kingsnake.com - reptile and amphibian classifieds, breeders, forums, photos, videos and more

return to main index

  mobile - desktop
follow us on facebook follow us on twitter follow us on YouTube link to us on LinkedIn
International Reptile Conservation Foundation  
Click here for LLL Reptile & Supply
This Space Available
3 months for $50.00
Locate a business by name: click to list your business
search the classifieds. buy an account
events by zip code list an event
Search the forums             Search in:
News & Events: Herp Photo of the Day: Bearded Dragon . . . . . . . . . .  Tinley Reflections: An open letter from Mom . . . . . . . . . .  Greater Cincinnati Herp Society Meeting - Apr 02, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Calusa Herp Society Meeting - Apr 04, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Southwestern Herp Society Meeting - Apr 06, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Hamburg Reptile Show - Apr. 13, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  St. Louis Herpetological Society - Apr 14, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  San Diego Herp Society Meeting - Apr 16, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Suncoast Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  DFW Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Colorado Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Chicago Herpetological Society Meeting - Apr 21, 2024 . . . . . . . . . . 

Re: 3rd and last picture of Nigel


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ]

Posted by Pamela on August 25, 2001 at 16:56:50:

In Reply to: Re: 3rd and last picture of Nigel posted by EJ on August 25, 2001 at 12:51:33:

: Is that a 2 to 3 year old sulcata?
: Very nice growth.
: How about posting EXACT care and conditions in which it is kept and how long have you had it. I know I would apreciate it.
: Thanks
: Ed

Nigel is the first tortoise I've ever owned. I've had him for 2 years. I think that he was at least a year old when I got him...but he could have been older. My guess it that he's somewhere around 3 or 4 years old. When I first got him, I kept him indoors in a kiddy wading pool. I used rabbit pellets for a substrate and had heat lights and UVB lights for him. I also had an outdoor pen for him, but I only put him out during the day and brought him in for the night. This year I fixed him a place where he now stays outside all the time. His pen is a round fenced area that is 6 ft high and about 20 feet wide. His diet consists almost entirely of grazing on grass. I had planned to get proper tortoise grass seeds to plant, but this place use to be a pasture for horses..so I figured the grass here should be good grazing. I occasionally give him treats of collard greens, zucchini, cactus pads, or hibiscus flower....whatever's at hand. I give him cuttle bones to chew on and he mostly ignores them. But, when I take him for walks, he gets really excited to find any old bones that the dogs have left about and really has a good time chewing on them. (He gets even more excited to find old dog poop.... but that's another story!) I keep water available for him at all times in a large shallow dish. He willingly soaks and drinks on his own, and I no longer soak him like I did when he was small.
There's no natural shade in or around Nigel's pen, so I covered the whole thing with shade cloth. It not only keeps his pen cooler, but gives a little protection from opossums and raccoons. (I actually rely on my dogs to keep those away.) Nigel has a small dog house to sleep in. I use to put hay in the house for him, but I got the feeling that he didn't like it, so I quit. His pen isn't particularly pretty, but I think it works well for him at this point in time. I plan on giving Nigel a lot more space eventually...I have a huge place here and I could give Nigel acres to live on, but am not quite sure how to make really large pens safe AND tortoise proof without having to spend a fortune!

I live in SE Georgia and the winters here are pretty mild. This will be Nigel's first winter outdoors. I thought about fixing up a stall in the barn for him to stay in...but lately, I've considered making a small green house for him. I think the greenhouse might be nice and warm during the day and I could heat his dog house at night.

Pamela




Follow Ups:



Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ]