what tortoise?
- Thread starter henana
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Welcome to the group! Someone should be along shortly to help you out.
Hi,
You have a Spur-thighed or Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca ibera.
Danny
You have a Spur-thighed or Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca ibera.
Danny
Most of us don't condone mixing species.
Yvonne
Yvonne
I also agree to not mix species. Let us know if you want the long version of the story.
Want to share more about how you keep your tortoises? We love pictures. Best wishes.
Want to share more about how you keep your tortoises? We love pictures. Best wishes.
Ok, thanks for information.
I have had this tortoise now few years. She used to live in terrarium size of 1,60m*1m, but she doesnt like that at all, so I let her to walk and live freely in our whole home, about 40m^2.
And she is quite big, 19cm and 1400g for in that terrarium too.
She has also box full of mixed peat and sand for digging, and she can go there when ever she likes.
She have also heat lamp and uvb-lamp. And every day I giver her calcium and Nutrobal.
She haven't never been hibernating, because I want to be certain on about what species she is before putting her to sleep. So, is it safe to hibernate Testudo Ibera?
And sorry for my english, I am from Finland!
I have had this tortoise now few years. She used to live in terrarium size of 1,60m*1m, but she doesnt like that at all, so I let her to walk and live freely in our whole home, about 40m^2.
And she is quite big, 19cm and 1400g for in that terrarium too.
She has also box full of mixed peat and sand for digging, and she can go there when ever she likes.
She have also heat lamp and uvb-lamp. And every day I giver her calcium and Nutrobal.
She haven't never been hibernating, because I want to be certain on about what species she is before putting her to sleep. So, is it safe to hibernate Testudo Ibera?
And sorry for my english, I am from Finland!
I am wary when you say she wanders the house freely. What kind of flooring? Tortoises need to be kept at warm temperatures, and the average floor of a house is very cold. Also, there are hazards such as even hair. The floor is much more drafty then where you move around the house. Do you have any other pets? Does she have other hides besides the one digging box? Water? What do you feed her? Does she spend a lot of time under the heat and UVB? Have you replaced the UVB lamp every 6 months (if it is a tube light)? I would recommend buying or building a very large enclosure so she has a safe and secure home. You could use some wood and pen in part of a room, covering the top of part of it so it stays warmer and it easier to completely heat. Once you give them the freedom of a large area, it is very difficult to get them to be happy ever penned in again. I have never heard of a tortoise with free roam of the house that grows up healthy. It is not natural for them. They need a secure warm area with hiding spots that they can call home. You want a temperature range from 22 C to 35 C available, focusing on having the majority of it in temperature in the middle of that range. I imagine your house is not kept that warm in winter. She may not feel safe going under the heat lamp depending on the location and situation of it. Why did she not like the enclosure? What type of living situation was she in before you got her?
I don't personally like Nutrobal or other vitamin supplements because it is tough to now the correct dose for vitamins. Some are fat soluble and can become toxic. With a varied diet, and maybe a natural supplement (such as ground up flowers and weeds, not pure vitamins, such as Total Nutrition for Tortoises from Carolina Pet Supply), the need for a vitamin supplement is not there. A pure calcium supplement (no D3 for tortoises with UVB) should be sufficient if she has a good diet of weeds, grasses, lettuces, greens, flowers, etc. That is my opinion on the subject and opinions do vary.
Yes, this species hibernates. I however would want to have some careful consideration in this matter. What research you have done on it? Is she free from parasites (recent fecal test at the vet), a healthy weight, and do you have a location the proper temperature and humidity to do so? What is your reason for wanting to do this? What experience do you have with it?
Best wishes.
I don't personally like Nutrobal or other vitamin supplements because it is tough to now the correct dose for vitamins. Some are fat soluble and can become toxic. With a varied diet, and maybe a natural supplement (such as ground up flowers and weeds, not pure vitamins, such as Total Nutrition for Tortoises from Carolina Pet Supply), the need for a vitamin supplement is not there. A pure calcium supplement (no D3 for tortoises with UVB) should be sufficient if she has a good diet of weeds, grasses, lettuces, greens, flowers, etc. That is my opinion on the subject and opinions do vary.
Yes, this species hibernates. I however would want to have some careful consideration in this matter. What research you have done on it? Is she free from parasites (recent fecal test at the vet), a healthy weight, and do you have a location the proper temperature and humidity to do so? What is your reason for wanting to do this? What experience do you have with it?
Best wishes.
I have done quite much research before that tortoise moved to my house.
We are living in apartment house, so here is always warm 23-26, and I like to keep it that way, because I like warm too.
I would like to have terrarium for her, but now I live in small apartment and I dont have enough space to have as large terrarium what she would need. I have been planning to edit that old box like that, she could go there and on the floor when ever she wants, but i'm still working on it.
She have always fresh water on large shallow dish where she can fit completely. I have tried to offer her good diet, much dark lettuces and flowers and grass etc. And on summers I gather food for her outsides. We have plastic mat on floor, and very much carpets, so it's not very slippery. We don't have any other pets, and i vacuum almost every day trying keep floor clean.
Heat-lamp and UVB-lamp is placed between couch and wall, and yes, I have changed that UVB-bulb every 12months, as it's recommended.
Sometimes she spends very much time, like hours under heatlamp and sometimes not, whatever she likes. Shes very active usually on days, but now when winter is coming and days are shorter ans darker she's not awake as much than summer. She have also other hiding places on the corners and under bed and like that. She does't use that digginbox very often, I dont know why because she knows where it is and how to get there.
About hibernating I have done research on many finnish forums, but I have still study more because I don't have any experience about that.
And I think I must find some vet who knows something about tortoises, because I m living on small town and we don't have here many vets.
We are living in apartment house, so here is always warm 23-26, and I like to keep it that way, because I like warm too.
I would like to have terrarium for her, but now I live in small apartment and I dont have enough space to have as large terrarium what she would need. I have been planning to edit that old box like that, she could go there and on the floor when ever she wants, but i'm still working on it.
She have always fresh water on large shallow dish where she can fit completely. I have tried to offer her good diet, much dark lettuces and flowers and grass etc. And on summers I gather food for her outsides. We have plastic mat on floor, and very much carpets, so it's not very slippery. We don't have any other pets, and i vacuum almost every day trying keep floor clean.
Heat-lamp and UVB-lamp is placed between couch and wall, and yes, I have changed that UVB-bulb every 12months, as it's recommended.
Sometimes she spends very much time, like hours under heatlamp and sometimes not, whatever she likes. Shes very active usually on days, but now when winter is coming and days are shorter ans darker she's not awake as much than summer. She have also other hiding places on the corners and under bed and like that. She does't use that digginbox very often, I dont know why because she knows where it is and how to get there.
About hibernating I have done research on many finnish forums, but I have still study more because I don't have any experience about that.
And I think I must find some vet who knows something about tortoises, because I m living on small town and we don't have here many vets.
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