Tiny Tortoises

Summer Update

2011-09-26T13:57:00.000+01:00

Well it appears that we've neglected our blog lately. It has been a very busy Summer for us this year. We have finished off most of the modifications to the outside accomodation and I'm glad to say after a long and persevering time, little Inca's eyes are now well on their way to being better.

We took Inca to see our vet Kevin Eatwell BVSc (hons) DZooMed (Reptilian) MRCVS RCVS, recognised specialist in Zoo and Wildlife medicine at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. There she was treated for an eye infection that was causing her third eyelid to stay shut. Her eye was very sticky with mucus and it constantly looked glazed. Because she was in so much discomfort with this, it was causing her to rub and scatch it alot which also caused a tiny bit of scarring. After continuous treatment of Ofloxacin eyedrops, eye flushes and close monitoring, little Inca's eyes are now healing well. She is more alert and active than usual. She seems to be displaying alot more confidence within herself. As of last week, we introduced her back into a soil enviroment. She is doing well.

Parents Lola and Harry also had a trip to see Kevin at Edinburgh this Summer. There was much discussion about Inca's eye infection and the probability of inheritance of Mycoplasma being passed down from the parents. This is not uncommon. To rule this out we had Lola and Harry swabbed for this test of which we are glad to report came back clear. We were so happy to hear of this result!

As the Summer draws to a close, Harry is the first of our tortoises to slow down on his eating. We've had some cold days throughout September and the torts are starting to feel it. Won't be long before they've gone down again.

Summer Is Here!

2011-04-10T10:33:00.000+01:00

Well, it appears the summer weather has arrived. The sun is bleaching down and the torts can't get enough of it. There are an abundance of weeds to pick from now. Our little hatchling Inca is nursing an eye infection at the moment but nevertheless is thriving. She is now 30g in weight. Pre-Alpin has been introduced into our torts diet which has proved a hit with some but not others.

Hibernation Progress

2011-02-18T12:12:00.002Z

We are well into February now and some of our torts have just come out of hibernation. Two of our younger torts were brought out this week. They are both doing well after completing a 10 week hibernation. Lola, Harry and Alfie are still asleep. The new fridge has proved a success in it's first year of use. Below is a photo of the fridge.

Nearly All Gone Down!

2010-11-23T22:24:00.000Z

Well, the adults are now in hibernation and the little ones are about a week away from following. Only our new hatchling Inca will remain up this year. The new larder fridge is being used this year which accommodates all our tortoises. Really happy with our new purchase as tests revealed very stable temperatures with a difference of only 1.5 - 2 degrees between top and bottom.

Wind Down Time Again!

2010-10-09T17:54:00.000+01:00

Well it seems like it was only a short while ago when we were taking the torts out of hibernation, and now they're on their wind down again. Harry has already completed two weeks of wind down as he was the first to feel the colder weather and pretty much stopped eating straight away. All the other torts are now starting to follow suit. Wind down started a bit earlier than usual this year as the late summer / autumn temperatures have been a lot colder. All of the torts have been checked for parasites prior to wind down and are clear. The fridge is switched on and the temperatures are stable.

Little One Has Arrived!

2010-09-01T23:39:00.000+01:00

Well, it seems like I have been neglecting our blog lately as I have not listed any updates for a while. Just over a week ago, we had some fantastic news as Lola's very first hatchling arrived weighing in at just 8g. She hatched after 61 days and is eating and drinking well. She could'nt be any more perfect. We are still waiting to see if the second egg is going to hatch. Fingers crossed. See below the first photo's of Inca.

New Accommodation Update

2010-07-31T11:59:00.001+01:00

The torts new accommodation is nearing completion. Work inside the shed is just about complete. Work will now be starting on the lean-to greenhouse. The greenhouse will host a basking lamp for those colder days and the will be attached to the side of the shed so that it jointly forms as part of the main accommodation. See below some more pictures of the shed accommodation as it progressed and it's equipment.

Lola's Eggs In Incubation

2010-07-21T10:03:00.001+01:00

Lola laid two perfectly formed eggs at the back end of June. They are currently sitting at 31.5 degrees in the incubator. Temperature and humidity have been really steady, so fingers crossed that we end up with two little healthy torts. We'll keep everyone updated. See below some images of the eggs in the incubator.

Tortoise Accommodation & Garden

2010-05-19T22:29:00.002+01:00

There has been good progress made with the tortoise enclosure work and garden these last couple of weeks. It has only been possible as the weather has started to get warmer. All the new fencing work is now complete and the timber sleepers have been laid. We're pretty confident that we have an escape proof garden now. Work is also progressing in the shed where we have opened up one side purely for the tortoises to live in. Work in the shed has included under floor and wall insulation before getting ply lined. A security alarm has also been fitted to the torts new entrance/exit door for extra peace of mind. There is still plenty of work ahead of us yet as all of the electrical work begins shortly. Some of the work carried out is pictured below. Keep posted for further pictures as work progresses.

Lola & Harry Out Of Hibernation

2010-04-05T11:08:00.000+01:00

Below are some pictures of Lola & Harry just out of hibernation. They were hibernated for 19 weeks. As you can see, we warmed them up underneath a lamp first before giving them a nice long warm soak. We have never seen two tortoises drink so much water. They drank like fishes. Lola spent most of her time in the bath with her head underneath the water. Really pleased though as we know it's very important that they re-hydrate themselves as soon as possible after coming out of hibernation. Harry has started to eat, but Lola is just picking little bits. There's time yet. All in all, we are happy with their progress.

Weather Halts Work On Outdoor Enclosure

2010-03-25T22:48:00.000Z

Typical British weather has hit us again. We've had nothing but rain for the last two weeks resulting in very little progress with the garden and the torts enclosure. Let's just hope that Easter weekend brings nicer weather. Lola and Harry come out of hibernation in just over a weeks time. We were hoping to have most of the accommodation work complete before then.

Outdoor Accommodation Revamp

2010-03-14T09:21:00.004Z

Well, this week has been a tiring week as we started work on revamping the torts outdoor accommodation / garden. First task was to make the garden perimeter escape proof. This alone has taken all week as new fencing (posts, rails & boards) have been erected incorporating 8 inch kick boards along the bottom. To do this, it involved digging out a small trench all the way around the perimeter so that we could plant the boards into the ground before before back-filling. We also attached some mesh onto the bottom of the boards to be sure that no tortoise will escape. Another couple of days and the perimeter fencing will be fully finished. Below are some pics of the work in mid flow. More photo's will be available on our website soon at http://www.tinytortoises.co.uk/accommodation.html .

Post Hibernation Progress

2010-02-28T22:55:00.000Z

Having just come out of hibernation, Alfie is doing great. Within hours he was drinking and eating. Still continuing with baths for the next week.

Torts Coming Out Of Hibernation

2010-02-27T22:05:00.004Z

The young torts are coming out of hibernation now. They have complete 12 weeks. The adults have another 4 weeks to go. Still pretty cold outside though. Let's hope March picks up a bit. Fridge hibernation has yet again been a great success. No worries at all.