The Tortoise Table

Well, I've had a good look, and I think it is probably OK to feed. Both Cissus sicyoides and cissus verticillata are called plant insulin and used to treat diabetes in South America, but the studies I've read indicated that although it does reduce blood glucose levels in mammals, there doesn't seem ...

Hi Marsha -- great to hear from you! I hope Khan has had a good year in that super table you built him, and that he got some time outdoors in the sunshine too. It's difficult to say if he is of a sufficient weight to brumate. The McIntyre ratio was developed on the basis of information gathered from...

Hi Jeloz, I'm afraid this one is going to need a bit more research, and it might be tomorrow or the next day before I can get back to you. I've read that there are reports of Cissus verticillata causing goitres in cattle, and that it is called 'plant insulin' and used by natives as a treatment for d...

Thanks for letting me know -- at least you got a notification (Lin and I aren't getting any notifications of posts). We'll be reporting this and hopefully we'll be back to normal soon.

Cheers,
Nina

Hi TP, Lin and I have conferred and we have ID'd most of the plants. Before I list them, can I just check? Did you get an email and also a message through the forum from me today? I ticked a box when I sent you the email via the forum, to send a copy to myself, but I never got it, so something is re...

Looks fine to me! Although if moss is growing naturally in a lot of places in your table, then the substrate might be a little bit too damp. So sorry for this late response -- have only just seen your post.

Nina

Hi TP, and thanks so much for the photos and for outlining the plants in them. I've only just seen this post because we discovered that our automatic notification system doesn't seem to be working. I can ID some of them but not all yet, and I wan't to have a word with Lin so I'll get back and post s...

Hi Christina and welcome to The Tortoise Table! First of all, many apologies for this late response -- we are supposed to be notified of any new postings on the forum, but nothing has come in for two days and I just realised the system isn't working and so am now checking every thread here for new p...

Hi TP (for some reason our notification system isn't working today and we aren't being notified of new posts, so I'm just scanning the forum to pick them up). Claws don't often need to be trimmed, but sometimes they do. Tortoises do need claws for digging and tearing food, but if they don't have a m...

Hi, and sorry to be so late in responding to you (for some reason our notification system is on the blink and we aren't getting notified of new messages). Tortoises do often flip over, and the only danger is if they do this under a heat lamp, and can't right themselves. Usually they are able to righ...

Hi Quasi,

Yes, it should be absolutely fine to point the temp gun at the tortoise's shell -- no problem at all.

Cheers,
Nina

Oh dear -- and just where in the wild do these people think there are fields of orchid bark that tortoises live on, and who puts the lid on their habitat? :roll: Actually, a lid can be really dangerous, because the enclosed nature of a lidded table makes it much more difficult to get a good temperat...

Hi Mrs L., and welcome to the Forum! And thanks so much TP for explaining how to upload folders -- it's great to have your step-by-step guide! There is also a set of instructions in the Guidelines section of this forum, and here is a link to that: http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/siteassets/forum/...

Here are two extra photos of this lovely table that CritterMama has asked me to post in her thread as she was having a technical problem in uploading them. And I'd like to be the first one to say how great her table looks! Lots of areas of interest for Scoot to explore, and walk around, over and thr...

Hi Sarah, Unfortunately I'm on a machine where I can't enlarge your photos, but your first two (the plant with the ferny leaves and green/yellow ball-shaped flowers looks like Pineapple Weed to me. Can you check out our entry and see if it matches? https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/...

Doesn't he look happy wandering around in that big area, and I think i can see some nice juicy weeds growing there too. Paradise!

Nina

Thanks, Sarah, and I think that Shelby has really lucked out by being welcomed into your home -- you're doing a great job. Re glass -- you can put a glass side in, but I would have the glass start above where his head is when he is walking around (so a solid border around the bottom). The reason for...

Whew! Glad I didn't put you off and that you found the post useful :) . It's amazing how much personality tortoises have, and how quickly you become obsessed with them! Yes, he can certainly go out in the garden when it's warm and sunny -- he will love it. The general rule is that if you can wear a ...

Hi Sarah and welcome to The Tortoise Table! Congratulations on welcoming this Horsfield into your home (lol and also on spelling Horsfield correctly -- most people starting out spell it Horsefield). I'm really impressed with the research you've done so far, and it sounds to me like you're going to m...

Hi TP -- great to hear from you again and to hear that Gonzales is doing well You've done a great job with him since you first contacted us, and the environment you've made for him looks excellent (I love the log pile, and he evidently loves it too). I agree with all that Lin has said -- it does see...

For some reason I wasn't notified of the most recent postinsgs on this thread and so have only just seen them. Thanks for the really helpful information, Dan (and for the useful links, Crittermama)!

Nina

Hi, and glad you've seen the responses. Regarding the substrate. Ahh, I thought it was just wood chips. Forest Floor won't be terrible, and you could use the bag up, but try and mix it with some topsoil and sand to give a more natural substrate for him. If you buy a bag of ordinary screened topsoil ...

Hi again, Someone has just suggested to me that it could possibly be a dehydration issue, as sometimes when a tortoise is dehydrated it causes skin to flake and peel soon that it ordinarily would. Very small tortoises can dehydrate quickly under lights indoors, so even though you probably have a wat...

It's an adorable face! And we have two adorable tortoises in one thread on the forum -- makes my day!

Nina

Oh wow, this is so exciting! Scoot is one handsome little tortoise, and it looks like he has found paradise with you and your family. I'm so glad that Chris Leone came up trumps for you (but I knew he would). I hope you passed on our regards. Can't wait to see the little palace you've created for hi...