The Tortoise Table

Hi Lucre,
I hope you are having drier, warmer weather now -- any sign of him yet?

Nina

Yes, well said, Kimberley! A Hermanns tortoise's digestive system doesn't cope well with the natural sugars in fruit (and tomatoes count as a fruit too). In the wild they do occasionally encounter fallen fruit on the ground, and they will certainly eat it, but as Kimberley said it's a bit like feedi...

Perfect!

Cheers,
Nina

That sounds good for heat and light,and I've used that one in the past too. But what will you be using for UVB (as far as I know it only gives off UVA, not UVB)?


Nina xx

I think they do (they are just too clever and don't want to let us in on their conversations as that might weaken their control over us!

Teddy28 wrote:
> If only they could talk!

Oops, for some reason I didn't get a notification about this post, so sorry for the late answer. Aww, what lovely photos!! The answer to that question is one of the great unknowns about tortoises :) -- it's like why do they always wee and poo in their water bowl just after you have changed the water...

Ooh, that's horrible when a lamp blows. I use one lamp for heat and light (either an ordinary household spotlight or a reptile lamp (but not a UVB one, and then a fluorescent UVB strip light that covers most of the table. That way I can raise or lower the heat lamp to make it cooler or warmer in the...

Hi Takara, Thank you for posting about rehoming Brokkr, and we are so sorry to hear of your circumstances and the fact that you are having to find a new home for Brokkr. I can only imagine how painful this has been for you, and what a difficult decision this was to make. It sounds to me like you hav...

You're doing everything you can, Lucre, and we all have our fingers crossed hoping that Jeff turns up soon. Bring on that warmer weather!!

Nina xx

Thanks for the update, Lucre, and that is a great idea to have your action cam monitoring the area. Wouldn't it be great if it picked Jeff up walking across the garden! As it gets warmer, I'm sure he will be more active and you will find him. Tortoises can go for really long periods without food, an...

It is after a lot of thought that Tabitha’s owner (email details below) has come to the heartbreaking decision to allow this much loved elderly (85) female Testudo hermanni boettgeri (THB) to go to a home that can give her the time and space that she needs. Ideally the owner would like her to go to ...

We ‘re thinking of you, Lucre. Jeff will be nice and cozy underground somewhere, and as soon as the weather gets warmer he’ll come up and you will find him.

Nina

Wow! Congratulations from me too -- it looks fantastic, and not only nice for tortoises but really pretty to look at too. Is that a rug in the central area (grey and white pattern)? Does he go there, and what happens if he wees or poos on it? I hope lots of people look at this thread and get some in...

I don't know what bush that is (maybe Lin will come on as she is good at IDs), but I wouldn't worry about disturbing the roots of the bush -- I would carefully remove all the soil in that little area and go as deep as you can (they can dig quite deep if it is cold -- maybe 8 or 10 inches, although p...

I am so sad for you Lucre, and this must be absolutely devatating, but I'm so glad that you are not giving up. I don't think he will appear until we get some nice warm weather, as when it is cold they really don't have much energy to walk around. The idea of dogs is a possibility, but you have to be...

It doesn't look like the most common Evening Primrose, as the leaves are too pointed (and I can't see what the stem looks like because of the angle of the photo), but there are other species of Evening Primrose, with different leaf shapes, so we'll know for sure when it flowers.

Nina

Hi Yahtz (that's much easier, thanks), Yes, that is the general idea. It wouldn't be catastrophic if two goitrogenic plants were fed in the same meal, but it's a guideline designed to avoid increasing the percentage of goitrogenic plants in the diet. So just be aware of it, but no need to obsess (if...

It's a bit hard to tell, looking straight down at it like that, and without a flower, but it looks like one of the Willowherbs to me (probably Rosebay Willowherb). Does it resemble either of these? https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=360&c=6#.Xrlf7cB7m9s or https...

Well, he's a real survivor, isn't he? Where does he stay in the winter (do you have a heated area for him indoors, with a UVB light)? It can be hard to find good food for them in winter, so I'm happy that mine hibernate, but it seems right that he shouldn't do that now if he had such a bad time. Nina

Hi Yahtzdog (lol, is their an easier name i can call you by?) Thanks for the photos. This is Garlic Mustard and can be fed, so well done for finding it. Here is our entry for it: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=16&c=6#.XrkY_cB7m9s (note the caution about feed...

Thanks for keeping us updated, Lucre. Don't lose hope because they do very often turn up, and you are not alone. Have a look at this thread: http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/siteassets/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1957 The tortoise went missing on the 15th of April and was found (albeit with the...

Oh my, he is handsome -- with such a smooth shell! I think your cleaning regime for the wound sounds fine -- just keep an eye on it. I think that shell rot does look old, so nothing to worry about, and he is obviously thriving in your care (although he's obviously also desperate to go out clubbing o...

Aww, bless him -- these sound like true battle scars. How did he hurt his neck? Do you have a good disinfectant or something similar that will help keep the wound clean until it heals (don't want danger of infection). He does sound like a very spirited chap! My Doris and Dolly send their best wishes...

Hi HellsBellsMelons (sorry, I don't know your name), and welcome to The Tortoise Table. Well, it seems that Toby is a real character, and it sounds like you've given him a great home for the last 42 years! As far as I know there isn't a lot that you can do about Toby's current behaviour, as he is ac...

Hi TIA,
Was there supposed to be a photo attached to your post?

Nina

Jo1211 wrote:
> Can anyone give me an ID on this plant please
>
> TIA