The Tortoise Table

Thanks for the info and the photos weilko93 (sorry, I don't know your name -- lol, or the tortoise's name). First of all, well done for giving this tortoise a good diet and keeping it well hydrated -- that is really important. Are you also giving it a calcium supplement as well? The size and shape o...

Hi, and welcome to The Tortoise Table. I’m not on my computer now (only my iPad), but I think i can see the kink you are talking about. Does this cause your tortoise any problems? Does she poo and wee normally and without any problems? If so then I can’t think why a vet would suggest an operation or...

Well, that photo really made my day! How lovely is that -- thanks so much Bex.

Nina

I'm so sorry that there is no result yet, but the weather is really cool and he is probably safely dug in somewhere about two feet from where you're standing. Hopefully when it gets warmer you'll wake up one morning and find him a bit muddy by standing proudly in the centre of your lawn. We're all t...

Hi Fiona, I don't think i would use the Jackson ratio as a guide in this situation. That scale is traditionally used determine if a tortoise if fit to hibernate, and as helpful in ordinary times, as it was based on statistics gathered from tortoises in the wild and we are dealing with tortoises in c...

Hi Megan, Whew -- I can't tell you how many people get sold the wrong equipment and are given the wrong advice right at the beginning and then encounter huge problems as they go along. That isn't happening to you, and it sounds to me like you are getting off to an excellent start, so well done! Marg...

Hi Megan and welcome to The Tortoise Table! And congratulations on your tortoise -- can you tell us what species it is? It's just that there are at least four or five different species that fall under the term 'Mediterranean' tortoises, and they do have slightly different care needs. And if you tell...

Oh dear, I am so sorry -- this must be really distressing for you! You've done all the right things, and all I can suggest is that you keep doing them. The evening is cool and he has very likely slowed down and maybe dug in somewhere. They do tend to dig in next to and under shrubs. Hopefully when t...

Ahh, I think I misunderstood. When you said it was usually what you use, I thought you meant you used it as a substrate (some people use John Innes no. 1 for substrate, as it's got the least fertiliser in it). For sowing seeds I would use John Innes no. 1 or John Innes seed compost. Weeds and wild f...

Hi Stevie, Great to hear from you, and i hope your Hermanns are doing well and enjoying the sunshine we've been having recently! We always recommend a mixture of ordinary sterilised topsoil and children's play sand, mixed either 50/50, or with a slightly higher proportion of topsoil to sand (my tort...

Oh dear, I've just re-read this thread and realised (don't know why I didn't pick it up earlier) that Victoria you have a male (Milligan), and Tia you have a female Hermann. I'm afraid it's almost impossible to keep one male and one female tortoise together, and this goes across pretty much all spec...

Wow, Roger is going to be super happy and healthy! I hope you didn't order really expensive scales (all you need is a decent digital kitchen scale -- they work pretty well). Actually, sending you the link to that Megaray reminded me that I really need a new bulb and I think I'm going to order one of...

Thanks, Amber -- we'll look forward to it. I'm not sure if you know, but when you're replying to a post on forum, you write your reply in a little box, and underneath that box there are five little boxes that you can tick. If you tick the box that says 'Notify me when a reply is posted' then you'll ...

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Hi Fiona, That is certainly the right type of bulb, but I don't actually know the brand so not sure how reliable it is. I couldn't remember the best brand when I wrote the previous post, but I've since remembered that Megaray is generally considered to be one of the best, and it also offers a six-mo...

That looks like one of the Deadnettles to me:
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/pla ... pMJQZl7m9s
Happy Easter!

Nina

Hi Heather (or Dr. Doolittle as we will now call you). My goodness you've taken on a lot and I can see why you haven't been bored in lockdown! Do you have any photos of your menagerie? Re the plants. Yes, I would say that everything that is safe for Achillea to eat is also safe for the turtles and y...

Roger is a super name and he has a very nice table, so well done! I'm so glad that we picked up on the fact that he doesn't have a source of UVB, as that is absolutely crucial to their development. He would have got some UVB when he was out in the garden (from the sun), but they need a lot. What UVB...

Hi Fiona and welcome to The Tortoise Table. He's a lovely little Hermann's tortoise (what is his name?). Yes, it does look like he is developing some pyramiding. There are several causes of this, for example eating the wrong kinds of food (particularly food that is high in protein), eating too much ...

i didn't think the photos were blurry, but not sure of the size (height) of the plant. Like Lin, I was wondering if it could be Wood Avens/Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum).

Nina

Hi Amber, I'm so glad that Sheldon is back to normal after spending the winter outdoors -- that is great news! Regarding the tail, I'm not quite sure and need to consult with some colleagues, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Tortoise shells are sort of similar to fingernails, but not compl...

Hi Marco and welcome to The Tortoise Table! Donatella is a lovely Marginated and it looks like you are providing her iwth a good home. I've consulted with my colleague Lin over this and we really are stumped. We aren't vets, so we would never attempt a detailed medical diagnosis, but usually with ey...

Hi End and welcome to TheTortoise Table, What species is the tortoise and how old is it? I agree that it is probably too early to tell, and many tortoises look female when they are very young. The anal scute has a fairly sharp 'v' shape, which could indicate female in some species but not others. Of...

I can absolutely understand why you are favouring the incubator. I'll do some further research into those incubators and see if anyone has had experience with them and let you know. It's good that you're starting your research early, so we have plenty of time to make sure that you find the perfect m...

Hi Bex, Re your specific question about the lights and the holder, I think that could work OK. The ceramic heat emitter will be good for night time. The bulb (natural light, etc.) that you suggested for light might not be so good though. It's only 25W, so the light won't be very bright, and from wha...