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Chelonians In Florida: December

Nanci

Nanci

Alien Lover
As I was taking the garbage out this afternoon, I peeked in to see what my non-brumating-because-it's-80F boxies were doing. Apparently Krusty thinks Fagalo is a chair. Why? Just, why? I fed them six nightcrawlers each yesterday. They were elated. They hadn't eaten since a couple weeks before Thanksgiving to let their guts empty out so they could brumate safely. Only it hasn't gotten cold enough for them to feel like sleeping. Since we have a forecast of several 80F days and 55-60F nights, I thought I'd give them a snack.
 

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Here's Fort Tort: pretty dreary, huh? Still- it's got plenty of active anoles today.
 

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One burrow is completely blocked off, and the other has a thick wooly rug covering most of the entrance. When a frost threatens, I pack the burrow with blankets and pull the rug all the way down.
 

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Koko and Buttercup the desert tortoises are brumating like they are supposed to be. Here I have stuck my arm into the burrow as far as I can reach- you can just barely catch a glimpse of them.

Thanks for looking!
 

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Nanci, while I'ld like to feel sorry for your gloomy day, this is So OR for the past few weeks. Dull, raining, clouds and a bit of snow. Although in August I long for these days, now I'm lookig forward to Spring, never happy I guess. I think the tort fort looks lovely and inviting. susang
 

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I _think_ the days are starting to get a little bit longer. It's getting dark right after 6:00 now. I'll be happier when it stays light later again.
 
Very nice update!

I have to agree that I'll be happy to ditch my winter coat and experience more sunlight.
 
Oh I didn't know they all lived together!?

I still can't believe you built fort tort all by yourself... it's simply amazing Nanci.
 
Nanci said:
I _think_ the days are starting to get a little bit longer. It's getting dark right after 6:00 now. I'll be happier when it stays light later again.
Click to expand...

Well it's 3 pm here not much brighter then my pics, in fact it is getting very dark. I would love 6 pm night fall.
 
Tula_Montage said:
Oh I didn't know they all lived together!?

I still can't believe you built fort tort all by yourself... it's simply amazing Nanci.
Click to expand...

They don't live together- bad to mix species. The boxies are in a not-so-fancy pen in the front. I want to build them an enclosure like Fort Tort this spring. Out by Fort Tort. The boxies are so much more interactive.
 
For turtles/torts, you can keep a male/female(s) group, as long as the male isn't too sexually aggressive. Males generally fight with each other. Females generally don't. I see my boxies, a male and female, together more often than apart. I don't see the tortoises- sex unknown but suspected two females, together except by accident. If you have different species, they are recommended to be separated by two walls for infection control. You don't want old world/new world stuff interacting- different immuniteis, etc.
 
Ohhhhh ok thanks for explaining that :) How do you sex turtles btw, it is visual or can you probe them??? Sorry for the million questions lol
 
Box turtles are simple- the males have a very concave plastron. Krusty's is so concave it looks deformed, if you didn't know it was supposed to be like that. Females are flat to slightly convex. Some people believe that males have red or orange eyes, but females also do, and males may have brown eyes. Eye color is not an indicator of sex. I guestimate both my boxies are in their 30's or older.

I haven't seen adult desert tortoises yet. Desert tortoise hatchlings have a flat plastron until they reach about 8 inches in length (10-15 years of age in the wild; 5-10 years in captivity). At this time the plastron of the male becomes noticeably concave, whereas the female's plastron remains flat. Adult males also have longer gular horns, a longer tail, and enlarged glands under the chin. Mine haven't eshibited any territorial displays like their clutchmates have, like head bobbing and even charging other tortoises, so I believe they are both females. Mine are 4.5 years old.
 
FT Tort looks like a very peaceful place!! I think if I were them I would be sleepin' but since I'm not a tortoise I'll just share a bottle of wine w/ Janine & she can read her book to me as I lay my head in her lap...lol Awwwww that sounds so nice right about now!! :rofl:
 
Tomorrow and the next two nights we are supposed to have a hard freeze. I bought a heating pad, and a 100 foot electric cord, and am putting the heating pad on a thermostat in a plastic bag out in the burrow tomorrow afternoon, and blocking it in.

The box turtles will be buried deeply in peat/dirt/weeds with a wooly blanket over that.
 
Looking good, Nanci! It looks welcoming even in December!

Nanci said:
. The boxies are in a not-so-fancy pen in the front. I want to build them an enclosure like Fort Tort this spring. Out by Fort Tort. The boxies are so much more interactive.
Click to expand...

I want to help! Got a guest room? I guess the snake room will do just fine though!
 
Growing up, I'd find at least one or two box turtles in my yard every summer. I always wanted to keep one, but never knew how, but knew better than to keep it incorrectly. They are by far my favorite turtle. Love yours! Keep showing pictures of them.
 
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