The Tortoise Table

That's great news, Ripley -- and well done to the pet shop for agreeing to take the viv back and give you a credit. Good lamps are expensive, so I'm sure you'll be able to use that credit note. Tortoises can take a temperature down to about 12C - 14C at night, and most houses don't fall below that, ...

Hi Ripley, It's really good that you are getting a gradient of temperatures in your viv (although 35 is a bit too high, so you want to ensure that temps don't go above around 32C). And do bathe him every day or two, for around 15 - 20 minutes, in a container with high sides (like an old washing up b...

HI Ripley, and congratulations from me too! You have set up that viv really well and it looks lovely with the stones and soil and 'furniture' that you put in it, but Lin is right about vivariums not being suitable for tortoises. They are great for other reptiles like snakes and lizards, but tortoise...

Well that has made my day! Thanks so much for the update, and it is great to hear that Shelley has turned a corner and is waking up in the mornings, eating and gaining weight. And all credit to the two of you for being so persistent!

Nina

Hi Heather, RE Achillea's eggs, it is possible that she laid them outdoors and you never saw them? Do you monitor her weight (if she gains 60 or 70g and then loses it quickly, it is a possibility. The only reason I ask is that after tortoises dig a nest they cover it up and pat the soil down with th...

Hi Karon, Good luck with encouraging Heidi to perk up. I have Horsfields, and when they get into hibernation mode it is really difficult to turn them round, but I think Hermanns are a bit easier in that respect. I think four five-day weeks should be OK. That is about what I do (I do maybe about thre...

Hi Karon, Thanks for contacting us (and for the compliments too!). Well, it sounds as if your conditions are good, but your little female has just decided to hibernate earlier this year. I'm not sure where you live, but we have had some very cold weather here, and even though it is warm in their she...

Welcome to The Tortoise Table, Henry. Tell us a little about yourself.

Nina

What species of tortoise do you have, Henry?

Nina

Oh Dee, this has made my day (my year, actually)! What wonderful news, and thank you so much for letting us know and sending those gorgeous photos! How exciting is this! Don't throw those other eggs away -- the number of times I've heard people say that 'the other eggs don't look viable' and then a ...

Happy Birthday Vera!! So sorry that I missed all these latest posts -- I didn't receive a notification of them for some reason. I've looked at the YouTube video and wonder if that tortoise there does have a respiratory infection as he is constantly opening his mouth, and they sometimes do that if th...

Sounds like he was just winding you up then -- such an attention seeker!

Nina

Ha, ha, I forgot that Vera was a 'he'! Might be a case of 'man flu' then

N

Hi Char, That bright light is great -- the brighter the better! Think of the bright midday sun out in the desert or something. Bright lights are much more likely to encourage your tortoise to be active, so well done. The table you are looking at is fine. Like Lin says, it would help to know the size...

Hi Laura, Tortoises do make sounds -- especially the males when they are mating -- and turtles use sound to communicate under water. Are the noises when she is at rest or when you disturb her? There is what many people call the 'hissing' sound that tortoises make when they are disturbed or frightene...

In the Bradford on Avon area this lovely tortoise escaped from his enclosure last Wednesday and is still missing.
Please ring the below numbers if found :-
T.: 07491 659832 or 07803 501885
[attachment=0]Tortoise, Bradford on Avon (Copy).JPG[/attachment]

And thank you so much for the compliments! You're right, we should have a section where people can introduce themselves, but unfortunately we don't, so you can introduce yourself in the post you write. It would be so super to see photos of gopher tortoises in your yard. I do envy you having a better...

Hi Char, I did notice the red bulb, but didn't mention it because my post was so long already -- but it's good that you are getting an ordinary white light one. I thought it looked like Tortoise Life you have in there. It's a very good substrate, and I've used it in the past -- but it's also really ...

Hi Pete, Oh I do envy you having gopher tortoises on your property -- how great is that! You are right that Richardia brasiliensis is in the same family as Field Madder (the Rubiaceae family), but it's a big family with over 600 genera in it (and, I think, about 10,000 species), including the Garden...

Hi Char, and thanks for contacting us. Please don't despair -- you have done your best and followed what you assumed was expert advice, and you shouldn't be made to feel guilty or terrible. It is true that vivariums are not good environments for tortoises, but there are some little things that you c...

MISSING
Lost in Studley Green Area (Trowbridge, Wiltshire)
If seen, please contact: 07551515639

[attachment=0]Lost tortoise.jpg[/attachment]

Lovely to hear from you, Justine. I think that you and Andy are proving to be really excellent tortoise keepers, and Shelley is lucky to have found a home with you!

Nina

That is such good news, Andrew! He actually has come around fairly quickly, as often it takes several weeks of manually putting them under the lamp before they will respond. I know you're not out of the woods yet, but it looks like he has definitely turned a corner. Do let us know how he gets on ove...

It certainly seems like you are trying all the right things. Are you tempting him with the dandelion, etc. by holding it in your hand? I agree with Lin that a visit to the vet might be in order, and I think that the Origin Vet link that I gave in a previous email might be the way to go, as they are ...

Hi Andrew, Well, he has lost nearly 10% of his body weight, which is the maximum that we would expect a tortoise to lose in hibernation, so I'm not sure I would hibernate him this year, because you don't know if his lack of appetite is because he wants to hibernate or because he is unwell in some wa...