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Omleteers with a tortoise chat........

By quickcluck, in My Family and Other Animals

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Bramble Chicken Addict

Bramble

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QuickCluck, she's a lovely tortoise - is she reasonably "friendly" - I'd really like to get two if I'm going to get any - just struggling about which breed etc. I'm already planning my tortoise table (lots of sites recommend the under bed storage boxes from Ikea - though obviously not kept under the bed!!!) I guess holidays are the other issue (as with all pets).

 

Maybe I should get some weed seeds, so I can at least start growing something for them to eat ... :whistle:

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quickcluck Effusive Egg Layer

quickcluck

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I have heard about hibernation nightmares.... I think we have decide to keepnher awake this year. If we hibernate in the future will get a little fridge so it is more easily controlled.

 

Today she is havinf brakfast in bed as the sun is not out.... might put her out later...

 

Bramble, I think from our investigation either hermans, horsefields or spur thigh are the most common and easiest to keep, more like the garden pets we had as children. The others like leopards also lovely are more tricky, need a higher temp and dont hibernate.....

 

In the end we went for the breed that was oldest. Tilly was a 2011 hatch. We were worried anything younger would be too tricky for us as beginners.

 

A shop near us did a starter kit which was cheap as it came with the table, light, light stand, substrate and calcium. I was shocked at how expensive the bulbs could be.......

 

She appeared to lover her bath yesterday and likes her head stroked.

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Lewis Chronic Clucker

Lewis

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That Tortoise Chalet is too cute! :D

 

Hughie our 11 (I think) year old Hermanns lives inside most of the year but spends a lot of the summer outside in an eglu and run. He sometimes gets free range of the garden but its quite a big garden so he gets easily lost, especially when its sunny and he's full of energy!

 

Raina who used to post a lot on here is Tortoise Queen - she has lots of torties and is my go-to expert when I have questions. I can send her a message on facebook directing her to this post if you have any questions.

 

Love the photo of her drinking quickcluck :P

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quickcluck Effusive Egg Layer

quickcluck

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Yes Lewis sorry, it was my bad wording, it was very late last night :oops:

 

Raina is my go to lady, and dosen't work for Omlet, I spoke to HQ as I was ordering a new cube ladder and ended up chatting about whether a tort could live in an eglu... She is only small at the moment 3yrs so is coming indoors for the evening and nights as it's too cold for her yet... was thinking about for the future!

 

Do you hibernate yours??

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Bramble Chicken Addict

Bramble

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Ooooh, can we turn this into an "Omleteers with Tortoises thread" :whistle::anxious: .... !!!!

 

OK, so, thanks to you guys :roll: I spent a considerable amount of time last night renewing my tortoise research :roll: and as usual, I'm ok 'til I get to the heating/lighting bit. Now, I've more or less decided that I'd go for a combi heat/UV lamp (Arcadia D3 ones seem to get rave reviews), but what size do I need? My "tortoise table" (which is actually an underbed storage box :oops: ) isn't massive - so do I need an 80w, or 100W? What do you guys all do for heat/light?

 

I'm not getting a tortoise, I'm not getting a tortoise, I'm not getting a tortoise ..... :whistle::whistle:

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Lavenders_Blue Feathery Fanatic

Lavenders_Blue

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I'm not getting a tortoise, I'm not getting a tortoise, I'm not getting a tortoise ..... :whistle::whistle:

 

And yet, it sounds like you are :lol::lol:

 

Can't help you with heat/light I am afraid as ours is grown up and totally free range.

 

Can I just throw another idea into the mix?? Feel free to completely discount this but...... Have you thought about maybe rehoming an adult tortoise? There certainly are some about as people who have had them for many years decide they can no longer cope with the commitment, or are unable to keep them for various other reasons. It would take away the problem of indoor accommodation, heat, light etc plus tortie would be used to hibernating. Just a thought and as I say you may well prefer to get a baby. Just wanted to throw it out there as a suggestion!

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Bramble Chicken Addict

Bramble

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Thanks L_B! Funny, I have looked into getting an adult tortoise, that was my first thought (on the basis that getting someone who needs a home rather than buying a baby would be more justifiable!) but some of the tortoise rescue people sound SERIOUSLY scary, quite off-putting in fact ... I might give it another look though (even though I'm not getting a tortoise!!!)

 

 

Thank you also, quickcluck, this is ideal weather for tortoise sunbathing - far better for them than basking lamps etc (apparently, so I'm told .... :whistle: ) !!!!!!!!

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quickcluck Effusive Egg Layer

quickcluck

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funny, but i looked into tort rescue and they are very scarey people!!! From what I had read they prefer you not to hibernate them and they insist on indoor and outdoor accomodation.

 

Because of this I decide to find a youngster as then I can experience them growing.....

 

We are doing OK I think, but I am worried about her eating. I've given her lettuce, cucumber, lambs lettuce, pansies, petunias etc, but she only seems to eat once a day, and only a handful. Is this enough??? Wondered about her getting enough nutrition. I do have a book coming so hoping that may help...

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Lewis Chronic Clucker

Lewis

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Maybe it should be renamed the Omleteers with Tortoises thread :D

 

I also looked at rehoming an adult Hermanns last year who was 10 minutes down the road from me and found them to be very selective and off putting.

 

Hughie has a 4ft vivarium on the floor with no doors so plenty of ventilation and means he can come and go as he pleases; usually falls asleep under the radiators in winter and spreads out basking by the patio doors in summer.

I was told if I rehomed I'd have to keep him in all the time and not let him free roam... Understandble during quarantine period but not a permanent solution to me.

 

My outdoor set-up wasn't acceptable either - H has been fine for years, I'm sure its not ideal but better than where the tort was at the time of looking for a new home!

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Lewis Chronic Clucker

Lewis

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:lol: Welcome little-un :D

 

I'm at The Pet Show this weekend and sat talking to a lady on the tortoise stand for 30 minutes earlier. They had some 8 week old Hermanns there the size of 50p piece :D

 

I showed her pictures of Hughie and our setup and she said he looked good so at least we're not doing everything completely wrong!

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