The Tortoise Table

Such an interesting experiment -- looking forward to the results!

Nina

The only downside I can think of is that tortoises will eat them (well, mine will anyway). If my Doris sees a woodlouse in her outdoor enclosure she practically leap up in the air and pounces on it (but that could just be mine). Mine torts also eat slugs, which is horrible, and really they should st...

Hi Julie, Thanks so much for getting back to me, and including the photo of Timmy's set-up. Well, the fact that he is a Horsfield explains a lot. My tortoises are also Horsfields, and they are known to have a very strong hibernation instinct (stronger than some other species), so it can be really di...

Hi and welcome to The Tortoise Table (sorry, I don't know your name). I can understand your worry, but It's a common problem for tortoises to eat less as the days grow shorter, and it's something that we all experience. However, Timmy should have been eating better throughout the year and especially...

OMG -- those are some of the worst that I've seen! Where did you find those photos, Phil?

Nina

I'm afraid I know nothing about water filters, but I've just looked up 4 stage filters, and I guess it would be very good if it filtered out lead, etc. from the water (don't know if there are beneficial things that it would filter out too though). Rain water should be perfectly fine, and I think you...

Here's a photo of Doris and Dolly taken a few years ago, alongside a 'topiary' tortoise that I made from bits and pieces in my shed and some succulents from the garden.
Nina
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That looks like a good deal! I just looked up Fungus Gnats on the Royal Horticultural Society website and here is what they say: https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/fungus-gnats It's encouraging that they recommend the yellow sticky paper too.

Nina

Has your sticky paper caught any yet?

Nina

Are you sure that they aren't fungas gnats and not fruit flies? Where are they? If they are around the plants in your tortoise table or any other potted plants indoors then they are almost certainly fungas gnats (really tiny little black things -- they are even smaller than fruit flies). They are ha...

How super is that! I absolutely love your flyover -- and I can see that the tortoises love it too. It's sometimes hard to convince people that tortoises get bored and lethargic when they aren't in stimulating environments, but you've created a great looking enclosure with all sorts of interest, and ...

It looks great!. I have a little sign that someone cross-stitched for me, and it hangs on the side of Doris and Dolly's table.
Nina
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Absolutely love the name plate -- did you make it?

Nina

Well, Pattern is one lucky tortoise. Lots of different textures to walk over and strengthen his muscles, lots of things to break up the sightlines so he doesn't get bored, and just generally lush. If my naughty tortoises were in that table they might gobble up the plants before too long, but maybe P...

Usually you don't want a lot of fertilizer in a seed sowing compost, so you can use John Innes no. 1 or any seed sowing compost. But if it is weeds you're sowing, they prefer a really poor soil, so you could use just about anything -- including some of the substrate from the tortoise table I would t...

I think your plan is a good one. I would always recommend a second level (and the sleeping area can be underneath it). The top level doesn't need to be very big -- just enough for her to stand on it and have some space for turning around. I feed mine up there, so they are always running up and down ...

Mine didn't like the Pre Alpin at first, but I tricked them by mixing it with fresh food they liked, and gradually reduced the amount of their favourite food and and now they eat it neat with no problems at all. An interesting fact: Andy Highfield from The Tortoise Trust says Testudo Pre Alpin is th...

Hi Jennie, This is a dilemma that we all have this time of year. If possible I try to get a balance of a bit of both on days like we've been having. So I warm them up well indoors under the lights and then put them out. They do retain their heat for quite a while, and when their shells are feeling c...

I think you are right to keep him awake this winter, especially as he had that problem with his eye in August, and he is still so young. The crispy florette salad is fine, but I wouldn't feed too much of it. It's mainly different lettuces (although there are some other things in there as well) and w...

Good luck and let us know the results.

Nina

I'm afraid I don't know that company. I assume it is OK, but the one we have always recommended is: https://www.parasitevet.co.uk/ and here is the page with their reptile test packages https://www.parasitevet.co.uk/store/Reptiles-c34596934 And I think the silver level should be adequate. If I rememb...

My two (both females) interact a lot and get along well, but it's probably best to wait until you know the sex of yours, as you can't really keep one male tortoise with one female. Male tortoises are relentless in their pursuit of females, and they constantly bite the female or ram her shell (depend...

How sweet is that! My Doris and Dolly are similar and love nothing more than to cram themselves into a tight space and snuggle up together.

Nina

Hi Karen, Ahh, of course I remember you and the handsome Rocky now. You gave him a lovely home, changed substrate and his diet and he was one happy little tortoise. It is a very big weight gain in just over two years though. If he weighed 204g in 2021, I would expect him to weigh no more than about ...

I can't think of anything better to be obsessed about!

Nina
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