Box Turtle and Tortoise Discussion :: Sherman Pigging Out (pics)

[Breigh]

This morning after I fed Sherman I decided to get out the camera and see if he'd tolerate me snapping some pics while he ate. Needless to say, nothing is getting in the way of him and his food, he didn't care what I did.

He was eating andive mixed with Pre Alpin Testudo Baby from Agrobs and his vitamin powder

Here he is being a little piggy:

[jenaero]

What a sweetheart! Don't you love how they open wide and dig in? The look like little dinosaurs.. Way too cute!

Btw, does he actually eat the cuttlebone? My boxies don't bother with it. I wonder if there's a trick to it that I'm not aware of.

[Breigh]

I first sat it on the end of his basking rock and I saw him take a few nips at it that day. I can see his little mouth marks on the edges but I'm not sure if that's from the first day or if he's been at it since then. I figure it doesn't hurt to leave it in there just in case though

[jenaero]

Ok I guess I'll just throw some more in and hope for the best. They get vitamin/calcium supplements weekly anyway.

I'm still learning torts...is Sherman a Hermann's or a Russian? (or neither, I could be way off ..hehe)

[Breigh]

Yeah I'm still learning as well, he is my first tort He is a western hermann's tortoise (Testudo Hermanni Hermanni)

The thing that scares me most with torts is the prospect of hibernation...

[jenaero]

I don't plan on letting any of my critters hibernate. It's supposed to be beneficial for breeding and such but I'm not doing that anyway. I also read it can add to their life expectancy. My boxies could live up to 100 years so if they only live to 60 or 75 because of not hibernating, I'm certainly not going to lose any sleep over it.

[Breigh]

I think I'm with you on that one, I also have no intention of breeding but some people make it sound as though you are the worst tort owner ever if you don't let them hibernate because it's natural to them blah blah. It just seems so risky to me :/ I'd be scared I'd screw something up and he'd never wake up.

[steve]

Have you ever checked out tortoisetrust's yahoo group? I subscribe to it even though I've never had tort's. It's very impressive. Oh, the other reason I bring it up is that I see so many panic-type posts about torts waking up from poor hibernation setups. It would be a good idea to see their take on not hibernating them.

And great pics, btw Is he as sociable as your aquatics?

[marisa]

Those are some great photos!

[Breigh]

The breeder I got him from told me if I don't plan to ever breed that it's not necessary at all for me to hibernate Sherman... so I'll probably not ever do it. Like Janaero said, if he lives to be 75 rather than 100 I can live with it hehe

He's very sociable, he doesn't try to get away from me at all. He's so funny too because when I take his food dish out to prepare his meal he always sits right by the spot where it goes waiting for me to come back. It's really funny

He's really active as well, he walks around and around and around his enclosure. He stops every so often for a dip in his water and then continues on. I'm sure if I put him in a football field he'd do laps around that too.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Sherman is absolutely beautiful!!!

[Breigh]

Sherman is absolutely beautiful!!!

I agree!! ... but I may be a bit biased! hehe

[myrtle1123]

That is so cute! . I dont really know anything about box turtle.. do you hold him alot does he bite? anyways he is very cute!!

[camee1991]

Oh WOW! He is so AWESOME looking! I would be biased too! Now I want one too!!! But hubby would KILL ME!

Camee

[Breigh]

Oh WOW! He is so AWESOME looking! I would be biased too! Now I want one too!!! But hubby would KILL ME!

Camee

My hubby just rolls his eyes at me now and pokes fun at my turtle obsession. He's given up on trying to cure me of it hehe