caseyclabough

replied to your post::

You realize that thing is going to outlive you and your children.

Well first of all, she’d rather you call her Queen, Royal Tort, Shellebrity, #turtpocalypse general, feudal lord or muffin instead of thing. And yes, of course I know she’ll out live me! I have legal paperwork ready in case anything were to happen to me to ensure that she is well cared for by people that know how to properly care for a tortoise. We don’t take forever pets lightly around here. Honestly, she better outlive me.. and she is my only child so she’ll outlive herself I suppose?  I hope she is happy and healthy for generations to come… and possibly takes over the world making it a much healthier, happier, calmer place to stomp and nom. 

image

‘you talkin’ ‘bout me??’

Anonymous:

cats are dangers to reptiles, snuggling or not their saliva is highly toxic

Hi Anon, these two mostly coexisted in the same space and were never unattended. Zoya had her own enclosure and not being a water turtle the saliva issue was not a direct threat. 

At the time of the photo, I had gone blind and was hospitalized for several weeks. This left me and Zoya homeless.  We were lucky to be given a place to live by our friend and her beautiful boy CM. I created a makeshift enclosure and had a makeshift bed for myself and we made due till we could move. This was a sweet moment captured on film in a terrible time in our lives and I sharing it is just that.. sharing a moment that was unexpected and sweet. 

I have said it before and will say it again that people need to do research and think when owning and handling a reptile. I am not a vet (I can hear you say obviously) but I have done extensive research and have been certified in wildlife rehab. I don’t expect that everyone here is.. but I expect that they can appreciate a moment and not instantly recreate it. We all have brains and an ability to appreciate without replicating.. though I am happy to air on the side of caution in this case so will amend the post. 

I always appreciate your thoughts, please send them from your address as I really honestly want to discuss these things and a better way to communicate caution with appreciation. I do this when face to face with people but its not apparently conveyed well here. Thanks for taking the time to write. I am always grateful for the input. 

So do be clear PLEASE don’t let your cat interact with your tortoise or turtle’s water, food, etc. Do not allow them to lick each other, NEVER let them eat each others food,  and in general, do not leave your shell friend to roam free in your home as it can be VERY dangerous for them. Do your research and remember a photo is just a split second in a greater context and ALWAYS air on the side of caution. 

Thanks again anon! 

Anonymous:

What species are the tortoises in your blog?

Hi Anon, 

I share pictures, info about ALLLLLLLLL kinds of turtle and tortoises so you’ll have to be specific. The tortoise in charge here (Zoya pants ) is a Testudo Horsfieldi aka Russian Tortoise (sometimes called central Asian tortoise). 

If you’re asking about a specific post feel free to send me a link to it  🙂 

Anonymous:

I wish i had pics but I don’t, But… I literally put the tortoise down for half a second, and he decides “Hmmm this carpet looks edible even though it’s really ugly and I just ate my weight in kale.” The joys of taking care of a tortoise.

We shells like to make decisions based on science. This means we have to examine every item, conduct a taste testing, and then decide if its a tasty treat. Sometimes we have to repeat our studies to make sure they are accurate. Its a very long detailed process, but that’s science. we can’t help it if we’re super smart scientists. Now, about your shoe laces… 

Anonymous:

Do you know if Zoya is going to marry Jeff Musk? We want wedding buffet & cake! ❤️

*blush* well I’m only 8 and humom says that’s still young… but maybe?? He is very handsome and always a gentleman.Don’t worry! It will obviously be ab open noms wedding!! Thats the only way to wedding!  

@his-ladyship-thefangirl replied to your photo: “wheremyscalesslither: INCOMING!!! RAWWWWWWR”:

what kind of tortoise is this

That’s a desert tortoise, like Mojave max 🙂 Native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in the south-west of the US. They are a threatened species, unfortunately. Recently, because of the closure of the largest facility housing injured/rehabbed tortoises, homes were sought for the displaced animals that lived there. They were adoptable only to residents of the area (you can’t take threatened species across state lines). They have to be kept sepereate from wild populations so they don’t bring in any diseases, take resources, fromt he natural population thats already deminishing. Also? They are beautiful tortoises hee