The Tortoise Table

Tortoises do develop preferences, but there is a little technique that you could try. Pick some sowthistle leaves (or others that he likes) and cut them into pretty big pieces -- or leave them whole. Then cut the food you would like him to eat (campanula, evening primrose, etc.) into very tiny piece...

Aww, I love to hear about Boris -- he's such a character. It won't hurt for him to be outdoors if it dips to 9C, as long as he's able to warm up in the morning -- which you did -- so I think he's leading a charmed life. There's been a big discussion on the Tortoise Trust about 'long fibres' being so...

Looking great! You're certainly making fast progress. Do remember with the glass lid on your cold frame that in addition to becoming an oven inside if it's warm, that UVB doesn't pass through glass, so your tortoise won't get the benefits of the UVB from the sun when the glass lid is on. Having said...

Great to hear from you, and it sounds like Boris is doing very well outdoors, and he is acting exactly as tortoises do in the wild. I think it's fine to leave him outdoors all night, unless the temperature drops below about 12C (or it could even drop to 10C for just one night, but not more). As long...

Hi, and welcome from me too! I completely agree with Lin -- it sounds like a great idea to get her outdoors while the weather is good, and a table on your balcony will enable her to benefit from the natural UVB from the sun (which is far better than any artificial UVB we provide indoors). It would b...

Sounds great and that you've got it all in hand! Just a thought, as I've recently suggested this to someone else. I've had a fixed arm before and found them really infuriating because it makes it really difficult to raise and lower the bulb. For example, it's supposed to get really hot mid-week here...

Hi Nic, I'm sure Lin will be on soon, but I just wanted to say that I think you've created a lovely little table for your Horsfield! Lots of interest for him/her. Tortoises do get bored really quickly if they can see from one end of an area to the other end without obstruction, so you've made it rea...

Hi Polly and welcome to The Tortoise Table! And congratulations on welcoming your Leopard tortoise into your family. Energy levels and appetite are in great part determined by the temperature and brightness of light. Can you tell us how you are keeping him (a photo would be great)? What are you usin...

Hi Lenny, I'm so, so sorry to be so late in responding to your latest post! For some reason I wasn't notified of a new message coming in, and I should have been. Your lamp sounds fine, but the temperatures are what is important. What is the temperature directly below that lamp at the height of a tor...

Hi Thomas, The readings you are getting underthe light seem fine to me, and if it's too hot then he can always move away to a cooler area. I can't quite see your thermometer well enough, but is that button on it an 'In/Out' temp. button or is it a 'Max/Min' button. The Max/Min ones are good because ...

We've just received our certificate, and we are sponsoring Tho, an elongated tortoise (they are endangered in the wild), and we're really pleased! The money will be used not only for the upkeep of Tho, but to help train assistants to look after tortoises at the Zoo. They already used our website for...

Hi Thomas, Oh dear, it isn't easy finding a reason why your tortoise is a bit lethargic because you are doing everything right! Usually there is something that stands out a mile that should be corrected, but I can't find that here, as your husbandry sounds really good. There are a couple of tiny twe...

Oh gosh, how lovely to be in Florida and have gopher torts on your property! I do envy you. Actually I was born in Florida, but have lived in the UK for a very long time. I don't miss the hot humid summers there, but you do get a much higher quality UVB from the sun than we do this far north.

Nina

So sorry that I have only just seen this (our notification system seems to have gone down. I'm afraid that I am really no good at IDing fungi -- there are so many that look similar. I do have a fungi identification book, but it is for the UK, and your post is in the 'Plants from Outside the UK' sect...

Hi T123 (sorry, I don't know your name), and welcome to The Tortoise Table. First of all thanks so much for the detailed description and photos of your set-up -- it helps a lot! You've got a lovely little Horsfield there, and a nice set-up, so I'm hoping that with a few tweaks we can get the environ...

Hi Starsks, What colour is the rock -- I'll bet it's white. Tortoises do have a penchant for eating white rocks. Some people think that they mistake them for old snail shells that have been bleached white in the sun, and are a good source of calcium. The cuttlefish in the enclosure is good -- do the...

Hi Reece,
Just wondering how things are going and if he's any better.

Nina

Hi Lenny, It sounds like they are doing just fine and just settling in -- and well done for getting them a table and not a vivarium (big problems with vivariums and tortoises). Is your heat lamp one that gives off light and also UVB (not just UVA)? UVB is very important for tortoises, so if you have...

Hi Lenny and welcome to The Tortoise Table! Congratulations on welcoming Shelley and Albert into your home -- they are gorgeous and Horsfields are a great species of tortoise, with loads of personality. You might be interested to know that Horsfield doesn't have an 'e' in the middle of its name beca...

Hi Jess, Just to add to what Lin said -- yes, I think that a wardrobe is a great idea for a tortose table. You will want to line it with something that is waterproof (like pool liner, so that water etc. doesn't leak through and rot the wood. The photo that Lin sent you is of my table as it was being...

That looks really great, and I can't think of anything else much -- I think you've done a super job! I'm on my computer and can't enlarge the photos, so not sure, but is there a water dish in there? Also, just to complete it and make it escape proof I think I would nail a little lip on the top of th...

The Tortoise Table has been selling a record number of our booklets to tortoise keepers around the world, and as a result we find ourselves with some profit from booklet sales in our bank account. At a time when zoos across the UK have suffered a huge loss of income as a result of the lockdown (but ...

All these tortoises have found suitable homes now. Thanks people. Here are the details of these four tortoises from Hull that require rehoming. They are two Hermanns and two Horsfields who currently live separately. It is after a great deal of thought that the owner (Email details below) has come to...

Hi Jester, Many thanks for contacting us. Love the name Moonpie! Can you tell me what species he is, and also something about his set-up? Is he in a tortoise table or a vivarium, and does he have an outdoor enclosure too? Unfortunately the photo is just to blurry for me to see the spot well enough -...

Well, that must have been a great relief for you (and for Hector too, as I assume he doesn't always fancy a trip to the vet)!

Cheers, and thanks for letting us know (we can uncross our fingers now, as us hoping for a good result has obviously worked)!

Nina