Working hard, building the new outdoor enclosure

In past Summers, the Russian tortoises have spent a lot of time outside in the sun, either roaming (under supervision) the lawn, or in large rubbermaid bins, the kid pool (without water) etc. - this year I decided it was time to put a more permanent outdoor enclosure in place. The west-facing flowerbeds seemed to be a good option, so I am working on converting them.

The wooden structure is about 1/2 done. It will be 5ft x 30ft.

I got some 4-ft sections of pressure treated lumber from one of our neighbors. They aren't the ideal size to work with, but it is hard to argue with 'free' and so I am making it work.
You may notice that I have irises growing in the area where the tortoises will be. Those will all be dug up before any tortoises are allowed in there... I'm just waiting for them to finish blooming. I want to transplant the 'fancy' irises, and will give away the 'normal' ones.
I have already planted or transplanted many tortoise safe plants into this area, and I also seeded it with the Tortoise Lady's seed mix (thank you, Lynne!). I'll still have to supplement with tortoise food I collect, but I am sure the tortoises will have fun chomping down on the good edible greens!

I dug a 'no-escape' trench, and filled it with river rock.

 Russian tortoises are incredible diggers, so when building an outdoor enclosure, it is important to make sure the tortoises will not escape. On the end (not shown here) I dug a deep trench and placed the pavers in there vertically. This took me nearly 6 hours for a 5-ft section... the soil was pure clay below the flower bed soil, with lots of rocks. I decided on a different solution in the front, 30-ft section: I dug the trench down to where the really rocky clay soil begins, about 6-8 inches, and then filled the trench with river rock. I anchored the cedar support posts in the rock, and placed cement pavers over top the trench. The pavers sit below the wood, so if the tortoises try to dig at the wooden edge, they will get nowhere.

The Russian tortoises got to play inside the makeshift pens while I worked

Not wanting to waste a perfectly good sunny day, I used some of the lumber to build some make-shift pens for the Russian tortoises. The one in the back was for Lady, who is still in quarantine. The one in the front has the other Russian tortoises in it. The plastic pans that I usually use for soaking provided good shade and shelter.

Mila, enjoying the sunshine. 

I took close-ups of all the tortoises, but only Mila's picture really turned out today. Do you see where the dark pigmentation is starting to grow into the bright yellow new growth? Yay for UVB!

...more tortoise cozy articles... offical ones, now!

As of yesterday, Caters News (UK) is marketing my pictures of the tortoise cozies to different news outlets. They have the exclusive rights, so anyone wanting to use the images now has to go through them...

Here are a few links that have surfaced so far:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2318387/Now-thats-shell-suit-Tortoise-owner-knits-dozens-adorable-outfits-pets.html
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4912646/mum-makes-woollen-outfits-for-tortoises.html
http://m.now.msn.com/turtle-cozies-by-katie-bradley-are-popular
http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/02/shell-suit-fashion-pet-owner-knits-colourful-cosies-for-tortoise-friends-3711299/
http://www.today.com/pets/oh-my-check-out-these-tortoises-wearing-sweaters-6C9745762
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday/10032858/Pictures-of-the-day.html?frame=2552451

I love that several of the sites have included the video our friend Lloyd made.
A few of the articles got my age wrong, and most of the world still thinks that 'our' Vancouver is in Canada...  oh well!

Oh... and remember about a month ago, when the tortoise cozies first went viral... well guess what? That week Yahoo ranked them as "The week's best of the internet" ...#1!

It will be fun to see what else comes of this!

Customer appreciation pics - I love them!

One of my MossyTortoise customers just sent me some adorable pictures of her tiny 3-inch hatchling wearing the custom cozy I made for her wee Greek tortoise. Thank you, Amanda!

Amanda's cute hatchling Greek

Cute li'l baby...

So much cuteness!

Haha, her expression is priceless.

Can you believe how tiny this is?

I used thinner yarn and a smaller crochet hook to make this one -
so it would still have the level of detail of the larger ones.

I LOVE getting pictures from  my customers, so I'll sequentially post a few on here, with permission, of course.

We're busy, but all is well in our little tortoise herd!

It has been a while since I had time to post... we've been busy! (I've been crocheting tortoise cozies instead of taking pics of the tortoises...) Our Russian tortoises as well as our Greek tortoises are doing well. In the picture below, they are freshly bathed, so they look all shiny... 

Feeding frenzy in the tort fort

I am working on converting an oak bookshelf into an enclosure for Lady, by the way. I plan to post instructions with pictures. :)

New HUGE female Russian tortoise

Getting another Russian tortoise really wasn't part of my plan... but then I met Lady, the XXL-sized female Testudo horsfieldi. Before seeing her in person I had no idea she was this big. She comes with an interesting story - more about that below (for those of you who are interested). We named her Lady, short for Lady Liberty, because she was found roaming free.

That's right. She weighs 1076g... and is actually a little skinny!

When I first brought Lady home and weighed her before soaking her, she looked dehydrated and weighed 1014g (The picture above is of her hydrated weight!). I soaked her (she drank and drank!), fed her (she ate an entire HUGE dandelion plant, some dead-nettle, and some wild geranium , and put her under the heat lamp. She spent the rest of the day dozing under the warm light.

Lady, chowing down on a pile of weeds

This morning when I weighed her again after her soak, she weighed a whopping 1076g. I did a double-take, checked my scale, and weighed again. Yep 1076g was right. Originally, I was planning just to foster her, but considering her magnificent size, I just can't let her go. She's in quarantine for 6 months, but will get a partition of the outdoor enclosure, and by winter I'll have built her a nice big indoor enclosure, too. She's too big to share with the others, but next Spring I plan to introduce our male to her for a little honeymooning.

Lady, basking - I wonder how long it's been since she was warm?

Now her story:
I saw a post on Craigslist that a tortoise had been found wandering on the street. The finder was looking for the previous owner. Mind you, we live in the cold, rainy Pacific Northwest. I sent the woman a message stating that this certainly was not one of mine, but that I could care for it for her, and if it was female keep it, otherwise find a good home (after de-worming and ensuring it was healthy). The finder said she would wait first to see if someone answered her ad or the papers she hung around the neighborhood. Then on Sunday evening I got a message from her stating that the old owner did indeed contact her, but that this person was very rude and had stated that she had purposefully set the tortoise free so it could "live more happily in the wild." *WTH?* The finder had the presence of mind to offer finding a new home for the tortoise... so she offered it to me. I asked her for some pics, and this was obviously a female (stubby wedge shaped tail), but the I couldn't tell how big she was.

When I got to the finder's house and saw the tortoise, I did a double-take, because this tortoise was SO BIG. She is 7+ inches, and almost as wide as she is long. I expected her to be longer when I measured her, because she looks so big and heavy, but a lot of her weight comes from her width - my guess is that she is of the Kazachstani subgroup.

Interestingly, for all the previous neglect, her shell is actually in good shape, and so is her beak. She has some wear on her plastron, and I did treat a few spots of shell rot. The old owner just let her wander the yard all Summer, and kept her in a box or something during the winter. But at least she got real UV and good weeds to eat during the warm season. She was dehydrated when I got her, but overall seems to be healthy. And have I mentioned that she is huge?

Lady, all clean after a soak, with a VS card for size comparison.

In case you are wondering why she is on brown paper bags, she has worms, so I'm treating her with Panacur. As soon as she is all clear, she will get wonderful, soft coconut coir to burrow in!

Tortoises sunbathing 'in the nude'...

While I am having fun creating tortoise flowers and tortoise cozies for my Etsy shop, and modeling them on my own tortoises for cute pics, the fact remains that in the end, good old nude tortoises in good old real sunshine are still the best.

Timmy, my large female, basking

We had some beautiful weather here last weekend, so I let the torts roam around the grass in the sunshine. Even with good artificial UVB lights, tortoises are still happiest and healthiest in the 'real' sunlight. 

Roz, my male, right after being hosed down with some nice warm water

I am working hard on finishing the Russian tortoises' outdoor enclosure, so soon they will be able to spend most of the day outside.

Little Jill, photogenic as always

Until then, I have to enlist my kids to help me keep track of the tortoises while they walk around... or I let them spend time outside one at a time...

Roz, enjoying the sun rays

 Look at Roz' shell (above). It is finally starting to grow normally, with growth all around the scutes.

Jill, resting in the grass after walking all about

 I am very curious to see what little Jill looks like when she is fully grown. She is so gorgeous now, but I suspect that as the darker colors fill in, she will probably look fairly 'normal' - which I am totally fine with.

Jill, exploring

 Jill was described to me as 'very timid' but really, she is quite the little go-getter.

Jill, again, hiding in the grass

I somehow missed taking pictures of Mila in this set. So here is a picture of her from the day before:

Mila, eating a dandelion. Gotta love that pink tongue!

I hope we have many more of these beautiful, sunny days!

...Tortoise Cozy video?!

Look what I just found. A video has been compiled, showing off my tortoise cozies!

Ha. Who would have thought?!

My Tortoise cozies.... went VIRAL?!

This is just too fun! A friend sent me a link to a feature of my tortoise cozies on Neatorama... and then someone else told me that they are on Laughing Squid, too. As it turns out, they are now featured ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Mila taking a big bite out of a dandelion

Who would have thought that my funny little yard finder flowers and tortoise sweaters would become famous? (I suspect this will be a very fleeting fad... but it is fun, nonetheless!)

Mila wandering around the lawn in a 'yard finder' flower

It just so happens that I took some new pics of the tortoise cozies and yard finders... I was able to crochet some new ones this weekend during our road trip. Enjoy!

Boo strutting his stuff in a purple yard finder

Roz, posing in a 'target' yard finder

Roz, wearing a 'propeller' yard finder

Jill in a tortoise cozy

Timmy in a size L tortoise cozy

Jill in a small tortoise cozy - I love this color!

Jill in a tortoise cozy again

Rawr! Dinosaur-themed tortoise cozy!

Mila in a 'spiral' tortoise cozy

Timmy in a large blue cozy

Mila in a yard finder flower

Doing a quick search, I found my tortoise cozies at the following links:

http://laughingsquid.com/crocheted-tortoise-turtle-cozies/
http://www.neatorama.com/2013/04/02/Crocheted-Tortoise-Cozies/
http://geyserofawesome.com/post/46766806507/dont-let-your-little-chelonian-friends-get-cold
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/turtle-yard-finder
http://www.stylebistro.com/Beasts/articles/wpPTbwnbrv2/May+Interest+Tortoise+Sweaters
http://inhabitat.com/adorable-crocheted-cozies-make-pet-turtles-stand-out/
http://blog.makezine.com/craft/crocheted-tortoise-cozies/
http://megathing.tumblr.com/post/46771715259/archiemcphee-dont-let-your-little-chelonian
http://loljam.com/post/9239/
http://www.incrediblethings.com/style-and-gear/sweaters-made-just-for-a-turtle-or-tortoise
http://www.thefeaturedcreature.com/2013/04/tortoise-cozies-are-all-the-rage-this-season.html
...and that's not even counting all the tumblr posts...

... I think it is safe to say that my tortoise cozies and tortoise yard finders have gone viral?!

Jill being a stegosaurus

The tortoise cozies and yard finders have been selling as fast as I can make them. At this rate, the tortoise are going to have a REALLY NICE outdoor enclosure, since 90% of my MossyTortoise Etsy shop income goes towards my own tortoises... and the other 10% get donated to International Reptile Rescue. :)

Boo update

Little Boo, our Greek tortoise, is doing SO well! He has gained quite a bit of weight, he is eating lots of new weeds and greens I pick for him, and he is much more friendly.  

Boo still hides when you first pick him up...

When we first got Boo, he felt alarmingly light when you picked him up. Now he feels nice and heavy, like a healthy tortoise should. If you look in the picture above, you can also see a nice bright new growth ring showing up. I'm happy to see that the new growth is nice and smooth.

...but then he comes back out of his shell, and squirms and sniffs you!

I love Boo's little tortoise face. He has huge eyes, and a funny little nose...

Boo from the side. Such a handsome little dude!

Boo also has a nice new outdoor enclosure now that he spends the daytime in. A few months ago I found a big 6'x4' heavy-duty-plastic koi pond on Craigslist. I excavated a hole, filled the hole with gravel, drilled drainage holes into the bottom of the pod, put more gravel into the pond, covered the gravel with landscape fabric, and put the dirt back in, now mixed with some leaves and a little sand. 

Boo, on top of the little hill I built in there

The outdoor enclosure is on the west side of the house, so it is shady there until about 11am. Because of this, Boo stays indoor during the morning, and then once the sun hits this area, I bring him outside. He'll spend all the sunny days outside, but when it is pouring, he gets to be indoors, since cold, wet weather isn't good for these little guys.

Not much is growing in there right now...
I transplanted a few plants and weeds, and I seeded the whole enclosure
with a tortoise-friendly seed mix my friend gave me. 

Because this side of the house gets direct afternoon sun for several hours, I had to make sure to create multiple micro-climates for Boo. I built him an insulated tortoise hide out of an old recycling bin and a cement mixing tub, filled with organic top soil. He can dig down into there if it gets too hot.

The view of the Koi pond - the tub in the back is 1/2 of the hide house.

The water dish is missing from the picture above - but you can get a general idea of the enclosure. There is a hill, some rocks, some plants, a hide house (in the pic above the roof is missing from it).

Boo likes the thistle and the rosemary plant.

 I only have pictures of Boo hiding while he's in the enclosure, but he actually really enjoyed walking all around and exploring. He sunned himself for a little while, and finally dug down into the dirt.

The outdoor enclosure with the lid down.

The above picture shows the enclosure with the lid on. This is to help protect Boo from any hawks, crows, or cats that might happen by during the daytime. The odd green grassy stuff came with the lid (used to be part of an iguana cage), and still needs to be trimmed. It will provide some nice dappled shade when I finish trimming and attaching it better.

Variety, variety, variety!

When you ask a tortoise expert what to feed your tortoise, the first thing you will be told: VARIETY! There is no ONE plant that is perfect for tortoises. In the wild, they graze, and they get all the nutrients they need by eating a wide variety of foods.

Shelton, our foster tortoise, refuses to eat store-bought foods. He won't even touch romaine, which is normally a treat for my other tortoises! Weeds, on the other hand, he will tear into like there is no tomorrow. He ate the entire pile you see below.

Shelton chowing down - no more hunger strike!
On today's menu: dead nettle, miner's lettuce, dandelion flowers and leaves, thistle,
and broad-leaf plantain.
 .

Different tortoises prefer different plants - even within a species. Some of my Russians are little piggies that will eat anything, others are very picky. I try to offer a wide variety, so that everyone will eat and thrive.

Timmy enjoying some strawberry leaves, sedum, raspberry leaves, and violet leaves and flowers

As the seasons change, different plants grow in my garden, in my friends' gardens, and near our home. Of course I make sure none of the plants I harvest have been sprayed or are too close to roads. I enjoy collecting food for my tortoises - it is part of my weekly routine. Except for December and January, I don't purchase food for my torts.

Boo enjoying some sedum, violet, and strawberry leaves

I know that for new tortoise owners, the prospect of memorizing edible plants might feel daunting. I recommend printing off this (good but incomplete) list of edible plants HERE. There is also a good list HERE. Maybe you can memorize just one or two at a time. It is best to err on the side of safety, never feed your tortoise something you aren't sure about.

IMPORTANT: please make sure the plants have not been treated with chemicals. 

New Tortoise Paintings in my Etsy shop!

I finally have listed some new tortoise paintings in my Etsy shop, Mossy Tortoise (www.mossytortoise.etsy.com)!

A little Russian tortoise, ready to be gifted!

A baby Sulcata tortoise meeting a snail

A baby Leopard tortoise meeting a goldfish

A little Russian tortoise, basking

A hatchling Leopard tortoise stealing a bite of apple

A happy little Russian tortoise, going out for a stroll

A hatchling Redfoot tortoise

An adult Redfoot tortoise

A close-up of a Yellowfoot tortoise

A Radiated tortoise from Madagascar

A lumpy bumpy Indian Star tortoise

A gopher tortoise

A top view of a pancake tortoise

If, by the time you get there, the one you want has sold out, just send me a message in Etsy, and I can have a print made in 5x7 or larger.