The Tortoise Table

Hi Maria, I know this must be really stressful for you, but hopefully we can get his appetite back with just a few tweaks of husbandry. First of all, well done for getting him off that terrible diet and into a tortoise table -- you've given him the best possible start in life! It is also really good...

Mine like to have the top of their heads rubbed too! And I know that people won't believe you when you tell them, but tortoises do have big personalities (as you are finding out).


Nina

How often are you bathing him now? I don't see any need to increase baths, unless you are bathing him less than twice a week, and you can gently drip some warm water over his head in the bath. When they lose skin on their neck and their back legs it can look very tatty, with bits hanging off, but ju...

Yes, it is possible. Can you describe your tortoise's set-up so that we might suggest ways to improve it?

Nina

Danielkag wrote:
> Can tortoises experience depression or loneliness in captivity, and if so,
> are there any effective methods to alleviate their emotional well-being?

Truck looks great, and it’s not unusual for the scales to look like that. He is probably going to shed some scales soon, which is completely normal. Snakes shed their skin all in one piece, but tortoises shed theirs in bits and pieces as they grow larger. Just don’t be tempted to pull off any scales...

Hi Daniel, I answered your question on your other post, so maybe check that one here http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/siteassets/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2825 . When you're writing a post, there is a box underneath the box you are writing in that says 'Notify me when a reply is posted' and i...

Hi Daniel, If it was only for three days then there was no harm done, but you need to prepare a tortoise for hibernation -- you can't just put them in a fridge or an insulated box in an outbuilding without preparing them first. They can't go into hibernation with any food in their stomachs, as it ca...

Hi Emma, Thanks so much for the update and the photos. This is exactly why we spend time and energy corresponding with tortoise keepers -- it gives us such satisfaction to hear stories like yours, and we are so proud of you and Penny! I know it hasn't always been easy sailing, but isn't it lovely to...

Hi Steve,

If you can email me at nina@thetortoisetable.org.uk and tell me the area where you live (and how far you are willing to travel), we can keep an eye out for tortoises that come up for rehoming in that area.

Nina

That's looking great, and the single bulb will be fine. Are you checking our Facebook page or our forum for tortoises that we are rehoming? This must be so exciting for you! If you decide not to rehome but would prefer to purchase a young tortoise, we can point you towards lists of reputable tortois...

That's looking really good, so you must be so pleased with your work! Regarding the bulb -- yes 100W should be fine, although in summer, when the room is warmer, it might be a bit too much, and you will have to raise the bulb up higher to keep it from getting too hot in the table. The problem with t...

Hi Beell, Welcome to the forum and congratulations on getting your tortoise - and Horsfields are a great species, with lots of personality. Many tortoises don't drink from their water bowl (I have one that drinks regularly and one that has never drunk for her bowl), and if his urates are dry then it...

That all sounds perfect to me! If you get a thermometer similar to the one I gave the link to, you can hang that down to shell level, and to be able to see the maximum and minimum temperatures reached is very useful. The small thermometer on the wall at the cool end will be fine for measuring the te...

Hi Stevie, That is looking good -- really excellent! Just a couple of questions: 1. What is the circular thing attached over the table and half-way down -- is it a light? Very high tech looking! 2. I like the little upper level and the ramp -- what is it made of, and is it easily removable (just ask...

Hi Steve, We've definitely got it noted down that you're looking for a tortoise in the West Yorkshire area, so fingers crossed! It's getting a bit confusing, though, having two different subjects being discussed in this thread, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you've created for this li...

Hi Emma, Thanks for the photo, but I do think it's too soon to sex him/her. The cloaca is slightly more in the shape of a dash (females have round cloacas, shaped like asterisks and the cloaca of males is more of a slit shape and is a bit further towards the tip of the tail, whereas Kimchi's seems t...

Hi Emma, and thanks for the update. Did I ever respond to your original post? I can't tell when it was sent because it's been updated with your P.S. but it doesn't look as if I did respond (I was away in Morocco from 14th - 28th December, and wasn't really on top of things), and I'm really sorry! Re...

Hi and welcome to The Tortoise Table, I can understand why you are wrorried. Can you tell us what species your turtle is? Is it a land animal (tortoise), or does it live partly in water (turtle)? If you can send us a photo of her, showing all of her, and also a close-up photo of the white spots then...

Hi Shousho, and thanks for contacting us. This is a difficult one, and different people will have different opinions. Many people would say that a 2 hr journey in a car, there and back, twice a month is a bit too much, as a tortoise will find that stressful. If it were the odd journey, and not very ...

As Phil said, there is a free version of it.

Nina

Hi Sunshine, I agree with Lin that it would be better to keep her awake now, and then prepare in good time for hibernation next winter. Is she currently in the house? The only reason I ask is that it is very unusual for the temperature in a house to drop to as low as 5C. I have areas of my house tha...

You should definitely not feed your Leopard tortoise maggots, worms, or pureed pork. There is a difference between tortoises and turtles: tortoises are animals that live on land and turtles live in the water. Your Leopard tortoise needs to have a diet that is over 70% grass and the rest can be other...

Hi Steve, Congratulations on giving a home to a little Hermann's tortoise, and it is a great relief to know that you have him in a tortoise table, rather than a vivarium. Your photos weren't attached to your message (you need to attach them, reduced in size, and then click on the Place Inline instru...

OK, thanks, and we'll note that and let you know if a suitable tortoise becomes available.

Nina

Hi Steve, I agree with Lin that rehoming is far better than buying, because most tortoises in pet shops are captive bred abroad and imported into the UK, which is stressful for them. Welcome to the club -- I don't do Facebook either (I do have a page but never look at it). You can still look at the ...