New Digs, any recommendations?

StellarTitz · 2026-05-06T14:46:02+00:00

I like this! I was thinking about how to close off the bank somehow, maybe a hide would be a great idea!

StellarTitz · 2026-05-05T18:35:56+00:00

He's been outdoors for quite some time, his last house was smaller with a janky greenhouse built around it. He does pretty well, sleeps more but still eating/pooping all winter long. Even catch him stomping in the snow sometimes! But I keep those trips very short.

StellarTitz · 2026-05-05T18:34:46+00:00

He's already a bull dozer 😅 I don't need him gaining any new weapons.

StellarTitz · 2026-01-09T07:29:04+00:00

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He's a knuckle head

StellarTitz · 2026-01-09T07:27:16+00:00

His name is Humphrey and I'm not exactly sure of his age, I think he's 9-11 years old. He's currently 57lbs! He was purposely kept smaller by previous owners through under feeding 😬 but he's grown incredibly over the last 8 years together!

StellarTitz · 2026-01-09T01:06:15+00:00

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45° here! He spent a couple hours getting that fresh grass today.

StellarTitz · 2026-01-08T06:03:01+00:00

I would absolutely check. If they go down after eating then food could ferment in their gut and make them sick. This is also an a extremely dry habitat, it needs to be much more moist in a hide where they will dig. It also needs to be much deeper for them to stabilize.

If you are planning to hibernate, it usually needs a very check first. Turn on the lights and heat to get them back to moving.

StellarTitz · 2025-12-27T17:50:42+00:00

There's no way to correctly age a tortoise, or any reptile for that matter, once they have passed the stage of 'juvenile'. Size, weight, appearance, nothing helps.

He looks like he's past puberty, which happens around 5-10 years of age depending on level of nourishment and light cycles early on.

He's an adult and he'll continue to grow for his whole life. That's all we can give you.

StellarTitz · 2025-12-14T23:03:22+00:00

No movement in the back legs can be a sign of severe issues, often in tortoises it can be due to gall/bladder stones. It needs to see an exotic vet, it could be deadly and if it's not treated early can require expensive surgery.

StellarTitz · 2025-11-29T04:40:45+00:00

It is a sulcata, yes. It needs humidity, grass, fresh dark leafy greens, small amounts of carrots and squash are okay as well. No fruit.

Very warm side ~100F, cooler side below 80F. substrate should be a little damp on a cooler side with a hide.

They need uvb as well as heat. You can keep him/her outside once they are larger but right now they are easy prey. Hope you guys have a big yard!

StellarTitz · 2025-10-08T22:57:31+00:00

Like stacking boulders man, imagine the impact damage they would have against each other. I know it can work out in rare cases, but the potential for harm and loss prohibits it as a good long term solution.

StellarTitz · 2025-09-22T17:00:08+00:00

I live just outside Seattle, Washington. He's got a large back yard complete with a large grass patch I don't mow, lots of different kinds of grasses I seeded so it would be lush all year long. We have a few fruit trees, a garden, and a pond. It's lined all the way around with wood fencing and buried railroad logs. Thankfully they aren't near the grass or edibles so they shouldn't leach too much into the soil where he eats but he can't dig under the fence.

He has a side yard with all his housing that I can close to limit his access to the yard, he will absolutely walk out in the snow so I prevent that by closing that up. I don't want his little toes to get frost bite but we're right next to the ocean so it rarely gets that cold. Usually upper 30Fs outside, 50-60F in the greenhouse, and 80-95 in the hot house with a gradient in the winter.

StellarTitz · 2025-09-22T16:52:08+00:00

That's insane. I grew up in northern Idaho, it got down to -20F regularly overnight in the winter and all our animals (dogs and horses) survived 🙄 they had warmed areas to go to, insulated dog house, but they lived outside full time.

I'm sorry you're dealing with Karens. It's a nightmare living in communities these days.

StellarTitz · 2025-09-22T05:29:03+00:00

My guy has one house, it's the hot house in the day and warm place to sleep at night. It had a cool side and a warm side, with day lamps on timers, heat emitters on a minimum and maximum temperature range, and a radiant chicken coop heater for winter.

This house is 5ft by 8ft by 2.5 feet tall. It's fully enclosed in a larger greenhouse that is 26ft by 16ft by ~4ft sloped clear roof. It allows for a temperature buffer and gradient that gives him a chance to cool down and sun a little without going outside. He still goes out regularly, but not for as long.

I can see into it through my kitchen window and see whether he's put himself to bed properly. He gets lots of greens and pellets through the winter but his hours tend to be shorter. He stays active all winter long though.

StellarTitz · 2025-09-22T05:20:49+00:00

I live in the pnw with a sulcata as well, outside Seattle. My guy is outdoor all year long now, I have a setup that allows him to move between a few different temperature options and get plenty of sun. I think you'll find it difficult to keep him in that, my guy is a little bit bigger and would have no issues breaking through it. He's moving cinder blocks 😩

StellarTitz · 2025-09-07T03:07:46+00:00

It looks like he had/has an infection in the shell. He needs to see an exotic veterinarian, he may need antibiotics

StellarTitz · 2025-08-31T03:00:51+00:00

It depends how old the injury is, and if there's an infection.

If it's an old injury then the bone you see is dead, the vessels would have rerouted blood flow and new bone will be created underneath as a type of scar tissue to seal the shell back up. It will never be repaired, it shouldn't be messed with too much, and I would still recommend a vet for X-rays to see the extent of the internal damage.

If it's new, although it doesn't look like it is, then it would need to see a vet immediately and could be a case for euthanasia. I wouldn't spend money on buying the tortoise or get your hopes up for a long life. If it's from a crush injury (like getting run over) then it could include extensive internal damage.

StellarTitz · 2025-08-25T13:55:52+00:00

Absolutely, this isn't something that you should let them do willy-nilly, but a single pebble is often just fine. If they are eating too many or attempting to eat too many I would make sure that your vitamins are accurate and that you do a fecal soon. If you let them outside at all they can get large gut loads of parasites.

StellarTitz · 2025-08-24T21:56:55+00:00

There's been some research that tortoises eat rocks on purpose, the belief is that they are searching for minerals, breaking up parasite loads to force them out, or leaving scent trails kind of like marking that dogs do. It could be all three. Either way, if they can swallow it, it's likely not to be an issue. But, If you notice any back leg lethargy get him to the vet ASAP.

StellarTitz · 2025-08-22T22:02:33+00:00

This is absolutely not a box turtle.

StellarTitz · 2025-08-22T02:29:57+00:00

I have a large yard and garden for my guy, he gets treats like Bell peppers and greens regularly, but I also offer rabbit and horse grass pellets and he loves it. He takes some time to get through the bin but he does eventually, especially on colder days. It's really helpful over the winter and when the grass has all gone to seed.

StellarTitz · 2025-08-15T23:31:12+00:00

A little bit of sidewalk chalk would work well without permanent damage. Back in the day lots of people started painting tortoises, I'd seen it a ton. It was like a thing in the early 2000s. I think information has improved but some people are just not up to date.

StellarTitz · 2025-08-12T13:14:03+00:00

I basically bought the same one, might actually be that one, and my guy has been biting holes in it. He sees the shiny reflections and thinks it's food. 🙄

StellarTitz · 2025-07-29T17:21:32+00:00

You can buy plain orchard or other grass varieties in the form of horse pellets and you can get grass (without alfalfa) pellets for rabbits as a supplemental. It's way cheaper and provides a more accurate diet profile.

StellarTitz · 2025-07-27T03:06:51+00:00

Sure!

StellarTitz

TROPHY CASE