Chevelle is not sharing again today. We had to set Ranger up with his own plate in another room. After six months of him living with us, we finally saw him eat on June 8th!
The child safe paint does not harm them in any way. What it does do is allow me to find them quickly in my main garden which is a fenced in 2700 square feet. I had to figure something out that worked for our combined needs because searching an hour for two tortoises every day is just not feasible. They get to browse for food, enjoy necessary sunlight, and exercise nearly every day in exchange for a little child safe paint on their shells.
When I go inside, they go inside too because we have very large raptors, racoons, foxes, and coyotes here. Because we live along a river, flooding is also a concern. I use to use helium filled balloons, but they slip off too easily.
These tortoises were a gift to me, cost over $1k, and can not survive on their own outdoors in my climate's winter. I don't like the paint on their shells because it detracts from their beauty, but I compromised on that for their health, to give them more freedom, and to provide them a better life. I realized the red was not enough after hunting for them, so I did a quick, albeit messy, yellow stripe down the red. It lasts a couple of months, and then has to be reapplied.
And, they KNOW when they are going to the garden. They keep their heads out until they are on the ground. Then, they head to their favorite spots and love eating our beans!
When I go inside, they go inside too because we have very large raptors, racoons, foxes, and coyotes here. Because we live along a river, flooding is also a concern. I use to use helium filled balloons, but they slip off too easily.
These tortoises were a gift to me, cost over $1k, and can not survive on their own outdoors in my climate's winter. I don't like the paint on their shells because it detracts from their beauty, but I compromised on that for their health, to give them more freedom, and to provide them a better life. I realized the red was not enough after hunting for them, so I did a quick, albeit messy, yellow stripe down the red. It lasts a couple of months, and then has to be reapplied.
And, they KNOW when they are going to the garden. They keep their heads out until they are on the ground. Then, they head to their favorite spots and love eating our beans!
