Yep...

...that's right. I went there. I saw a picture of a 'tortoise cozy' online, and once I was done laughing, I thought, "Hey! I can totally make that!" - and so I did. 

Jill modeling the pink tortoise cozy I made today

Now, just in case you are wondering if I totally lost my mind, please rest assured: I have not. I do not plan on having my own tortoises wear these, but rather plan to sell these in my soon to be opened tortoise-themed Etsy shop. You see, I just KNOW that there are some folks out there who are crazy awesome enough to want one for their tort.

Did you know that YOUR tortoise NEEDS one of these?!

In case you are wondering where in the world I find the time to make stuff like this: when you are a Mom you have these random gaps of time where you are waiting for your kid to finish lunch, or are waiting in the car for school to get out, or are in a meeting... and I like to keep my hands busy during those times.

Disclaimer: This kind of tortoise cozy should not be used near basking lamps, as it could pose a fire hazard. This is a 'for fun' tortoise clothing item that can be worn as a 'for fun' sweater while your tortoise is having a little bit of exploring-time in your home. It is NOT intended to replace the purpose of a heat lamp. 

Basking!

I jus tlove when tortoises zonk out under their basking light!

...sooooo much relaxation!

Dirty water in 2 minutes!

Boo, our Greek tortoise is so funny. I give him fresh water every morning, and within a few minutes, he has stomped back and forth through it until it is completely soiled with coco coir.

One little piggy, stomping through his water!

I think he just likes making me look bad, when guests come over. "No really, I change his water every day!"

Short video of Roz bobbing his head at Timmy

A Russian tortoise male bobs his head at a female as part of the courting behavior. Roz looks so funny when he does this. 

I like to imagine this is tortoise language for "How ya doin'?"

Video of Jill and Mila having a soak

My two new female Russian tortoises Jill and Mila get to have a nice soak in warm water about 1-2 times per week. This helps keep them hydrated, and it's good for their shells, too. 

I use a kitty litter pan filled with about and inch of lukewarm water. I usually end up having to dump the water out several times in the course of the soak, since tortoises like to do poop while they are in the water... but the total soak time is generally 20-30 minutes.

Boo the Greek tortoise update

My little Antakyan Greek tortoise is doing so well. He is VERY active in his new tortoise table: he RUNS all over the place, climbs all over his pumpkin and his rocks, walks through his water dish, basks for a while, then runs and clonks all over again.
It is amazing what a nice big habitat, proper UVB light, and good heat and food will do for a previously lethargic, scared tortoise.

Boo is still kind of shy

He is becoming less of a picky eater, as well. His old owner fed him mostly romaine lettuce, so for several months, Boo refused to eat anything else. My stubbornness finally won out - I gave him NO more romaine, and for a while he wouldn't touch the other, more healthy, leafy greens I offered. I just kept removing the untouched greens, and replacing them with new ones each day. Then a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he had eaten most of his meal! He still has a smaller appetite than my Russian tortoises, but then again, those four are little piggies.

Boo loves being in the water

Boo's colors really come out when he's in the water soaking, which is why so many pictures that I take are of him soaking in the water. He has access to a water dish in his tortoise table, and I soak him in his big tub 1-2 times per week.

Boo = NOT an aquatic species. 

Greek tortoises are desert and steppe dwellers - they like heat, and they eat a high fiber diet of different greens and weeds. Counter to what many people believe, however, they DO need access to water in their enclosure, and they DO need to be soaked regularly to stay hydrated.

Short video of Jill eating

Jill is one of my two new Russian tortoise females, and she is super-tame. Here is a video of her eating some kale out of my hand.

Please excuse the squeaking in the background. That is Roz, my male, mating with one of my other females.

How to gently file a tortoise's beak - video!

Boo's beak is still not quite where it should be, even after trimming it... so to help him, I have been slowly filing it down every time I bathe him. I know that a lot of other folks out there are encountering the same problem, so here is a little video showing how to file a tortoise's beak.

For a less shy, more squirmy tortoise, you will need to hold them a little more securely. Boo is super shy, so my main concern is to tease him out of his shell.

Boo goes LIVE on YouTube!

I just posted a short video clip of Boo bathing on YouTube.

In fact, I started my own little Tortaddiction YouTube channel. I plan to post little fun or educational video clips of my tortoises on there for you.

Mila and Jill update

Mila and Jill have been with me for 2 weeks now, and have adjusted well. They are so healthy, active, and fun to watch! Getting to 'just enjoy' a pair of new tortoises rather than fretting over their health, performing first aid, etc. is a nice change from bringing home the 'rescue variety' tortoises. 

Jill basking on top of Mila

Why bask on a rock when you have a tortoise-friend to bask on?! Their previous owner commented that she does not want to separate them because they are 'shell-mates.' I wouldn't go that far, BUT I can't deny that these two seem to like each other. They do everything together. 

Freshly misted. I love how bright Jill's shell is!

I mist my tortoises once a day, to help keep their shells nice and healthy. Although Russian tortoises are 'desert' or 'steppe' dwellers, they do actually need moisture to stay healthy. I soak my healthy adult tortoises at least once a week, usually more frequently. Sick Russian tortoises usually need to be soaked more often. When I have hatchlings (*hopefully!*) they will need to be soaked twice daily!

Both torts basking... again. 

Can you tell that these two tortoises love to bask? The basking spot is 100 degrees F. They move into the hot spot to warm up, then wander around their enclosure for a while, until they decide to warm up again.

Christmas week's tortoise food from the local produce store. 

I normally either collect or grow my own tortoise food, but I knew that Christmas week would be very busy, so I bought cactus pad, endive lettuce, collard greens, and kohlrabi (the torts only got the leaves of that, we ate the rest).  In addition to offering a wide variety of foods, I sprinkle TNT over my tortoises' food to make sure they get all the necessary nutrients and trace elements. 

Red leaf lettuce is only an occasional treat in our tortoise household...

Mila and Jill look like hungry hungry hippos when they eat. They are so greedy, and so cute! In the above picture you can see them eating some red leaf lettuce - because it is 'soft' and has a lot of water, it is not recommended to feed it to them too often, but as an occasional treat, mixed in with collards and kale and dandelions, it is fine. 

Nom-nom-nom-nom!

It is especially funny to me when my tortoises end up eating the same leaf, and then look at each other all surprised when they meet in the middle, Lady-and-the-Tramp-style.

Timmy and Roz update

Timmy, our 'big' female Russian tortoise has been pretty heavily courted this past week. Roz just would not leave her alone. Although they have a large tort fort with lots of sight barriers and hiding opportunities, I decided to move Roz into a rubbermaid for a 'time out' for a few hours at a time to give Timmy some breathing room. 

Timmy is pretending to be camera shy.

In nature, Testudo horsfieldii tortoises only happen upon one another rarely, and mating can be quite violent. Timmy and Roz usually get along very well, basking together, eating together, snoozing together... but Roz has pursued her much more aggressively since we moved them into the larger tort table. 

Roz biting Timmy's front legs, to make her submit and let him mate her

I can't wait for the quarantine of Mila and Jill to be over, so they can move in with the others, hopefully distracting Roz a little, or rather, dividing his attention among the 3 females! 

Timmy basking, with Roz nearby

In the meantime, Timmy is holding her own pretty well - she is quite a bit larger than Roz, and either walks away, ignores him, or bulldozes him. I'm making sure she gets enough food and doesn't get stressed.

Roz is actually a real sweetie, most of the time!

Roz must think that he is quite the little stud. I do hope that we'll get some tortoise eggs this year from Timmy, and possibly even from Mila (Jill is still too young)...  I also look forward to letting the torts spend more time outside once the weather gets warmer!

Mo gets a 'forever' home!

Today was a bittersweet day: Mo got picked up by his new family!

He's going to be loved by two wonderful kids, and a fantastic Mom and Dad. The best part: they are my friends, so I'll still get to see him!

If you aren't familiar with Mo's story, you can read it HERE.

Ha. Look who has pumpkin all over his face. Oops. 

We're waiting until January to have the vet run a fecal, to confirm the worms are gone.

Mo's new family was eager to bring him home for Christmas - I'll miss him, but am so happy that his rescue story has a happy ending!

I told my husband that I wouldn't take in any new rescues for a while... to which he smirkingly replied: "We'll see!" ...I guess he's right, since tortoises have a way of finding me... and I'm not about to turn down one that is in need...