The Tortoise Table

It looks lovely!

Thanks Nina, no no side effects for Boris that I noticed, but it did set me thinking about little Tort last summer but I don't it was there then so like you say maybe it was carried in by birds or in bird droppings. He did look slightly disgruntled this morning when it had gone and he demolished the...

I've dug it all out, one had a root which was a foot long but easy to pull out as it had to grow sideways cos it couldn't get through the black membrane under the substrate. I've replaced it with one of our prized sow thistle from the garden, hopefully distract him from his favourite munch having di...

[attachment=2]20200326_073954_resized.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]20200326_074715_resized.jpg[/attachment][attachment=0]20200326_074724_resized.jpg[/attachment] Morning Nina, not sure how clear the close up photo is, there was a small amount of translucent milky sap coming out of the cut stem. I'v...

Thanks Nina I 'll check it first thing and let you know. There are several of these plants all growing together but I m sure all are the same type. Last year I sowed some of the tortoise seed mix from shelled warriors, can't recall if it was just the tortoise seed or the Med mix. I sowed them in a s...

Hi Nina Oh dear - wild lettuce ! I'll check tomorrow if any sap coming out and let you know. Yes some of the stems are red and I think some of them are showing in the first pic, on the left of the photo. I think the red stems are on the older leaves which may have been growing through the winter. An...

[attachment=2]20200325_092753_resized.jpg[/attachment]Took a few more pics but not sure it's any clearer. The leaves have fine hairs on them, more obvious on younger leaves which appear to come out of a rosette. There's one separate from the others so I 'll try and dig it up to keep it from being ea...

I thought you might like that one - extreme sunbathing eh!
xx

Hi Nina Sorry it isn't a very good photo is it. I 'll see if I can get a betrer one tomorrow. As I said, it's from a seed mix and i have a suspicion it's been growing through the winter because I 've had his enclosure covered with Lumisol since October. He was outdoors again today and was attacking ...

[attachment=0]20200323_135437_resized.jpg[/attachment] Hi this is growing in Boris s outdoor enclosure, it sprouted from a pack of Shelled Warrior seed mix last year , he's having a day outside whilst the weather is good and previously ignored this but is now demolishing it. There's geranium leaves ...

Hi this is growing in Boris s outdoor enclosure, it sprouted from a pack of Shelled Warrior seed mix last year , he's having a day outside whilst the weather is good and previously ignored this but is now demolishing it. There's geranium leaves in the foreground but it's the tall leaves I'm trying t...

Excuse me for jumping in but so pleased you got him eating. Hope he continues to improve
X

Excuse me for jumping in but so pleased you got him eating. Hope he continues to improve
X

That's one thing I've learnt you can guarantee with a tortoise, make it nice for them and they'll vandalize it and turn everything upside down. Boris (and little Tort his predecessor) takes great delight in getting under the lowest part of his current ramp and pushing and shoving until it collapses ...

Thanks for this Nina, I think I understand it, especially with the photos.
The one with the brick in it, is that the sleeping area with the roof off? And is the brick just to give them a smaller cosy area to sleep in?

Thanks for the useful advice. Easy to forget to account for the depth of the substrate isn't it. The feeding platform, I was thinking of having it just as a square or even triangle in one of the back corners, just enough room for food bowls, boris and room to manouvre and having the ramp against the...

[attachment=1]20200208_131426_resized_1.jpg[/attachment]Hi All, This is the design for a new indoor enclosure for Boris (recently acquired elderly Horsfield) Thanks already Nina for you comments back in November, how time flies. The table will be 6ft long by 2 and a half ft wide, it will sit on top ...

Thanks Nina, he did have a six or eight week period when he was doing his best to hibernate but now he's bringing himself out of his hidey hole and waiting under the lamp for it to come on in the mornings. He's also going in search of his food now whereas a month ago I was having to put it in front ...

Hi just a quick update on Boris's urates. They are much better now. Bathing once or twice a day and fresh sow thistle leaves, plantains and his current favourite - juicy navelwort and his urates are a lovely soft white consistency. He's be away at his foster home for a week whilst I've been on holid...

What a lovely story and what a lucky little tortoise

Hi Nina yes I try to make sure his leaves are wet. He's not interested in cucumber but I'll keep offering it to him. He definitely seems to have come thru his 'must hibernate' phase so hopefully things will improve with his urates.
Will keep you posted
Thanks again

Hi Lin His urates have been a little bit pink for about a week I'd say and they have been grittier than usual. Today was the first time I'd seen a stone. Having said that, I was able to squash the stone between my fingers once it had dried. He's been having baths every other day since September but ...

Hi there Boris (No 10) Horsfield has started eating rather well now that he is getting used to the fact that he is over wintering rather than hibernating this year (I've only had him since September and he had quite a heavy worm count) . He's been having regular baths but hasn't eaten for periods of...

Hello James, Nina andLin Just jumping in here to say 'hello' after a few months absence. James I love your posts, it's nerve wracking being a new tortoise owner, as I was in 2017. Bulbs, food, substrate = sleepless nights but before long you'll be able to bore the pants off anyone who'll listen abou...

Lin / Nina
May I 'private message' you both please?
Teddy