Unlike more traditional backyards, we plant specifically for the needs of the tortoises. While they predominantly eat weeds, there are flowers, shrubs and bushes which are all tasty food options as well. Planted in the enclosures are a mix of broad and narrow leaf plantain, corn salad, clover, dandelion, sow thistle, cats ear, violets and a bevy of lettuce mixes.
In the flowerbeds, snapdragon, coneflower, bee balm, hollyhock, rose of sharon, hardy hibiscus and two types of mallow all in bloom and being offered as part of the tortoises diet. It was great forethought to build such tall fences. This little doe and the buck who generally accompanies her have been trying to find a way in since things began blooming! Get out there and get your hands dirty! Plant something pretty that you can also use as tort food. It will make your yard more inviting (to people and wildlife) as well as save some money on buying greens at the market!
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The Tort Resort is situated in and area highly populated by birds of prey and other animals. In the time it took us to bring four tortoises out for the day, two osprey began callng then circling and an eagle perched in a nearby treetop.
Our dogs have naturally gravitated toward protecting the tortoises much like a sheepdog would look over its flock. No dog should be the the only defense and they should never have unsupervised access to tortoises. Remember, dogs are predators, too. They can easily kill your shelled friend. The best strategy is to get your lids finished. Add a small hasp and lock (raccoons can lift heavy lids and figure out basic hook-closures.) This said, when things just aren't finished, a little improv is better than no lid. You can see we've set the lids from the old bins on top of the new enclosures and added a few old windows and soaking bins to cover the gaps. Predators want what is quick and easy. They don't want to worry about wiggling through a small gap and they certainly don't want to deal with a dog. With frequent visits to check on the torts, this is a good TEMPORARY solution, even though there is still some risk. Carefree days (and nights once the weather stays above 50 degrees) will return once the saw part arrives and our lids are finished! Much like springtime with the tortoises, it's time for us to come out of brumation. As many of you know, the Tort Resort moved unexpectedly in December 2019. It was a move necessary for our peace of mind as well as a change of scenery. We've relocated to beautiful Whidbey Island, with a quarter-acre and room for the tortoises and dogs to roam! With this change, we needed to consider where to place the new enclosures. This meant a year of watching where the sun hit the backyard during each season. Unfortunately, the place which best suited the tortoises needed to be graded and leveled. Pioneer Tree and Landscape had this nifty stand-on grader and came to the rescue! After several hours of scooping, measuring and leveling, the rest was left to me. All the blocks and lumber were brought from the last house. New 1/4 inch hardware cloth was laid and everything was reassembled (extra boxes were also added) into a long 40ft x 4ft space. Hardware cloth is important to housing your tortoises outside. It not only prevents your animals from digging out, it provides a barrier to keep digging predators from infiltrating your enclosure! Remember to make your enclosures tall enough to accommodate nesting torts and roots for your landscape. We recommend at least two feet in height, taller if you want plants like snapdragons and coneflowers! Lids are essential - ours are coming - they keep the flying and four-legged predators out. We really want to stress the importance of lids. As soon as our torts had the opportunity to start soaking up sunshine, two eagles began circling. As a stop-gap, we let the dogs out into the yard and laid the previous enclosure lids over the top of the new structure. Stoli (above) and the others in his group were able to safely eat and gather the all important natural UV!
As soon as the new structures are complete, we'll post some follow up photos. Hydration is important. Your adult tort should be hydrated a couple times a week for about 20 minutes. Fill a basin or small tub with baby bath temperature water that comes to the line which connects the plastron to carapace. In warmer weather, we soak more frequently.
Tortoises do not receive the required amount of water from food, alone. These are urates, a byproduct of the kidneys. Normal consistency is similar to toothpaste, yet this sample is thick and grainy, with some stones the size of a pea. It comes from a tortoise rescued a few months ago. Left unchecked it would have progressed and likely killed her. Please ensure your torts are properly hydrated. All shade is not equal. Amazingly, there are four degrees of light.
You might be asking why deep shade is important to a tortoise. After all, tortoises are arid desert type animals, aren't they? This is where it gets tricky... since they are reptiles, their body temperature is regulated by environment. In the wild, torts have the ability to dig deep into burrows to regulate their temperature. If the temps are too warm and there is no means for escape from the sun your tortoise can fall victim to heatstroke. To prevent this, let's give you some ideas on how to create 'deep shade.' Deep shade is created with layers. Think about forests for a moment. The tall trees provide shade, under-stories provide a second layer, ferns and smaller shade plants, create more shade and mosses, etc. all reap the benefits of such restricted sunlight. The same is true of your tortoise, who will need the ability to dig down at least several inches to nestle into cool substrate. Here are some examples of creating deep shade in your enclosure:
The important thing is to keep your tortoises safe by creating some deep shade! Like most, we have planted outdoor bins the torts live in during the summer months. We take care to plant in the Spring, hoping by Summer there will be a bounty of foraging options for our shelled ones.
Whether it be hungry torts or cold winters, sometimes we run out of food for the torts. What happens, next? There are a couple options: Weeds are first and foremost the healthiest option for your shelled friend. Reach out to your neighbors and ask if they use pesticides or weed killers in their yards. If they have organic gardening practices, you might ask if you can help with weeding. We have a great neighbor who is a "Master Gardener" so we trust her with identification of weed species. When we start to run low, a quick text message to Mary generally results in a basket or bountiful box of nutritious tort food. Another option is to forage at the grocery store. You can find a wide selection of tortoise friendly foods at the market. Most of these are "feed in moderation" so we rotate items, Here is a partial list: *Arugula * Chia * Collard greens *Dandelion * Endive * Kale *Lambs Lettuce * Mustard greens * Radicchio * Spring mix (remove any spinach) * Turnip greens Seattle is generally known for pretty decent air quality. In fact, it isn't something we really worry about on a day to day basis. This wildfire season, however, is different.
We've always relied on our instincts with regard to the decision to leave torts outside or bring them in. However, with the latest smoke event, several local tort keepers broached us seeking concrete answers on when this should happen. We searched for research data which might provide a clue as to how tortoises (primarily the testudo species) dealt with the affects of wildfire smoke, and found nothing. This said, a couple well-known breeders, were able to help establish a more definitive guideline for our animals: Hatchlings, Yearlings and Sub-Adults should not be outside during the smoke-events. Adults can be outside as long as you feel fine in the same air. Once you start to choke, cough or feel the effects of poor air quality, or if you can taste the air, your tortoises would likely appreciate coming inside, as well. You can also use internet based tools, like the map above, to help you make the best decisions for your shelled family. WWW.airnow.gov has up to date color-coded maps depicting current air quality. These can be refined by zipcode. Thanks to Katie Griffing-Bradley and Bobbye Zee for their insight last night! In 2017, we recognized the need for patio repairs. The initial plan was to remove the raised patio, pour a slab, revise the roof line, remove a door, add a window and reclad the back of the house in Hardie Board. We also wanted to add some tortoise bins to enclose the new patio. This post focuses on the construction of the bins and shows helpful, handy tips that you can incorporate into your yard. The slab has been poured and left a 20 x 18 border. Solo, a contractor from SIR Construction, using a long level and board, he temporarily set the connector bricks. The blue arrows show the depth at which the connector bricks were sunk to ensure everything was level, THIS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT AND A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS. If you want to have the ability to create partitions between your tortoises for emergencies, different species, etc. be sure to measure so the connector bricks are also directly across from each other. Once the area was completely level and even, he rolled out 4 ft wide 1/4 inch hardware cloth and secured it with the first layer of connector bricks. Hardware cloth is important because it keeps your tortoise from digging out (or under the new patio); but more importantly it keeps rats and other tunneling predators from gaining entry. If you plan the width appropriately, the hardware cloth will overlap to the outside of your enclosure, eliminating the worry of your tort getting stuck underneath it. The first boards were cut and set in place. At the hardware cloth seam, use 1 inch wide yard staples to secure the edge. Doing this will prevent your tort from digging between the two layers and getting trapped. I double lined this area with two rows of yard staples, set slightly off each other (like a mason sets bricks). Solo finished setting the side walls with 3 layers of connector brick and 2 layers of 12" pressure treated, 2 inch thick wood. (We like high sides, to accommodate taller plants and small bushes.) He then back-filled the enclosure with the untreated topsoil originally dug out of this area. Doing this project in the autumn allows the pressure treated wood to off-gas before your tortoises begin enjoying it in the spring. Here is a different view of the project. It still needs a screened top and dividers cut to accommodate the different "personalities" that will call it home. Using a series of smaller lids is best for those who are getting older or don't want to struggle with long boards. The new enclosure (in front) has 5 ft long lids; while the older 8 ft x 8 ft bin in the background has 8 ft x 4 ft lids, which are heavy and not as stable.
We recently received this photo wondering what could have happened with this egg. Upon close inspection, the tortoise laid the egg without a shell. The cause is likely due to a lack of calcium. We asked if the owner provided calcium cupcakes, a cuttle bone or supplements sprinkled on food. The answer was 'no'.
Lack of calcium can lead to a variety of complications. It is especially important in hatchlings. Without enough calcium, they can develop (then maintain) a shell with some flex. While we anticipate some flexibility in tortoises under a year, older animals' shells shouldn't have any give. Torts that have a diet low in calcium, can develop weak bones, outgrow their shells and have Metabolic Bone Disease - MBD. MBD presents itself as quilting in the tortoise's shell (think of a pan of biscuits). As our vet says, "Most tortoisey anomalies take a long time to happen; even longer to correct." Once a shell is severely malformed from MBD it may never look normal; a tortoise who outgrows its shell will always be vulnerable to other torts and predators. Another component to getting your tortoise on track with calcium is understanding why UVA/B are necessary. Torts need exposure to ultraviolet radiation A and B in order to manufacture vitamin D3. D3 is what allows the calcium to become absorbed in the digestive tract. Wild tortoises bask 8-14 hours/day to receive the necessary rays to aid in digestion, so if you have indoor torts (or winter them indoors) you'll want to provide appropriate lighting. (We can help if you have questions) On our Resources Page, you'll find a link to a terrific calcium cupcake recipie. Alternatively a cuttle bone (found in the bird section of the pet store) or powder to sprinkle on food 1-3x/week can be purchased through Carolina Pet Supply. Food should be dark leafy greens (preferrably weeds) but some grocery store finds are good, too. Be sure to check the Tortoise Table for safety and stay away from Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce! If you suspect your tortoise to have MBD or low calcium, take it to the vet. He/She can perform a radiograph to determine the severity and degree of MBD. Sometimes the vet will run a blood panel to ensure the animals other systems haven't been affected. If you have questions, we're happy to help! Like so many, we re-purposed an old raised tomato bed for a tortoise enclosure. The plants had died over the winter and we had an unexpected need for another enclosure. We added height to accommodate plants; then, a lid with 1/4 inch hardware cloth was affixed to the top. We added plants, a few hides and a large ceramic plant saucer for water/soaking.
We're pretty diligent about ensuring there is a layer of hardware cloth under the enclosures we build, and for some reason didn't give a thought to the tomato bed not having that barrier. The reason for hardware cloth is two-fold. In addition to keeping your tortoises in... the hardware cloth will keep predators that dig (like rats) out. It is an important feature, especially if your tort is a digger! When outside, we check on the tortoises frequently. She was busy each time we looked in on her... foraging, soaking or exploring. Late in the afternoon, she didn't appear to be in her enclosure. A quick walk around the entire bed, here she was popping up on the outside of her enclosure! Needless to say, we'll be working backward with this enclosure... removing the substrate, installing hardware cloth, back-filling the bed, re-installing the tunnels, hides and other hardscaping before re-planting. The only thing we won't need to worry about are the height and lid - which are still perfect. Just a friendly reminder to think about all SIX sides of your enclosure, so you don't have to dig everything up and essentially start from scratch later! The Tort Resort is located atop a large hill, in Seattle. With our stormy weather, we're often asked what to do when the power is out. The key is to prepare early! Above is a photo of one of our emergency bin set-ups. With so many torts, we use rolling plastic stacking drawers. (Some people use an actual dresser, others use a simple lidded cardboard box. Use what works best for you and your situation.) Each drawer is labelled with the torts name and contains a clean small towel remnant (half of a bath towel is fine), a handtowel for burrowing, and a sock with a Uniheat Heat Pack. The packs to the left will stay warm for 36 hours or so, though heat packs range from 12-72 hours. Unwrap the heat pack and activate it per the instructions. Place it in a sock and zip tie the sock closed (like a sausage). You can always add more heat packs if needed. Tuck your tort into its individual drawer and close it, leaving just enough of a crack for ventilation. Remember... heat decreases oxygen, so you want enough of a gap for new air to flow in, but not enough that it keeps the heat packs from working. Wrap three sides of the cabinet, box, drawer-stack in a heavy quilt or blanket for added insulation. Check on your tort every so often, taking care not to fully open the drawer. Oliver, above, clearly escaped his drawer. If I hadn't caught him, he might have perished. (The house was 38 degrees over a period of 14 hours during this outage.) When the power is restored, be sure to launder and sanitize your towels and replenish your drawers. PRO TIP: Keep all your supplies ready with extra heat packs on hand. You never know when the next power outage will happen, or how long before your utility will take to get you up and running again! Some of us are old enough to remember going to the dime store and coming home with a freshly hatched turtle. Some of us might have even found an ad in the newspaper and ordered one via the US Mail. In 1975 that practice immediately ceased. A new law required commercially sold tortoises and turtles to be 4 inches in length at the carapace. This law still stands today.
Why would the government care about limiting the size of tortoises and turtles? Salmonella is one reason. This law came to being during the height of the country's "Salmonella Scare." The FDA was concerned about small children putting baby turtles and tortoises into their mouths and contracting the disease. As one of the ads above suggests, 1000s of turtles were being imported with little to no control and ending up as pets of small children (who might put them in their mouths.) You may wonder how individuals/hobbyists are able to sell hatchlings and torts/turtles under 4 inches. The regulations specifically exclude sales not in relation to a business; most private party sales of surplus hobbyist stock are unaffected by this law. There is also a provision which excludes sales for "bona fide scientific, educational or exhibitional purposes, other than use as pets." The rule has spawned some unintentional consequences, however. It has discouraged commercial breeding efforts of rare species by hampering trade of juvenile animals. It has increased pressure as food and "medicine" from Asian markets. Also, if you've been paying attention to the tortoise trade in the "big box" pet stores, Russian Tortoises are becoming more difficult to find. When you do, most barely meet the 4 inch rule. Why do you think that is? Most larger tortoises have already been plucked from their homes, shoved in crates and shipped outside of their homeland into the pet trade. With fewer breeding size tortoises in the wild, what is happening with the species as a whole? These are just a few things to ponder. Read more about the law here: 4 inch rule We're excited to announce four of our tortoises were rehomed to Mom's sanctuary in Orange County.
We talked about which ones needed homes and could help with her small breeding effort. The following torts were driven to our family home to roam in a large backyard. It is a tort paradise. Girl 2 - She came to us in a group of 4 rescues and remained intentionally unnamed since she was promised to Mom. She was severely dehydrated with an infection and malnutrition. Today, she's eating voraciously and ready to lay eggs! Tiny - Tiny presented the same as Girl 2 and arrived in the same group. He is an old little being, but smaller than a teacup saucer. He jumps when touched and stresses when there is lots of interaction. Tiny was a perfect candidate to go, "home" where he could roam without fear of constant petting. Turkie - As expected Turkie was instantly beloved, both by me and my mother. He came in as a surrender, in great shape and healthy. He simply needed a new home. Turkie is a happy boy with a great personality. Destiny - Is a small little girl who was given to the Tort Resort as a girlfriend for Turkie. She came from a fellow rescuer who bought her from the Petsmart in Puyallup. While we do not support the importation of wild caught tortoises, finding females is a rarity. Finding healthy females is even more rare. She will be a great addition to the breeding group. Photos will come soon of these four in their new home.
Soaking is important for tortoises. Contrary to popular belief, they do not receive all necessary hydration from their food. Here at the Tort Resort, we soak each tortoise every Saturday morning, at a minimum. The hatchlings are soaked daily in a covered bin to help retain heat and provide additional moisture. Often, medical care is also involved.
Over the past year, we've stopped searching Craigslist for tortoises. After all, our breeding group was about set with a proper female to male ratio (4:1); there was no need to add more girls. Then, it happened. A member of a social media group posted a local Craigslist ad for 2 males and 2 females. The torts looked rough, actually the little face above is what forced us to reach out and nearly double our current number of tortoises. The woman who had these animals trusted what the pet store told her about care. She didn't know that these animals require UVA and UVB light. She didn't know they need a varied diet and to be soaked at least once a week. She didn't know their beaks could overgrow. She didn't realize housing a male and female together would result in repeated breeding - to the point the female might suffer damage or die. She. Just. Didn't. Know. To. Research. We picked the animals up, brought them to the Resort and soaked them for an hour. A vet appointment confirmed our suspicions of malnutrition, dehydration, parasites. All four tortoises also presented with pink striping on the plastron (bottom of the shell), a couple had this present on the carapace (top); their legs were spindly, not elephant-like, one had such rapid growth... the bone of her plastron hadn't hardened and was translucent. Beaks were trimmed, tube feedings given (to jump-start their path to wellness), parasites addressed, subcue fluids given and a course of injectable antibiotics were prescribed. UPDATE: July 2017 - The torts are all doing better, though one female is still having a hard time with weight gain and energy. A blood panel was ordered, she was tubefed again with super-nutrients to aid in stimulating appetite.
Three of the torts will be ready for new homes next month. We couldn't be more excited at the change in these little lives. Last month, Tilly began acting as if she might be preparing to lay eggs. She was uncomfortable and not tromping about her enclosure; she had started refusing food. We took her back to the vet, concerned that she was egg-bound. The vet looked at her records, gently felt her insides by pressing a finger around her back legs, then took her for radiographs. There were two views... both showed a mysterious mass... outside of her GI tract. A month later we took her back to the vet because she had not laid eggs and her appetite was decreasing. We took blood for a CBC and found her calcium slightly elevated and white cells on the higher end of average. This pointed toward egg folicles, yet lent no indication as to what was creating the mass. We began weekly tube feeding and hydration in preparation for an endoscopy, which should give a better peek at what was causing the mass. When picking her up from her procedure, the vet said he couldn't get a look at the mass because all her organs were shoved to that side. When he tried to go in through the other leg, he was surprised to see so many egg follicles of varying degree of development. (See above.)
At this point, we are more concerned about getting her to lay the eggs - freeing up enough room to stimulate appetite - then trying to readdress the mass. The vet thinks Tilly's mystery mass has been with her a long time. It hasn't grown in the past year, so likely it is something which occurred prior to obtaining her. We'll keep you posted with developing news! Update: July 2017 - Tilly still hasn't laid eggs. The radiograph shows no sign of follicles; likely they have been absorbed into her system. She is eating, active, and back to a healthy weight. This is a story of how a little knowledge and awareness can make a big impact. We normally don't take in Sulcatas; because of their size, we cannot provide proper care. The only reason we stepped in was because a close friend repeatedly saw Ranger stuck in an aquarium with lettuce and improper light. She noticed he simply sat in the corner of his aquarium, digging at the glass to get out. She saw his diet consisted only of romaine lettuce (better than iceberg, but still not good.) She saw he had no hide, poor substrate and wasn't sure if his lighting was warm enough or if it had UVA/UVB. Ranger is one of hundreds of thousands of sulcata babies sold every year over the internet. Like most, he arrived in this home via FedEx, to a family unprepared to provide proper care - but so excited about their new addition. They didn't have a plan for his growth (they can get upwards of 200#) or how best to house him in our cold, wet Pacific Northwest winters once he was too big to be inside. They didn't research how to provide proper nutrition or that calcium is necessary in a tortoise diet. They thought, like so many families, all they needed to do for this new shelled one was toss some romaine lettuce in to him and provide some sort of lamp. My friend and I drove to pick up Ranger and met with his primary caregiver. The man had nothing to say. He picked Ranger up, put him in the bin we'd brought and simply uttered, "OK?" I nodded, said how beautiful Ranger was and kept the other comments silently running in my head. We left the home, put Ranger in the back seat of the car and headed to one of my contacts who is able to care for larger reptiles. Upon arrival, he looked at Ranger. He was surprised to learn the tortoise was 6 years old; Ranger's size is half of what it should have been and the tortoise was very light in weight for his size. He noticed the pyramiding of Ranger's shell, then commented that it could be much worse. What was more concerning than the stunted growth, light weight and pyramiding was that Rangers shell flexed 1/4 inch, like an aluminum can. He is severely calcium deficient. When we put Ranger on the lawn, in front of real food, he looked confused and retreated to his shell. It broke my heart. We left Ranger in the good hands of my friend and will be receiving updates as he progresses. Ranger is fortunate to be in a place where he can become healthier. There is no way to know, right now, what other health effects he has suffered; however, we do know he likely would have perished in his previous environment. We really can't stress enough.... if you are planning on getting a pet, please do your research before hand. Sulcatas are big animals. They bulldoze through things and can be destructive, just by their sheer size. They aren't bad torts; they just can grow so enormous that they'll doze through a wooden fence, ram into and destroy large ceramic decorative pots or let themselves into the house in search of their humans...leaving a poopy trail in their wake. They ARE lovely, friendly animals and terrific pets for those who are prepared to have them long term. You adopted a tortoise, now what? Ideally, you've already built a tortoise table; however a large 50 GALLON Rubbermaid bin (4ft long x 2ft wide) will suffice temporarily.
You'll want to consider something larger for the long term...either by connecting two bins, building a tortoise table or some other form of open-air enclosure. Glass or acrylic aquariums are not ideal for Russian Tortoises for a couple reasons... 1) the torts are confused by the glass and will pace trying to escape and 2) these types of habitats are hard to regulate thermal conditions. There are some great examples of tables, pools and cages in the Russian Tortoises, Hermanns and Greeks 2 Facebook group. The substrate should be a mix of organic topsoil (no additives, with absolutely no guano or fertilizers) and coconut coir. It should be damp enough to clump in your hand when squeezed, but you shouldn't be able to ring out water. Many tortoises enjoy digging. Make sure the substrate is at least 6" deep, we provide about 8" to a foot of substrate in most of our indoor enclosures. Provide a warm end (about 90-95F) and a cool end (70F) so your tortoise has the opportunity to bask or cool off. High quality MVB bulbs are the easiest way to achieve this and provide the necessary UVA/UVB torts need. (See posting on lighting). You'll want to include a hide (tipped over pot, small bucket or other place for the the tort to escape), a soaking dish (preferred is a glazed terracotta or ceramic pot saucer) and some things for to keep your tortoise busy during the day. Tortoises are grazers, so be mindful of choking hazards - small rocks, pebbles that can be accidentally ingested. Take your time and shift things around according to your tortoise's needs This little one took her time coming into the world. The extra time in the egg benefited her with an additional gram of weight. She weighed 22 grams at the time of hatching.
The second egg started pipping 2 hours prior to this happening. Active hatching time was 20 minutes, which is a vast contrast to eggling #1. This tortoise was 21 grams and arrived 11/15/16.
The first egg began to crack on Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 11pm. We watched diligently, checking on it every few hours. Over 30 hours later, we live-streamed the hatching on Facebook. Active hatching took 2 hours.
In Late August, Tilly began acting strangely; she was lethargic, her eyes would swell (indicating discomfort) and she would only eat if hand-fed. We rushed her to the vet for a radio-graph which revealed gas pockets in her intestines. The hope was that between infant gas drops, increased heat and soaks, her appetite would increase. The vet also prescribed OptiOmega, a terrific blend of nutrients which boosts activity and appetite. It worked, but not as it had in the past and not to the degree we were hoping. She was eating more; however, her eyes puffed more frequently, especially when walking. The vet suggested a follow up visit for blood work, but first wanted to take another radio-graph to rule out Tilly being gravid (egg bound.) After a couple minutes, cheers came from the back room. Our vet returned with a large smile and led me to the surgical suite, where an x-ray hung from the lightbox. This was by far the best news we could have received. Not only was the mystery solved, but babies were probably in the future. A couple weeks later, she still retained eggs. It was mid-September and there was no option to induce her. Three eggs were expelled; one simply didn't want to come out. The vet sent us home to incubate the eggs and wait for the fourth. Two days later, Tilly pushed out the fourth egg...then proceeded to step on it. The others were already incubating. Fast forward the minimum 55 days and we're waiting for babies.
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AuthorThe Tort Resort is a Whidbey Island based project dedicated to rescue and rehab of smaller tortoise species. Archives
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