Jules. Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Yay! Here she is, I took the photo about an hour ago at my parent's house She lives in their garden & sleeps in a box of straw in their shed ( no "tortlu" for her, sadly ) but whilst its still cold she is a house-tortoise We reckon she's about 60 years old now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I'd love a tortoise like her, but I wouldn't want to put one in a vivarium. Would I definitely need a vivarium for a tortie? She's lovely! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 She's lovely - we used to have one called Jamie, after the Bionic Woman (child of the 70/80's!) as she was so fast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 oh wow, how gorgeous!!! my son keeps asking for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted April 11, 2010 Author Share Posted April 11, 2010 Emma she is a free-range tortoise who has the run of the garden once the weather gets a bit warmer. Currently she has the run of my parents living room to keep her warm as its still a bit cold outside for her. Cookie we have had Tortie for 25 years, & she was given to us. Poachedegg Tortie is a speedy gonzales too, & she has a liking for biting toes. I used to have to watch out for her creeping up on me when I still lived at home & I was sunbathing in the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 brilliant.. the toe biting Tortie.. I think she's adorable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Ohhh lovely...she's fab I know it wasn't pc, but like many other children in the 60s I had a tortoise as a pet...and I think they are great. Sadly (and with hindsight due to mismanagement probably), mine only lived with us for about three years before rats got it whilst it was hibernating, the poor thing. I often think it would be nice to have a tortoise as a pet as they are fascinating creatures but looking on the tinternet, it seems they need a vivarium, and we don't have a garage or anywhere suitable to hibernate other than our garden shed and I couldn't risk rodent attack again, so sadly I will resign myself to looking at great pictures of other people's tortoises. Thank you for posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Hi Tortie from Kevin who has also just woken up I'd love a tortoise like her, but I wouldn't want to put one in a vivarium. Would I definitely need a vivarium for a tortie? These larger tortoises are fine to free range and then be hibernated indoors over the colder winter months. The little chaps that you can buy in pet shops do need to be kept in vivariums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 The general thought now on tortoises is that they are best not in vivariums (I think its as they might get diseases from being kept too moist/hot) but in tortie tables or cages - similar to guniea pig indoor cages. This is what YS has his tortoise in at the moment. Jeffrey is only about a year old so too small to go out yet. He's on YS's desk in his bedroom. Jules - your tortoise looks very happy in front of the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 That's intersting, I can see the reasoning behind it though. It will also give them more room I should think. Our tortoise travels huge distances in a day in our garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 YS can't wait for Jeffrey to get out into the garden. He's built him a little run just for whilst he's small but we won't do it until summer I think. He's probably only about as long as my hand and thats with his head out We're looking forward to him being out there, trundling along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 awww shes lovely my future mother in law has a tortoise and she is so fast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 yes the breeder of tortoises I spoke to said vivariums affect their shells too, not sure of any more info than that though as I didn't probe. My son desperately wants one but they live so long it's a lifetime commitment and to be honest I am not sure with his plans for the future (yes he has plans even at 14 ) that he wants a tortoise in toe (wrong spelling but cant think how to spell it).. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Tow, Cookie, Tow We had a tortoise when I was little err well and big actually, my parents gave him to a tortoise breeder some years after i had left home. we called him Jack and he was brilliant. We had a budgie at the same time too and the budgie would often land on Jacks back for a ride He used to hibernate in a box in the garage and every spring out he would come, into the house. We let him in the garden and often had to go on search and rescue missions up and down the tenfoot, he so fast and such an escape artiste! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 yes the breeder of tortoises I spoke to said vivariums affect their shells too, not sure of any more info than that though as I didn't probe.My son desperately wants one but they live so long it's a lifetime commitment and to be honest I am not sure with his plans for the future (yes he has plans even at 14 ) that he wants a tortoise in toe (wrong spelling but cant think how to spell it).. Thats why I made YS save up for him. We've only had him a couple of months and so far so good. I've not had to do anything towards his upkeep yet. I have given him a few bits of food etc now and again when I'm passing. Plus I go in and have a chat during the day when YS is at school. YS is 12 by the way - I should have got him to sign a contract to say he would take Jeffrey when he leaves home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 :lol: yup I dareb't show my son Tortie's pic otherwise he will go all into wanting one again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriabunny Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Very cute! What do you do in terms of toilet facilities for free-range tortoises? Can they be litter-trained?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Very cute! What do you do in terms of toilet facilities for free-range tortoises? Can they be litter-trained?! Kevin has to stay in until there is not chance of frost or very cold nights. He most certainly is not housetrained and if someone leaves the door to the utility room open he is all over the house. Believe me it is not pretty as he manages to poo and then merrily drags his shell through it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Yay! Here she is, I took the photo about an hour ago at my parent's house She lives in their garden & sleeps in a box of straw in their shed ( no "tortlu" for her, sadly ) but whilst its still cold she is a house-tortoise We reckon she's about 60 years old now 60 years , that is amazing , she must have been really well looked after, well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 I've really enjoyed reading about Kevin and now Tortie. I think I'd quite like one for myself tho, I'm not sure what OH will say! But the thing is, I'd have to put him/her in my will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Aww She's beautiful! Vivariums are not good for tortoises, they cause quite a few problems Humidity Temperature and the can get quite stressed looking through the glass not being able to get out! My tortoises are kept in Rabbit Cages. Squirt has newspaper & Redigrass for substrate and ishi is just kept of newspaper! I have just bought some sand/soil mix from P@H just waiting for it to get delivered . I'm saving up at the moment to get either a tortoise Table or a set of stacking cages so i can get a couple more tortoises Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted April 14, 2010 Author Share Posted April 14, 2010 Very cute! What do you do in terms of toilet facilities for free-range tortoises? Can they be litter-trained?! Kevin has to stay in until there is not chance of frost or very cold nights. He most certainly is not housetrained and if someone leaves the door to the utility room open he is all over the house. Believe me it is not pretty as he manages to poo and then merrily drags his shell through it try that on carpet i don't think that she has done her post-hibernation poo yet.... just think, its like a broody hen poo but its been stored up for months instead of 24 hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 and oh, the smell of the post hibernation poo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
