It has been a long time!

Hello Again!!

I know that it has been months since I posted anything about the tortoises. My only excuse is an insanely crazy life.

Rosie, Ginger and Cecil are doing very well. This winter they were very still and mostly just slept and ate. However since it has warmed up and they are outside they are more active than I have ever seen them. Rosie is especially personable and always comes out to see me when I get home from work. Cecil is still the most aggressive of the three always trying to steal someones food. Ginger is the timid laid back one of the bunch.

As you can see in the pictures they have grown some. We are going to move them to a larger tortoise table in the next week or so and they will have plenty of room to groove.

Enjoy!

We're Inside Today!

It's getting colder so the babies have to spend more and more time indoors under their lamp. There are some days when they can be outdoors for a few hours in the afternoon. I have noticed that when they are indoors they are more active and hang out on top of the moss instead of staying buried all day. All three are doing very well, they have a great appetite and are getting very curious of their surroundings.

Enjoy!

Of course Cecil is still sleeping. He is always the last to get up and the last to finish eating!

Ginger

Rosie

Time To Eat!!

Come on mom and give us our lunch, we would come out an get it if we could!

I smell something new on the menu, is that kiwi?

I'm coming!!

Hey guys don't eat without me!

Breakfast in the afternoon!

I had some hungry hungry hippos this afternoon. I have started feeding them around 11:00am because it is too chilly in the mornings. All three of them have been more active lately so we have enjoyed watching them explore their habitat.

Rosie was very persistant with this mushroom and she was able to eat it all!

Ginger is diving right in...

Cecil is trying to decide what he wants first!

Our Outing to Crooked River State Park

Peyton took these pictures today at Crooked River State Park today. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!

"the view is fabulous from here"

"wait Peyton, this is my better side"

Ginger is just strolling along checking out the scenery!

"I know I can fit, I haven't grown that much"

"I know I can make it over this tiny twig..I think I can, I think I can"

Peyton's Pictures and First Blog Post!

Peyton took all of these pictures. We let the babies walk in the grass and have some mushrooms. I think Peyton has found his calling, these pictures are better than any that I have taken, GO PEYTON! This was the first time that the babies were outside in the grass. They had so much exploring something new. Enjoy!

Learning

A Learning Process

I just read my blog from the beginning and I realized how much that have learned through this process. I now know that Rosie, Ginger and Cecil do not need an afternoon snack. If they are out and awake I can offer them some mushroom or squash but only if they are already awake. They do not necessarily have to get up at 7:30am for breakfast, all three of them actually like to sleep in until round 9:00ish. I bring them outside around 8:30 and mist their pen, then I go inside and fix their breakfast and by the time I come back outside they are all out and waiting for me to give them their bath. They seem much more relaxed this way, when they can get up on their own without me waking them up. I love to cuddle with them and rub their shell and head but only on their time and schedule. I have noticed they come out more now and they enjoy their time with me. I have read that red foot tortoises have distinct personalities and they love their humans...this is absolutely true (I didn't believe it at first either but they do)!

Everyday I feed them 3 different greens, mushrooms, oputina and squash or zucchini, twice a week they get papaya or mango and one day a week they get a small amount of tomato, on the days they don't get fruit or tomato they have carrots. I have been petrified to give them tomato since our respiratory scare but they LOVE tomato so they get a small amount occasionally. I used to give them fruit and/or tomato every other day and I quickly realized this was way too much. I have also learned a lot about their pen. When Rosie, Ginger and Cecil first came to me I didn't realize I had to "plant" the greens in their pen therefore, it was very sparse. Gabby was gracious enough to give us plenty of seeds so we can plant their food on our own. This is safer as it is organic and cheaper! I planted some seeds and then transplanted them into their pen and now they have coleus, hosta, nasturtium and dandelion in their pen. They all like to bury and sleep under the plants. I'm sure that there is a lot more for me to learn and I am ready for the challenge. Enjoy!!