Search found 19 matches

by Daniel
27 Nov 2023, 16:28
Forum: Diet and Nutrition
Topic: Russian Horsefield Weight
Replies: 13
Views: 29545

Re: Russian Horsefield Weight

Just wanted to add my 2 pence worth, if you find that you need to feed lambs lettuce or other types of supermarket produce during the winter months, you can add 60-80% Testudo Pre Alpin to 20-40% supermarket market produce. If you have a small area that you can grow weeds indoors over the winter mon...
by Daniel
06 Mar 2023, 09:45
Forum: Enclosures
Topic: Seagulls!
Replies: 5
Views: 5251

Re: Seagulls!

Have a read of this before building any thing. I turned a part my outside enclosure to this design and it works extremely well and good temps all season.

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/climateframe.html
by Daniel
14 Aug 2022, 11:08
Forum: Mediterranean Species
Topic: Leaving Tortoises Alone
Replies: 14
Views: 11979

Re: Leaving Tortoises Alone

Feeding them weeds from trays, and letting them graze as they need is so much more of a better idea than just placing foods in front of them to eat. Just make sure you have a few trays for them to use a round the yard to eat from, and keep a few growing so they have something to eat when the first s...
by Daniel
06 Aug 2022, 16:40
Forum: Mediterranean Species
Topic: Leaving Tortoises Alone
Replies: 14
Views: 11979

Re: Leaving Tortoises Alone

One thing I did forget to say, any sort of very small weight gain or losses in a healthy adult Egyptian tortoises is more to do with if the stomach or bladder is full or empty, as appose to body mass weight loss. Yes I agree with that statement completely Nina, the environment is such a big factor i...
by Daniel
06 Aug 2022, 13:13
Forum: Mediterranean Species
Topic: Leaving Tortoises Alone
Replies: 14
Views: 11979

Re: Leaving Tortoises Alone

I think the eating habits between different tortoise species come from the environments they come from. We have to remember that egyptian tortoises don't have a hibernation period. So they get to eat foods thoughout the year, some parts of the year this will be green vegetation foods, and in the dry...
by Daniel
06 Aug 2022, 07:49
Forum: Mediterranean Species
Topic: Leaving Tortoises Alone
Replies: 14
Views: 11979

Re: Leaving Tortoises Alone

Good morning Anne Marie and Nina. The best place I have found to buy weed seeds for tortoises is shelledwarriorsshop.co.uk these do a good amount of different seed combinations, I buy the quick grow mix, the spring and summer mix, the medatrainain mix and the grass mix. I feed these at different tim...
by Daniel
03 Aug 2022, 17:38
Forum: Mediterranean Species
Topic: Leaving Tortoises Alone
Replies: 14
Views: 11979

Re: Leaving Tortoises Alone

Regarding leaving them alone for 7 to 10 days, I would be worried about large birds trying to pick them up, as they are such a small species, and some individuals having not much weight to them. They tend to be not the best at drinking water at times, but I certainly would leave a few shallow water ...
by Daniel
01 Jul 2022, 08:27
Forum: Diet and Nutrition
Topic: The feeding headaches
Replies: 17
Views: 13635

Re: The feeding headaches

Hi Laura, really glad to hear that Puc is starting to eat more. Did Puc start eating the Testudo Pre Alpin straight away? Hopefully the weight will start to gainsoon.

Kind regards Daniel.
by Daniel
18 May 2022, 18:15
Forum: Diet and Nutrition
Topic: The feeding headaches
Replies: 17
Views: 13635

Re: The feeding headaches

Puc sounds like a real little character. I hope you can find away to feed him, as this will give you a big headache, especially in the winter months.
by Daniel
18 May 2022, 09:55
Forum: Diet and Nutrition
Topic: The feeding headaches
Replies: 17
Views: 13635

Re: The feeding headaches

Here is a couple, but I don't know what the postal costs are. https://www.efeed.co.uk/products/Smallholder-Feed/Testudo-Baby https://buzzardreptile.co.uk/product/pre-alpin-testudo-baby-tortoise-food-100g/ Also I noticed that your feeding from a reptile dish in one of the pictures, have you tried a f...
by Daniel
18 May 2022, 07:32
Forum: Diet and Nutrition
Topic: The feeding headaches
Replies: 17
Views: 13635

Re: The feeding headaches

Good morning Laura. The outside cage looks great and glad your tortoise is getting some natural sunshine. As to your feeding problems, have you tried a product called Testudo Pre Alpin baby food? And mixing this in dry, with some fresh grass finely chopped up and mixed in? Also have you tried growin...
by Daniel
09 Sep 2021, 00:04
Forum: Questions about Plants
Topic: Portulacaria Afra
Replies: 5
Views: 10701

Re: Portulacaria Afra

Critter Mama, if you plan growing some P.Afra, make sure you plant it in very well drained soil, this plant loves water, but it doesn't like a wet root system for a long period of time. Also this plant has a terrible habit of dropping all its leaves if its not happy, but don't confuse this with its ...
by Daniel
01 Sep 2021, 00:08
Forum: Questions about Plants
Topic: Portulacaria Afra
Replies: 5
Views: 10701

Re: Portulacaria Afra

Thanks for the information Nina. This bush has many uses in South Africa. Bush men use it to keep hydrated in times of drought, just like the animals. Its also used in South African cooking, they also use it for hedging (just like we do with privet). They also use it to protect their boundaries of t...
by Daniel
30 Aug 2021, 23:48
Forum: Questions about Plants
Topic: Portulacaria Afra
Replies: 5
Views: 10701

Portulacaria Afra

Is the succulent Portulacaria Afra (Elephant Bush) from South Africa safe to feed?

Kind regards Dan.
by Daniel
30 Jan 2021, 21:00
Forum: General Tortoise Care
Topic: Topsoil
Replies: 5
Views: 6391

Re: Topsoil

Thanks for your recommendations. Will have a look at the wicks one in the next week or so.

Kind regards Dan.
by Daniel
19 Jan 2021, 23:36
Forum: General Tortoise Care
Topic: Topsoil
Replies: 5
Views: 6391

Topsoil

Can someone recommend me a topsoil brand that isn't full of rubbish and is tortoise safe please.

Kind regards Dan.
by Daniel
17 Oct 2020, 21:22
Forum: News, Announcements and Events
Topic: Introduction
Replies: 6
Views: 18764

Re: Introduction

Hello Nina and thanks for the welcome to the group. I am very interested in the Testudo graeca ibera subspecies. My interest has always been in the Testudo group around the North Africa and Western Asia, part of the Mediterranean. I live not to far away from Harlow in Essex, and I am willing to trav...
by Daniel
16 Oct 2020, 21:41
Forum: News, Announcements and Events
Topic: Introduction
Replies: 6
Views: 18764

Re: Introduction

At the time it was not that hard a decision to rehome my group, as I was working really long hours and had little time at home. When looking back now, I wish I could have temporarily rehomed them until I was at home more. But its only in the last 18 months that I really regret the sale of the group,...
by Daniel
16 Oct 2020, 00:16
Forum: News, Announcements and Events
Topic: Introduction
Replies: 6
Views: 18764

Introduction

Hello my name is Dan and I am new to this site. I am not a first time tortoise keeper, I used to keep a group of egyptian tortoises (Testudo kleinmanni) which I sold the group a few years back (my biggest regret ever). I have decided that I would like to start keeping tortoises again and have decide...