Missus got her tank! :)

[MissSkittles]

Why, are you really into SLO-MO?




Message passed along...

Ok, I have to admit I loved it! So adorable at the end with broccoli all over his little face.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

We're working on it. Missus tried getting a vid on her phone, but of course by then Ol' Mitch wouldn't cooperate. We talked about trying to set something up on the Kitchen table with the camera on a tripod. Also have to figure out a way to edit and delete the soundtrack...

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Today, while Mitch was taking his constitutional soak, Missus put her fingertip on the edge of the bowl to see what he'd do. He came up and pressed his beak into her fingertip.

We could read all kinds of things into that, but I think all would be wishful anthropomorphizing.

 

[redhorse]

anthropomorphizing-----Nice word!
I have done a few Masters papers using it.. Oh, the memories. stressful!

The bonding begins to the next level. Tortoises are social animals but a good experiment, if you don't mind using the Missus is:
Next time the soaking is happening let the Missus do everything with the addition to: Put food scent on fingertip and observe.

OR not and enjoy the good feelings of sucess. Win win situation.
Mitch is a wonderful addition. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

anthropomorphizing-----Nice word!

Yeah, IME, there's a lot of that around any/every animal/pet forum.

I have done a few Masters papers using it.. Oh, the memories. stressful!

The bonding begins to the next level. Tortoises are social animals but a good experiment, if you don't mind using the Missus is:
Next time the soaking is happening let the Missus do everything with the addition to: Put food scent on fingertip and observe.

He's a vegetarian and she's a foodie. There's ALWAYS food scent on her fingertips!

OR not and enjoy the good feelings of sucess. Win win situation.
Mitch is a wonderful addition. Thanks for sharing!

 

[redhorse]

Vegetarian? lol



Beware hummingbirds. Just joking with ya..

Thanks again for sharing.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

We can't explain it, but the little guy really likes sitting on top of plant pots.
Part chameleon?

Same instance—different angles.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Gnom, nom, nom....​

Ol' Mitch & Ol' Stinkeye both love hibiscus flowers.
This is his bedtime snack, after his daily soak and just before heading into a hide (or not) until tomorrow.

 

[varnerya]

Tortoise Hearing

I've been reading a lot of articles about tortoise/turtle hearing. Interesting reading, but none seem to spell out what frequencies tortoises can hear (vs. feeling vibrations).

Chameleons can ostensibly hear between 200 - 600 Hz — Dr. Wayne Wenowdis

The closest I've found is:


Does anyone know or have a source for more specific frequencies that can be heard by tortoises?

From what I've read, they can hear low frequencies fairly well (200hz-750hz).

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

From what I've read, they can hear low frequencies fairly well (200hz-750hz).

Thanks. It's been a while since I asked that particular question. I just looked again, and found a scholarly article I somehow missed before, and serendipitously, it's regarding Hermann's tortoises!
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265379185_The_Auditory_Sense_in_Tortoises_using_Hermann's_Tortoise_Testudo_hermanni_Gmelin_1789_as_an_Example

I'll have to digest it later—having trouble making sense of it right now.

 

[varnerya]

Thanks. It's been a while since I asked that particular question. I just looked again, and found a scholarly article I somehow missed before, and serendipitously, it's regarding Hermann's tortoises!
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265379185_The_Auditory_Sense_in_Tortoises_using_Hermann's_Tortoise_Testudo_hermanni_Gmelin_1789_as_an_Example

I'll have to digest it later—having trouble making sense of it right now.

Of course, no problem. I'm currently caring for a 3 year old Black Greek tortoise. I've been making it a habit of mine to make a low pitch sound comparable to a fog horn whenever I feed him. He seems to respond most of the time though sometimes he doesn't. He's usually waiting for me with his head peaking out of his stone hide in the morning ready to eat.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Of course, no problem. I'm currently caring for a 3 year old Black Greek tortoise. I've been making it a habit of mine to make a low pitch sound comparable to a fog horn whenever I feed him. He seems to respond most of the time though sometimes he doesn't. He's usually waiting for me with his head peaking out of his stone hide in the morning ready to eat.

The Missus' tortoise (subject of this thread) is on a schedule of his devising.

He hauls himself out of one of two hides (or like last night he slept in the middle of a testudo-mix garden) about an hour after lights on, and immediately expects there to be food on the slab.

After 'breakfast' he tours his enclosure a few times, grazing along the way (every plant in there is perfectly edible by tortoises—we have LOTS of extras in various states of growth).

At 11am he gets his daily soak for shell health & development, then goes back for a snack before turning in somewhere between noon and 1 pm. Sleeps until next morning.

I'm not familiar with the Black Greek; I'll look it up soon—it's on my to-do list.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Only the second time we've seen this...

Allegedly some of them like climbing on these and sliding down the other side.
Didn't see him get off of it. Next time I checked, he was taking a snooze in cool-side hide, which he's beginning to use more often. We have seen him climb up around one side of this and slide down the other... Weeeee!

 

[varnerya]

Only the second time we've seen this...

View attachment 320130

Allegedly some of them like climbing on these and sliding down the other side.
Didn't see him get off of it. Next time I checked, he was taking a snooze in cool-side hide, which he's beginning to use more often. We have seen him climb up around one side of this and slide down the other... Weeeee!

View attachment 320131

That's a nice looking enclosure. I especially like the addition of growing live plants. I noticed you even have some moss growing in there. He looks like he's really enjoying that naturalistic environment.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

That's a nice looking enclosure. I especially like the addition of growing live plants. I noticed you even have some moss growing in there. He looks like he's really enjoying that naturalistic environment.

Thx. Missus did all the research. I think I mentioned all the plants & vines are safely edible, so no worries. She found an excellent database of tortoise/turtle-safe plants.

The moss.... after mixing up a few batches of substrate mixture (so it can be changed a couple times a year), she sterilized it in the oven for several hours, and the moss still came up on its own. Ol' Mitch doesn't pay any attention to the moss, but he grazes on everything else... a LOT.

I still have the plans if anyone's interested, though I'll have to clean them up a bit and convert to PDF (no biggie).

 

[varnerya]

Thx. Missus did all the research. I think I mentioned all the plants & vines are safely edible, so no worries. She found an excellent database of tortoise/turtle-safe plants.

The moss.... after mixing up a few batches of substrate mixture (so it can be changed a couple times a year), she sterilized it in the oven for several hours, and the moss still came up on its own. Ol' Mitch doesn't pay any attention to the moss, but he grazes on everything else... a LOT.

I still have the plans if anyone's interested, though I'll have to clean them up a bit and convert to PDF (no biggie).

That would be extremely helpful. Do you have a plant list? I'll definitely need to deepen the substrate to make room for taller planters. Thanks

 

[Lindasjackson]

The video on turtles eating protein was interesting. I watch a channel called Kamp Kennen and he has lots of tortoises and monitor lizards and sometimes when he’s feeding the monitors frozen thawed chicks or rats the tortoises grab some to. Have you thought about the protein needs of your little tortoise Klyde O scope?

 

[varnerya]

The video on turtles eating protein was interesting. I watch a channel called Kamp Kennen and he has lots of tortoises and monitor lizards and sometimes when he’s feeding the monitors frozen thawed chicks or rats the tortoises grab some to. Have you thought about the protein needs of your little tortoise Klyde O scope?

Personnally, I feed my greek tortoise a small insect every month or so. I figure they would eat them in the wild when given the oportunity.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

The video on turtles eating protein was interesting. I watch a channel called Kamp Kennen and he has lots of tortoises and monitor lizards and sometimes when he’s feeding the monitors frozen thawed chicks or rats the tortoises grab some to. Have you thought about the protein needs of your little tortoise Klyde O scope?

Not MY little tortoise... We're familiar with Kenan, but haven't kept up since around the time his place got trashed.

Personnally, I feed my greek tortoise a small insect every month or so. I figure they would eat them in the wild when given the oportunity.

Lindasjackson, for protein, Ol' Mitch gets one of the Mazuri diets—whichever the breeder recommended. For a while, Missus was even giving him too much, so she's cut back (posts #62, #71).

We're both relative noobs with regard to tortoises (last chelonians I had were from local ponds when I was in middle school in the 60s ) so Missus is unofficially menteeing (improper usage of an unaccepted term ) with Chris.
https://www.youtube.com/c/GardenStateTortoise

"I need somebody to teach me. Johnny Diamond always told me to get the best." 0:50

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Today he's playing 'Bridge Troll'.