Fluffybunny54
Mama Doe
I thought you might like something different on such a lousy bank holiday. These two always make me smile. By the way, they are real torts. Biggest one is 50+ and smaller one is 30.
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Two Decorative Garden Stones.
- Thread starter Fluffybunny54
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Fluffybunny54
Mama Doe
These two are Hermann's Mediterranean Torts. They could live up to 100 years. The Galapogus tortoises can live over 200 years. Speedy the smallest one, we've had over 30 years. Tansy, the bigger one, 50 +, used to come to us on her hols. My friend asked me if I would keep her permanently. They live in a 4ft rabbit hutch, which is heated and insulated. They have the run of the garden. But today, they've just gone back indoors. It's horrible for them today.
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Are they the ones you see roaming wild in the hills in Greece?
Fluffybunny54
Mama Doe
Yes. They're also in Spain, Italy, France, etc. I had one as a child, I'm ashamed to say. It cost 7 shillings and 6 pence from a pet shop. Only lasted 2 years.
Speedy was given to us as a hatchling, born locally, he was 50 pence piece sized, 30 years ago. Tansy was a rescue, left in a flat that my friend moved into. He's had her 40 years. He had 2 rescues, but her pal didn't come out of hibernation last year. As she gets on well with Speedy, he asked us to keep her so she's got a live-in pal again.
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Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
They are fabulous 
Fluffybunny54
Mama Doe
Some people do hibernate them in a fridge at 5 degrees. We have never hibernated Speedy. He's been kept in a heated tank, then brought indoors for exercise and to eat. During the summer he's been out in the garden and brought in at night. Tansy has always been hibernated. This year we are going to keep them in their heated house in the garden and feed them through the winter. My friend was concerned that Tansy might not wake up after hibernation as she's getting on a bit now and lost her mate.
Fluffybunny54
Mama Doe
They are fabulous
Thank you, Jane. I love them both. My rabbits don't take much notice of them, although the torts tend to amble up to the rabbits. They like a good march around the garden.
MightyMax
Banned
I thought you might like something different on such a lousy bank holiday. These two always make me smile. By the way, they are real torts. Biggest one is 50+ and smaller one is 30.
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Aww lovely
Fluffybunny54
Mama Doe
Lovely, lovely tortoises.
I should take more photos of my girl. She's a youngster compared to yours though! Only approx. 20.
You should take lots of photos of your girl. Mainly as a security measure. Top shell and bottom shell. Hubby put a locking bar across their house because they are being stolen, all over the country. The poor things keep turning up in airport luggage because the wild ones are being smuggled from all over the world. All tortoises are on the CITES list and are extremely endangered. They don't make the easiest pets to keep. There are gangs who are smuggling thousands of them. It's so sad. It's amazing that they were around 250 million years before the dinosaurs.
They really are great. I have a Herman who I've had for over 40 years and he wasn't a baby when we got him. His friend is a spur-thighed who is a similar age. Neither of them hibernate either. When they visit me, all my rabbits are/Have been totally uninterested.....save for their food....
Fluffybunny54
Mama Doe
We never hibernated Speedy because we always felt that they don't naturally hibernate, they just go into torpor at night in their country of origin. My friend was devastated that he lost Tansy's pal last year. I hope staying warm and awake this winter will agree with her.
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I don't know what it is about tortoises and why they should be so fascinating, but they just are!
I know my rabbit vet runs special 'tortoise days' so they can be checked over to make sure they are ok before they are put to hibernate, and then again at the end of hibernation.
I know my rabbit vet runs special 'tortoise days' so they can be checked over to make sure they are ok before they are put to hibernate, and then again at the end of hibernation.
tlcwrites
Mama Doe
Will take your advice and do so. :thumb: Our tort lives indoors though, and is only outside under supervision (still need to sort a run of some sort specifically for her). Still, it's better safe than sorry.
They really are incredible creatures. There's a tort missing in my area right now. Hopefully it'll be found safely.
Fluffybunny54
Mama Doe
Yes. We're very lucky that we have fantastic vets over here who are very good with all exotics. Our tortoises like tinned garden peas, romaine lettuce, sweetheart cabbage, herbs, apple, grated carrot, you name it, they'll try it. They'll also eat grass, over ripe pear and over ripe strawberries and any weeds.
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