Where’s your dog?

[ScrappyLaptop]

Tito enjoying a strawberry today...

My wife grew up with Southern California Desert tortoises & later she and I raised dwarf Russians. I love to watch tortoises eat, so thank you for this. Tito looks like he's really digging in!

Sponsored

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Folks,

Here is an article from our local newspaper's first magazine insert in the paper...Tito is highlighted.

Best,
Phil

 

[ScrappyLaptop]

Hi Folks,

Here is an article from our local newspaper's first magazine insert in the paper...Tito is highlighted.

Best,
Phil

Now THAT is the way to enjoy retirement! Thank you, Phil!

 

[Grumpaw]

Our two kids, both mixed breed terriers, and both of them rescued...
Ziggy on the left, and Zoey (with her little overbite) on the right.

 

[Grumpaw]

My wife grew up with Southern California Desert tortoises & later she and I raised dwarf Russians. I love to watch tortoises eat, so thank you for this. Tito looks like he's really digging in!

You raised these ???

 

[SpaceGhost]

Right this minute.

 

[ScrappyLaptop]

You raised these ???

Ha! Out of all the animals we've had over the years, we've only had one of those. He was NOT friendly.

Russian tortoises back in the early 00's were caught in the ex-Soviet 'stans & imported - I assume still are, haven't kept up. As a practice it was not good for the wild populations. Anyway, people bought them at Pet Smart / Petco / reptile shows as "dwarf" tortoises because they were smaller and cute and then grew bored with them. We took in a few from someone in a jam & built a big enclosure in the backyard. And an indoor fall/winter enclosure. And then took in a few more. Eventually we found homes for all of them with experienced reptile people.

 

[Arly]

Back to dog pics. On the Pilgrim river watershed trails this week. Yes, in all pics Wally was told to be where he is seen. Waaaaaaaaay to warm here. Wally's not a water breed, but don't tell him that.

 

[ROBERTECOX]

Hi Folks,

Here is an article from our local newspaper's first magazine insert in the paper...Tito is highlighted.

Best,
Phil

Hi Phil...thought you might like to see this
https://www.cnet.com/news/horrifying-giant-tortoise-filmed-hunting-down-and-eating-baby-bird/

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Phil...thought you might like to see this
https://www.cnet.com/news/horrifying-giant-tortoise-filmed-hunting-down-and-eating-baby-bird/

Omg! bet the tortoise became sick...they cannot handle protein this way. Amazing to see this. Tito does not know how to bite to attack or protect himself unlike...say...a snapping turtle for example...purely a defensive animal...Do not know the aggressive behavior of a huge tortoise, but, Holy Shit... Thanks for sharing....I am blown away...

Tito just ate a huge plate of Kale, had seconds and gobbled down one cut up strawberry. He missed a couple bites of strawberry and I hand fed them to him...then wiped his lower mouth area and he ambled off to the corner of the dining area of our great room....Tomorrow, he will wake up about 9am and watch us for a while then head to the sliding glass door and we will let him out into the backyard for the day....at 3pm I search for him and bring him into the house for a plate of kale and the process repeats.... Not sure how long this will continue, but he is bulking up for the upcoming brumination where he sleeps for about 6 months... His diet is kale, grass from a patch of bemuda grass we have and flower pedals from a Texas Ranger shrub. No birds, thank you!

Best,
Phil

 

[ROBERTECOX]

Omg! bet the tortoise became sick...they cannot handle protein this way. Amazing to see this. Tito does not know how to bite to attack or protect himself unlike...say...a snapping turtle for example...purely a defensive animal...Do not know the aggressive behavior of a huge tortoise, but, Holy Shit... Thanks for sharing....I am blown away...

Tito just ate a huge plate of Kale, had seconds and gobbled down one cut up strawberry. He missed a couple bites of strawberry and I hand fed them to him...then wiped his lower mouth area and he ambled off to the corner of the dining area of our great room....Tomorrow, he will wake up about 9am and watch us for a while then head to the sliding glass door and we will let him out into the backyard for the day....at 3pm I search for him and bring him into the house for a plate of kale and the process repeats.... Not sure how long this will continue, but he is bulking up for the upcoming brumination where he sleeps for about 6 months... His diet is kale, grass from a patch of bemuda grass we have and flower pedals from a Texas Ranger shrub. No birds, thank you!

Best,
Phil

Tito's lucky to have y'all as parents

 

[halligan1201]

Omg! bet the tortoise became sick...they cannot handle protein this way. Amazing to see this. Tito does not know how to bite to attack or protect himself unlike...say...a snapping turtle for example...purely a defensive animal...Do not know the aggressive behavior of a huge tortoise, but, Holy Shit... Thanks for sharing....I am blown away...

Tito just ate a huge plate of Kale, had seconds and gobbled down one cut up strawberry. He missed a couple bites of strawberry and I hand fed them to him...then wiped his lower mouth area and he ambled off to the corner of the dining area of our great room....Tomorrow, he will wake up about 9am and watch us for a while then head to the sliding glass door and we will let him out into the backyard for the day....at 3pm I search for him and bring him into the house for a plate of kale and the process repeats.... Not sure how long this will continue, but he is bulking up for the upcoming brumination where he sleeps for about 6 months... His diet is kale, grass from a patch of bemuda grass we have and flower pedals from a Texas Ranger shrub. No birds, thank you!

Best,
Phil

I saw an interview regarding this behavior in tortoises and the speculation is that is might be more of a protective act that a nutritional one. Birds eat tortoise eggs and baby tortoises. Eating a baby bird means one less threat.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I saw an interview regarding this behavior in tortoises and the speculation is that is might be more of a protective act that a nutritional one. Birds eat tortoise eggs and baby tortoises. Eating a baby bird means one less threat.

Hi John,

Yes...some Sonoran Tortoise moms will hang around for a day or two after egg laying, but then they amble off as their job as Mom is over. A hatchling is on its own from the get go. It is estimated that only one in 15 Sonoran Desert tortoise make it to maturity...Road Runners, Pack Rats and Ravens are the primary predators. If the tortoise makes it three months until its shell starts to harden...from that point the Sonoran Desert Tortoise has no natural predators. Here is a pix of my gardener finding out his tortoise was not male...all five can fit in your hand...they are so cute!

Three males and two females

Best.
Phil

 

[Arly]

No one has any dog pics?? Taken today while out on the trails. Colors are at there max here, or close to it.

Friendly mutts and owners seen out there today.

Neighbor kids and our old girl. Clothing is optional.

 

[janitorjim]

she is 13 or 14 now. trouble getting in so I pick her up. Got a
iBuddy Dog Car Seat Cover
I just use it on weekends when we go to the parks for slow walks

The ford explorer I had was much better for her rides but she isn't going to be around for much longer and she wasn't fond of rides anyway so just short trips now.

Sponsored