The Tortoise Table

Hi Jody, I hope Jemima is enjoying the bits of sunshine that we're having in between thunderstorms. Re your questions: 1). I think she should be OK outdoors as long as it is warm, even in some rain, but she will need somewhere to shelter if the rain is heavy. Wet grass is also no problem as long as ...

Yes, powdery mildew has been a big problem this year, and I have lots of it in my garden. As far as I know it is not toxic to tortoises (whereas black mould can be toxic). My tortoises have eaten some Evening Primrose leaves with mildew on them with no ill effects. I think I would avoid feeding lots...

Hi Lucre, I’m so sorry that neither Lin nor I responded to your email! For some reason we didn’t get notified when you posted it. How are they doing now? Letting them nibble on clover and dandelion in the garden is absolutely fine, and no need to starve them if they are eating themselves. Most torto...

Lol, do you two mean ‘balmy’ or ‘barmy’? Whatever it is, my torts just seem to want to sleep when it gets too hot!

Nina

I think that is very hopeful news. I would definitely keep on with the dandelions, but I would wet them thoroughly and then cut up something else that is good into very tiny pieces and sprinkle a few of those tiny pieces on the dandelion, so that they stick to it, and that way when he takes a bite o...

It sounds like he is in good hands, and the fact that he was energetic when he was outdoors is a very good sign. Have you tried hand feeding him with something that you know he is fond of? It's a slippery slope because if you hand feed too much then they don't want to eat by themselves, but you coul...

I don't think it is essential, and if you have a water bowl in there, and give the substrate a light spray every day or two that should help. But why not try it and see if Jemima likes it? LOL, and do report back if she does!

Nina

Hi Jenson, So sorry to be late in coming onto this thread, and really sorry to hear that he is unwell. As you only got him in mid-July he was probably harbouring that illness when he arrived with you, so I doubt very much that it was anything to do with your husbandry. The antiobiotics should clear ...

Hi Jodie, I'm afraid I'm not an authority on humid hides,so I'm hoping that someone who knows more than I do will come in here with some advice. Horsfields in particular like a fairly dry environment, but the right Relative Humidity in the substrate (45% - 55%) is good for them. The one thing that i...

Hi Lucre, Yippee! I'm so glad that you've welcomed Rigel and Bamboo into your home (and Jeff -- wherever he is -- might get jealous and decide to come back). That is very odd that the woman said the tortoises were newborn, because they don't look like that to me. How much do they weigh? Just for inf...

Thanks for letting us know, Tina. We've had the 'before' photo, so lookin forward to the 'after' photo of handsome Jonny too!

Nina

Aww, that's great to hear that she perked up (I guess she was just having a Monday morning lie in)!

Nina

Hi Jody, It could well be light levels that cause the idle days (but also tortoises, like people, just have some days when they aren't as active -- lol, I'm having one of those days today). Sometimes on dark, dreary days they seem to sense that, even though the light in their tortoise table is artif...

Hi and so sorry to be late in responding to your post! Regarding lining the table -- most people line the table no matter what substrate they are using, because wee and spilled water can make the wood a bit damp, and also it's easier for cleaning. It's not absolutely necessary (especially if your wo...

Many apologies to everyone who tried unsuccessfully to access our website last night and this morning (23rd - 24th July). The problem was caused by a type of security certificate that should have renewed automatically but failed to do so. We've sorted this out and the website and app are up and runn...

Hi Jenson, and welcome to The Tortoise Table! Congratulations on adopting your Horsfield -- they are a great species with lots of personality. Just for information, the species is names after Dr Thomas Horsfield, a 19th Century naturalist, and that is why there is no 'e' in the middle of Horsfield. ...

Hi and congratulations on the new house! The temperature of a room had a huge effect on the temperature in the tortoise table, so if your room is 16C then in the tortoise table it won't be as hot as if it were 26C in the room. We're due to have warm temperatures this week so hopefully your room temp...

Ha, ha -- I did say 'Jody' didn't I? Just shows how rattled your brain becomes when you've spent the day catching up on episodes of The Repair Shop and Gardener's World!
Anyway, I am really glad that both you and Jemima are free of worms!

Nina

Hi Jody, Great to hear from you and apologies for the late reply (lol I took break to catch up on some telly I'd missed!). That's great news that Jody's test results showed she doesn't have a worm infestation. Some people worm every year or two without a test, but i think that is not to the benefit ...

Hi Chara and welcome to the Tortosie Table (and apologies for the delay in responding to your message). First of all, congratulations on getting a tortoise table for your little Hermanns (what is his name by the way?) -- he will be so much happier in there than in a vivarium (which many people mista...

Hi Victoria and welcome to The Tortoise Table! And thanks too for the compliments! That is brilliant that you have built Elliot a table, and I thnk that with just a few tweaks we can get it perfect for him. Just to make sure I am understanding you correctly: your sources of light and heat are a UVB ...

Yes, it's a very pretty plant and tasty for tortoises too. And it should seed itself in your garden so you will have them next year (or you could save some seeds too and sow them just in case it doesn't seed itself.

Nina

Hi and welcome to The Tortoise Table! If you are bathing her often, that's great, and she shouldn't be dehydrated, but it's possible that she isn't drinking in the bath. How long do you bathe her for? We would recommend 15 - 20 minutes in a container that she can't see out of, in warm water that com...

Hi Oliver and welcome to The Tortoise Table, How wonderful to have an older tortoise -- especially when you think of all they have seen during their long lives! Do you know what species he is? Given his age he is probably a spur thigh, as they were one of the most common imported species back then, ...

Ha ha, she doesn't look happy at all about your proposed diet! When you weigh her -- try and do it in roughly the same circumstances (like just before or after a bath, just after a poo, etc.) because it's amazing how much weight they lose in having a poo! :shock: Regarding portions, it's really diff...