The very cool summer weather brought on a change at The Bunker. It was too cool for mating (except for the Hermann's tortoises, of course) and egg laying among the box turtles hardly occurred. Early in the season, the three female Hermann's tortoises laid a total of 27 eggs. I was lucky to have seen each clutch laid*. Out of the 27 eggs, three hatched from the first batch. They were sluggish, would not eat and had poor color and did not live long. I was crushed. One of Mother Nature's tricks, I suspect. No other eggs were fertile. Maybe next year??

Fat Betty, our Russian Meteorologist, played a dirty trick on me one day. I was making my "rounds" of the yard and suddenly saw her in a strange position. She was next to a dog house with her head down in a dark corner with her rear end sticking straight up and she was not moving. My heart sank. I assumed she was dead. %#$@%$#. Since I couldn't reach her, I found a long stick and reached in and poked her leg. She moved and I jumped out of my skin! She reminded me of a photo Paula Morris once published in THE BRIDGE of her own Russian tortoise in this same weird position, casually asleep. When it comes to turtles and tortoises, expect the unexpected!

Another male Greek has arrived at The Bunker and has joined the other Bad Boys of Summer in the Greenhouse which includes Just Jim Junior, Just Jim the Jerk and a very naughty Holy Hermanni. I have to keep them confined during the summer months because of the severe harassment they inflict on the other residents who are trying to enjoy their peace and quiet. Each time I allow one outside of the Greenhouse, he will immediately start chasing and biting the first tortoise that he sees. I guess it is something they are compelled to do? Does anyone have a male Greek tortoise who is NOT aggressive towards other tortoises?

* On Labor Day, I spotted a baby Hermann sunning in the yard. Obviously a clutch was laid two month previously while I was on the job. I hope I can find the rest, if there are any? The location of the nest is a mystery but I will not mow the lawn anytime soon!

SUBSTRATE QUICK-CHANGE
by Mike Nesbit - published in THE BRIDGE
June & September 1998 Double Issue Published

By Paula Morris

For those of you who keep tortoises indoors for part of the year this should help you save time and trouble when cleaning the enclosures and changing substrate.

I keep my T.kleinmanni in indoor kiddie pools in the winter and in bad weather. Since I use a soil/sand substrate that would normally be hard to dump and scrub clean, I use my "quick-change" method when cleaning cages. The secret is using a plastic liner. I buy huge rolls of black plastic 9 mil liner. The rolls I buy are 10 feet by 100 feet of black liner. These are usually sold in the painting tarp aisle at the local hardware store. The size I buy runs around $24.00, which isn't bad when you consider you get 100 feet of material. I cut the plastic to fit the kiddie pools then lay them over the pool, leaving excess liner hanging over the edge. Then I pour my substrate onto the liner. You may have to press the liner down to get it to lay perfectly flat. Once the substrate is in place, set up your environment for your torts. When it's time to change the substrate, simply pull the liner up and tie it at the top like a garbage bag and start again. This saves so much time. You will no longer have an adequate excuse for not changing your animals' substrate regularly.

ARE YOU READY FOR WINTER?

The turtles and tortoises will be slowing down from now on. It is very natural so do not worry if your pet is not eating as much or at all. Even though the days are warm, the nights are longer and colder which is bringing on this phenomenon. I can't tell you how many well-meaning folks take their pets to the veterinarian who then shoot them up with antibiotics and vitamins for no reason except to "do something". Often the keeper is then instructed to shove a feeding tube down the tortoise's throat and start the force feeding process. All of the stress, all of the expense and all of the work and worry and there was nothing wrong in the first place - but once you upset Mother Nature's scheme of things, you unleash her fury and end up with a very sick pet. Don't assume that non-eating is a symptom of a dreaded disease. Don't do anything extraordinary. But watch for other symptoms such as swollen eyes and a runny nose. In the absence of that, let your tortoise be a tortoise and let your turtle be a turtle!!

A QUESTION......

For three weeks before the Turtlerama, I had to go to work. The weather was quite warm at that time and I had a very rough time not knowing how to keep the tortoises fed and clean all day not to mention the fear of any tumbling upside down in the sunshine which happens frequently due to mating and fighting activities during the summer months. If I put food out the night before, the tortoises would know it and come out and eat it up at midnight. I know eggs were laid, but I don't know where. I need your input. If you work and have turtles and tortoises, how do you manage? How do you know that the neighborhood cats or blue jays have not eaten up the turtle's food before they had a chance at it? Please share your stories with us. Let us know how you do it. I'll publish the results in a future newsletter. Your input will be greatly appreciated.