats! ! ! !

Thank you

I LOVE the first picture, the light is perfectly coming through the fence and her shell is gorgeous - definitely frame-able! That and the one with her nose against the brick - great photography.

I know, the shadows look pretty cool don't they.

I still think you win the prize for the most gorgeous leopard tortoise in all of Europe. I've never seen anything else even close.

Congrats on the move.

Well, that's quite an accolade coming from you, Tom, what a lovely compliment - what can I say she takes after me.

Her markings are amazing! I agree with Tom, he could definitely win some beauty contests. Congrats on the new house.

Ha, yeah well if you see any tortoise modelling competitions, let me know!

OMG! What a gorgeous tortoise! And Congrats on your new home

Thank you - it's such a lovely house.

 

[verda]

Do you have any baby pictures of Esmeralda so we can see the before and after of her. Would be so awesome to see the difference

 

[Yourlocalpoet]

Do you have any baby pictures of Esmeralda so we can see the before and after of her. Would be so awesome to see the difference

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index....eopards-change-their-spots.17973/#post-159467

This thread has the only photos I have of her, I don't know why I don't have any baby, baby photos, I guess I didn't have a camera phone 10 years ago! You can see significant shell pattern change though.

 

[verda]

Wow..she went from being yellow and then got lighter and then back to being more yellow again, amazing. I can't wait to see mine grow like that.

 

[naturalman91]

great looking tort and congrads on the house

 

[Yourlocalpoet]

Wow..she went from being yellow and then got lighter and then back to being more yellow again, amazing. I can't wait to see mine grow like that.

She looks very blonde in one of those older ones but I think it's more the lighting/camera exposure. She's always been more yellow as she got older. Oh how I wish I photos of when she was teeny tiny.