New owner rescue horsfield
Posted: 03 Feb 2020, 22:58
Hello,
My name is Kimberley and I'm from the Netherlands. Since friday I've rescued a horsfield tortoise hatched in 2015.
About me:
I'm 41 years old and since I was nine I've always had duo's or trio's of guinea pigs until I was 35, I still love them and they've always had huge enclosures and fed as natural as possible.
After that I've had 2 Syrian hamsters(not together) which I also loved. Their enclosure was 140 cm by 70 cm, open top and I did hamsterscaping. Unfortunately they don't live very long but they're also great animals.
I also have a naughty haflinger pony, he lives a 5 minute walk away and will be 24 in July and I have a 10 year old chihuahua who's absolutely great.
All my animals are and were rescues.
I've always loved tortoises, but because of the guinea pigs and hamsters I decided it wasn't time. I did do research on them and decided that a horsfield or Hermans would be best in my situation. I did look at baby's but I wanted a tortoise that already excisted and needed a home.
A bit sooner than expected my horsfield came on my path. Friends of a colleague had a him for a year and wanted to rehome him.
About him:
He was was hatched in 2015,bought in 2016 by people, kept in a 40 by 40 cm terrarium without water and uv, he did have light and given Romain and other lettuce types. Horrible!
In 2018 the colleagues friends got him because they felt sorry. He lived in a closed terrarium of 30 by 60 cm with a combination warmth+uv bulb. He was given cuttlefish, veggies, some flowers and weeds, necton msa once a week, reptivit once a week. He went outside in the garden in the summer. He also visited a reptile vet when they got him because of his previous horrible existence. Even though the terrarium was also horrible and small, the whole situation was better. They wanted to rehome him to someone who would give him more attention, better home and care than they could.
So Michelle, they thought he was a girl, came to live with me. I know he is 99% a boy, his tail is long and bends to the right. I looked at many pics of horsfield males/females and am certain it's a boy. I actually wanted to wait a few months and prepare better, but there he was.
Current situation:
He is 9/10 cm and weighs 346 gram.
Never hibernated.
I picked him up friday and he now lives in my 70 by 140 cm hamstertable, it is 40 cm high, the walls are 15 cm black, 25 cm plexiglass, open top. It's not suitable because he can see himself in the black plexi part and see through the clear plexiglass. I'm going to make him a new table this week: wood and 80 cm by 210 cm.
He's on 10 cm thick coco peat, i think it's messy I have to say.
He has a dome/house made of coco core cloth, 2 big bendy bridges, slate, a bath, catgrass plant, stones, cuttlefish. In his bigger home I will put more stuff.
Exo terra solar glo 80 watt lamp, this is combined heat and uva/uvb.
Exo terra light dome lamp reflector, 18 cm for better uvb. It hangs straight and is on the left side.
An extra desk bendy lamp for more light.
My appartment is well insulated and has central heating with thermostat everywhere, its 20c during the day and 18 at night, very stable. Under the lamp it's 30c.
I don't have a garden, but I do have a very big balcony/terrace with sun from 10.30 till 8 pm in the summer. So I will make him an outdoor enclosure of 160cm by 3 meters.
I've ordered 2 types of testudo grass/flower/weeds seed mixes, calendula and dandelion seeds, but that takes time to grow.
Alpin cobs, but he doesn't like it.
I know weeds etc are better, but now I don't have any yet. Veggies: Romain lettuce, frisee lettuce, cucumber, courgette, raddishleaves, kale, carrot.
He is a very picky eater.
Michelle, i will change his name, is very sweet, active, he basks, walks around, takes multiple baths, poops (looks good) and wants to go to bed around 19.30. I've given him a bath every day since I have him.
I want him to eat more things but he doesn't like it (yet). I would also want him to eat the alpin cobs, but he doesn't like it.
What more can I do? Tomorrow I'll try the cobs with some cucumber, hope it will work.
What more can I do?
Thanx
My name is Kimberley and I'm from the Netherlands. Since friday I've rescued a horsfield tortoise hatched in 2015.
About me:
I'm 41 years old and since I was nine I've always had duo's or trio's of guinea pigs until I was 35, I still love them and they've always had huge enclosures and fed as natural as possible.
After that I've had 2 Syrian hamsters(not together) which I also loved. Their enclosure was 140 cm by 70 cm, open top and I did hamsterscaping. Unfortunately they don't live very long but they're also great animals.
I also have a naughty haflinger pony, he lives a 5 minute walk away and will be 24 in July and I have a 10 year old chihuahua who's absolutely great.
All my animals are and were rescues.
I've always loved tortoises, but because of the guinea pigs and hamsters I decided it wasn't time. I did do research on them and decided that a horsfield or Hermans would be best in my situation. I did look at baby's but I wanted a tortoise that already excisted and needed a home.
A bit sooner than expected my horsfield came on my path. Friends of a colleague had a him for a year and wanted to rehome him.
About him:
He was was hatched in 2015,bought in 2016 by people, kept in a 40 by 40 cm terrarium without water and uv, he did have light and given Romain and other lettuce types. Horrible!
In 2018 the colleagues friends got him because they felt sorry. He lived in a closed terrarium of 30 by 60 cm with a combination warmth+uv bulb. He was given cuttlefish, veggies, some flowers and weeds, necton msa once a week, reptivit once a week. He went outside in the garden in the summer. He also visited a reptile vet when they got him because of his previous horrible existence. Even though the terrarium was also horrible and small, the whole situation was better. They wanted to rehome him to someone who would give him more attention, better home and care than they could.
So Michelle, they thought he was a girl, came to live with me. I know he is 99% a boy, his tail is long and bends to the right. I looked at many pics of horsfield males/females and am certain it's a boy. I actually wanted to wait a few months and prepare better, but there he was.
Current situation:
He is 9/10 cm and weighs 346 gram.
Never hibernated.
I picked him up friday and he now lives in my 70 by 140 cm hamstertable, it is 40 cm high, the walls are 15 cm black, 25 cm plexiglass, open top. It's not suitable because he can see himself in the black plexi part and see through the clear plexiglass. I'm going to make him a new table this week: wood and 80 cm by 210 cm.
He's on 10 cm thick coco peat, i think it's messy I have to say.
He has a dome/house made of coco core cloth, 2 big bendy bridges, slate, a bath, catgrass plant, stones, cuttlefish. In his bigger home I will put more stuff.
Exo terra solar glo 80 watt lamp, this is combined heat and uva/uvb.
Exo terra light dome lamp reflector, 18 cm for better uvb. It hangs straight and is on the left side.
An extra desk bendy lamp for more light.
My appartment is well insulated and has central heating with thermostat everywhere, its 20c during the day and 18 at night, very stable. Under the lamp it's 30c.
I don't have a garden, but I do have a very big balcony/terrace with sun from 10.30 till 8 pm in the summer. So I will make him an outdoor enclosure of 160cm by 3 meters.
I've ordered 2 types of testudo grass/flower/weeds seed mixes, calendula and dandelion seeds, but that takes time to grow.
Alpin cobs, but he doesn't like it.
I know weeds etc are better, but now I don't have any yet. Veggies: Romain lettuce, frisee lettuce, cucumber, courgette, raddishleaves, kale, carrot.
He is a very picky eater.
Michelle, i will change his name, is very sweet, active, he basks, walks around, takes multiple baths, poops (looks good) and wants to go to bed around 19.30. I've given him a bath every day since I have him.
I want him to eat more things but he doesn't like it (yet). I would also want him to eat the alpin cobs, but he doesn't like it.
What more can I do? Tomorrow I'll try the cobs with some cucumber, hope it will work.
What more can I do?
Thanx