Thomas Nott
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. Anything else I can add to this, or did I get carried away....Tortoise table
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. Anything else I can add to this, or did I get carried away....
Looks real nice. What species is this for and how old?
very cool
Thomas Nott
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Inside I am housing a Hermans,Russian, Cherry Head, Redfoot. They love it and all get along great.
How old are all of them?
Thomas Nott
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They range in age from currently 9 months to 2 years, I have had the since hatchlings. I also stream the habitat 24/7 live so i can watch them from anywhere, their have been a few times I have asked my brother to stop by and flip them the back over. I feel it's a life saver and easy to install.
Fascinating. All four species live in this together? How long have you been using this set up? Do they have separate spaces at night? How do you provide the night time temperature drop for the Hermann's and Russian while keeping the red foots warm? Do your Testudos sample to red foots fruit and protein or just stick to their own food?
That is scary.
The care and diet of Testudo is different to that of the Forest Torts.
The cherryhead and redfoot are the forest torts.
The Hermanns and Russian are Testudo.
Please read the care sheets for these species and understand that they cannot live together and remain in good health.
It's late here in the UK. Hopefully one or more of the experts in the US (e.g, @Yvonne G , @Tom , @HermanniChris ) can explain why they need to be split in more detail.
Thomas Nott
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I appreciate all your feed back, that's why I posted this pic. I have been doing this for years and although I am housing different species together, they are all thriving. I am very in tune to their specific needs and environments but like all children raised together they get along just fine' I 
have 2 complete rooms in my home dedicated to this love. I spend no less then 3 hours each day geared towards their feeding and care, each gets a yearly reptile vet exam and any and all feed back is appreciated and readily used. I am always thirsty for more knowledge in this area, I work for Home Depot so access to materials for new tables is at my immediate fingertips, I plan to put a fountain in my next table which is currently on my drawing board.
By the way, I have an indoor pond with 5 turtles. 2 Cooters, 1 Map, 1 Yellow Belly, and a Snake Neck. Yes they to all get along and don't bother my Koi Fish, HARMONY..........
have 2 complete rooms in my home dedicated to this love. I spend no less then 3 hours each day geared towards their feeding and care, each gets a yearly reptile vet exam and any and all feed back is appreciated and readily used. I am always thirsty for more knowledge in this area, I work for Home Depot so access to materials for new tables is at my immediate fingertips, I plan to put a fountain in my next table which is currently on my drawing board.By the way, I have an indoor pond with 5 turtles. 2 Cooters, 1 Map, 1 Yellow Belly, and a Snake Neck. Yes they to all get along and don't bother my Koi Fish, HARMONY..........
Sara G.
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How large is the indoor pond?
So for your torts, the longest one you've had in this set up is 2 years? Or did you have torts before?
So for your torts, the longest one you've had in this set up is 2 years? Or did you have torts before?
You are very "in tune" with their specific needs?
These species are very different in their behavior and are not likely to coexist long term. The disease potential is also very high, as what one species from one part of the world can carry and tolerate, the other, for a different part of the world can't.
But for the sake of argument, let's say they are all completely disease and parasite free (which can only be known with a full necropsy of a dead animal…) and that because they are immature, they are actually getting along as well as you think they are, which is very unlikely. These species have very different temperature, humidity, lighting, and dietary requirements. So which species is getting the wrong food, and which species is being housed too dry, too humid, too hot or too cold?
I'm sorry Tom, but what you are doing is not right, and it cannot work. I'm happy that your tortoises are still alive, but this won't last forever. You are not doing the best you can for these tortoises. You need to know it, and the people reading need to know it. I don't want you to leave or feel unwanted here. You should not feel attacked or insulted, but someone has to point these things out, because your words demonstrate that you don't understand what is happening there.
These species are very different in their behavior and are not likely to coexist long term. The disease potential is also very high, as what one species from one part of the world can carry and tolerate, the other, for a different part of the world can't.
But for the sake of argument, let's say they are all completely disease and parasite free (which can only be known with a full necropsy of a dead animal…) and that because they are immature, they are actually getting along as well as you think they are, which is very unlikely. These species have very different temperature, humidity, lighting, and dietary requirements. So which species is getting the wrong food, and which species is being housed too dry, too humid, too hot or too cold?
I'm sorry Tom, but what you are doing is not right, and it cannot work. I'm happy that your tortoises are still alive, but this won't last forever. You are not doing the best you can for these tortoises. You need to know it, and the people reading need to know it. I don't want you to leave or feel unwanted here. You should not feel attacked or insulted, but someone has to point these things out, because your words demonstrate that you don't understand what is happening there.
Really I am not attacking you Thomas either. We have had Joe for 46 years - that's not an accident.
Your torts should live for at least 50 years - possibly double that. It's imperative they get the correct care and diet.
For example, red foot torts need to eat fruit and some animal protein as part of their diet. Also, the lighting and humidity of their enclosure is different to that required by the Hermanns and Russians.
Hermanns and Russians cannot digest the sugars in fruit and should only be fed it very occasionally. They also should not be fed animal protein - their diet is basically leafy greens.
Unless you separate them at every meal, the diet you feed these 4 alone is failing at least 2 out of 4 of these tortoises... and I can say that without knowing what you feed!
I hope you will take our advice to read the care sheets for these species and give them the enclosures and feed they need to be part of your life for many decades.
Your torts should live for at least 50 years - possibly double that. It's imperative they get the correct care and diet.
For example, red foot torts need to eat fruit and some animal protein as part of their diet. Also, the lighting and humidity of their enclosure is different to that required by the Hermanns and Russians.
Hermanns and Russians cannot digest the sugars in fruit and should only be fed it very occasionally. They also should not be fed animal protein - their diet is basically leafy greens.
Unless you separate them at every meal, the diet you feed these 4 alone is failing at least 2 out of 4 of these tortoises... and I can say that without knowing what you feed!
I hope you will take our advice to read the care sheets for these species and give them the enclosures and feed they need to be part of your life for many decades.
Thomas Nott
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Again I appreciate everybody's feed back and concerns, but my animal husbandry experience is vast. I had my own duck farm at age 8, raised orphaned fox pups to adulthood at age 12, and had just about every reptile the public has access to. My vet shows no alarm at how I am doing things, his reptile experience is extensive and he would certainly point out a problem if it existed based on the relationship we have. What I am saying is that everything doesn't have to follow the book and that their are "SOME" exceptions to every rule. We all have are own way of doings things and if it's working why change it, let's face it if you can raise tortoises in New England with its seasonal changes then something must be going right. Keep the feed back coming
Thomas Nott
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My indoor pond is 400 gallons.
Thomas Nott
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The 2 year old tort is my oldest and first.
OT: I'd put this in the debate section...but the last time I tried it wasn't very debatey...
This just has me wondering just what the criteria for being an 'expert' - in anything - actually is?
Experience? Formal training? Time? What are the parameters?
This just has me wondering just what the criteria for being an 'expert' - in anything - actually is?
Experience? Formal training? Time? What are the parameters?
That's a beautiful habitat, but - OOPS! Your redfooted tortoises requires a completely different environment than the other two.
Your tortoises may be "getting along" but you can't see the germs that are passing among them. Tortoises coming from different continents have evolved with different pathogens inside them that each species of tortoise has evolved to be able to live with without getting sick from them. When you put tortoises from a different continent together, tortoises that haven't evolved to live with those same pathogens, you're taking a big chance that one or the other is going to get sick, or even dead.
Lots of people mix species, and I'd be willing to bet that months or years down the line when one of them dies, they don't even think, "I wonder if it was from mixing the species."
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Well, all we can do is let you know how we feel. I hope we all will now let Thomas be and we'll just enjoy his posts and pictures. We're not here to argue or try to convince...merely to advise.
I love the box.
Great job!
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