Dry Scales

Poor little Rosita has been so dry lately. Once the heat kicks in at our house, it gets so dry. We've got the little humidifier running in her living quarters, but I am not sure it makes much difference. Bought this misting/sprayer/drip contraption at PetSmart this weekend. It is great in theory, but it leaked and only worked when it was turned upside down...??? No worries - it's been returned. Then this was found on the web: Pet Mister. Who knew such devices were available! I'll be ordering this and hopefully life will be more humid very soon.

Oh My

Look what I caught Rosita doing today. She's on top of her ceramic pineapple tortoise friend. Does this mean she's a boy?

 

Missing Pets

We just got back from being out of town for four days and I can't believe how worried and how much I missed my pets. Rosita doesn't show as much love and excitement as Cricket does upon our return. The cat is clingy for a few days wanting more attention than usual. Which is fine with me because I want to give her lots of love too. Sadly, though, I will be leaving town again tomorrow. I won't tell her tonight.

All Terrain Tort

Rosita will walk over anything in her path like she doesn't even see it. She's oblivious and mows over whatever she comes across. It's probably really good for her, the exercise and climbing, I mean. Notice in this picture, she just crawled over the brick. Too far to go around, huh?

Whoa! Almost a Month

It's almost been a month since my last post. Have I lost all, I mean, both of my blog readers?

I upgraded to Beta Blogger and now I can't upload images. Blast!

Raspberry Ridge Rosita

Rosita and I broke new ground this weekend. We traveled almost 300 miles together in my VW Beetle - she rode shotgun. I can't wait for my friends to send me their pictures from the retreat (hint! hint!). Somehow I managed not to take any. Partly because I knew others were taking pics and they would share.

Thanks to my friends who shared my admiration for Rosita. She fascinates me every day and I love that others are even half as interested in her as I am.

I still don't know who came up with the quip, but it was one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. (And after a weekend full of hysterical moments, that's remarkable!) I mentioned that I went to the doctor for a skin concern on my back. I didn't want to get into the details of it, especially since that wasn't the point of the story I was telling. Someone inquired further about what was wrong with my back. "Was it a skin cancer screening?" Someone else asked, "Are you growing a tortoise shell?" You know, they say pets and owners start to look alike after awhile!

She Lights Up a Room

Since it was raining this weekend, I let Rosita walk around inside the house for a short time while I was organizing some stuff in my scrapbook room. She was quite the little trouble maker. My fear was, of course, that she was going to pee or poop on the carpet, so I kept a pretty close eye on her. Cricket was feeling comfortable enough around her to lay down on the floor while Rosita was tooling around. Rosita doesn't understand Cricket and is so curious about her. She has no fear. She walked right up to Cricket and almost bit her back paw. Fortunately, Cricket jumped up before Rosita could figure out that fuzzy, white foot is not food. Immeidately on the defensive, Cricket hissed and lifted her front leg as if to bat at Rosita. I yelled at her not to and told her it was okay. I know she was only defending herself, but I can't let her think that it's okay to do that to Rosita. Little Miss Tort's head was tucked in about halfway when I picked her up and moved her away from the cat.

A few minutes later, I see lights going on and off in my scrap room. Rosita thinks everything is food - including the touch lamp. While she is biting at it, I see all three wattages cycling on and off. I was quite amused! :)

Inside Tortoise

The past couple of days when I've sat outside with my pets, Rosita has done something quite unexpected. While Cricket rubs her face and whiskers on the wrought iron table and chair legs, Rosita wanders back in the house. Why in the world would she do this? It's gorgeous outside. She has virtually no limitless grass and weeds to graze. But for some reason, she keeps heading back in. My husband suggested we let her walk around inside for a little bit to see what she does. She didn't get far before she was out of my viewing range, and I had to come and get her.

So, here's my question: is she an inside tortoise?

Reminds me of a line from "My Name is Earl" where they got a pet turtle. The blonde ex-girlfriend said, "If that thing starts beggin' for scraps from the dinner table, it's gonna be an outside turtle." One of those lines that probably isn't all that funny, but it tickled my funny bone enough that I remembered it.

A Change of Heart

After the pain of Rosita biting my finger the other day waned (no, it didn't break the skin), I have since changed my mind on her intent. My husband, who also lives with Rosita, said that there's no way she bit me maliciously. He reminded me that I've been hand-feeding her since I got her and she equates my fingers with food. Of course she is going to think that not only is it okay, but it's probably a good idea to bite my fingers since 99% of the time they are bearing food. She also tries to bite toes. I don't think she understands they're connected to a person. So my new theory is that she has a heart of gold and a brain the size of a pinhead.

Awww, Rosita, I couldn't stay mad at you!

I'm Hurt

I'm literally hurt. Rosita bit me! The tip of my finger is still numb after that chomp. I was sitting outside reading while she was free to roam in the backyard. When it was time to go inside, I picked her up and saw several pieces of grass on her face. As I picked them off, she opened her mouth like she wanted to bite me. I thought it was just her warning sign -- like when I spritz water to increase humidity and she tucks her head in and opens her mouth to indicate that she doesn't like getting wet. But no, she reached out, bit down hard, and held on for a couple of seconds on the flesh of my finger. I can't believe it. The act seemed so intentional that my feelings are hurt. I never thought she was biting at me, I figured it was only the food in my grasp that she was interested in. Should she be punished? Can tortoises be disciplined and learn to change their behavior?

Maybe it wasn't on purpose...? Maybe she does still love me?

We Made It!

We made it 2000 miles round trip from Minnesota to the Colorado Rockies and back. Success and fun! Rosita enjoyed the HEAT and HUMIDITY -- especially on our journey there. No misting or heat lamp necessary. Great for tortoises, not so great for human companions. Pictures will be coming soon...

July Photo Shoot

Good Friends

We all need good friends.
Thanks, Nicole.

What Was She Doing?

I came home yesterday and both of Rosita's hides - huts, caves that she sleeps and hangs out in - were overturned! One was completely upside down, and the other was flipped on its side. Plus, one of her thermometers was in her water dish. What in the world was she doing?!?!!? I am so bummed I didn't have the web cam rolling to document and capture the action. What a crazy little creature she is.

Right now, I'm sitting at the computer, which is right next to her house. She's giving me that isn't-it-about-time-for-breakfast look.

Scrapbooking

Yes, I have finally started Rosita's scrapbook. Of course, pictures date back to just a few days after I got her. After only a few weeks of Rosita joining our family, I got asked if I had scrapped her yet. C'mon, six months isn't so long to wait to start her album. It's been 5.5 years since my wedding and that scrapbook still isn't completely done.

I'll be sure to scan and post at least a few pages here. I'll be using some blog entries for journaling, so I hope it's not too stale for ya.

Tortilla

Is it wrong that I already know what I would name my second redfoot tortoise? Tortilla! Isn't that cute? Rosita and Tortilla. I called the pet store where I got Rosita and they are going to be getting more redfoots in the next few weeks. I think she would be happier with a pal. And space isn't an issue as she has plenty to share. Although I won't be getting another one until after our Colorado trip. I just wish it was easier to figure out their sex so the mating thing wouldn't be an issue when they become adults. No human babies and no torty babies for this household.

She's a Carnivore Afterall

I was outside with the neighbor kids. They love feeding Rosita since she'll take food right from their hands. One of the boys picked up a worm and held it in front of her. I wasn't sure if she would eat it. I mean, I guessed that she would. She eats everything! And sure enough, she grabbed it by the middle and chopped the whole wiggly lil' creature into her tummy. Yuck! I hear it's good protein. And Lord knows I'm not buying or serving her meat (crickets, bugs, worms, etc.)!

Ahhh, summertime

Rosita and I spent hours outside this weekend. It was such a joy! She loves crawling around through the grass and rocks, munching on weeds, and checking everything out. Sometimes I wonder if she would ever stop eating if I didn't eventually bring her back inside. I have another reason to love summer. Both the cat and the tortoise will be sad when they can no longer go outside next fall.

Rosita has some new friends. A few of the next-door neighbors met her a week ago and little Emily has stopped by numerous times to see if she can "play with your tortoise." I told her parents they might have to get her a pet since she has taken such a liking to Rosita.

Rocky Road

While I've been busy updating the color scheme for Rosita's blog, the content has been a bit lacking. But she has been as busy as ever and as always, I have stories --

Last night while we were outside in the backyard, she peed 3 or 4 times and pooped. Is this noteworthy? Probably not. But I think it's funny. I don't know why she typically poops and pees when she's out of her own house. It's like she doesn't want to have it her living quarters. I guess I can't blame her! And hey - it's convenient for me to not have to clean it up! Maybe she does it for me as a favor. Aw, thanks Rosita!

However, nothing might get through after eating ROCKS. Small pebbles, sand, dirt, anything she can put in her mouth, she will eat. The rocks were most disturbing as it's not likely her little body can digest those very well. But she is a reptile, so who knows. And in case you're wondering, yes, I do feed her.

What?!?!

What are you lookin' at?

Sunshine Day

It was finally sunny and 70, so Rosita and I spent some time outside in the grass this afternoon. At first she just ate the grass, but then realized she was free to roam about the backyard. I really think I'm going to have to build her an outside playpen. I'll be so worried about possible intruders though. She's so little and there are so many possible predators -- dogs, birds, cats, snakes, who knows! She was really active today. She kept nosing against her cage wall. It's as if she knew, even before I took her out, that is was nice enough weather to be outside.

For the first time that I can recall, she wasn't interested in eating yesterday. Well, not when I had her up in the kitchen with me. She was more interested in scouting around and exploring. Maybe it's the call of the wild in nicer weather? Once I put her back in her cage with her food dish, she did eat all of it. I'm lucky she's such a good eater. Although she will eat ANYTHING she can pick up and put in her mouth. Today it was a small piece of styrofoam. I was able to extract about half of it before she swallowed what was already fully in her mouth. I don't think it will hurt her, but it is a bit scary to think what she might eat that is not intended to be consumed. I have to pay better attention to what is within her path.

Ready for the World

Rosita is ready for spring! A couple of weeks ago it finally warmed up enough to take her outside. I was so excited that I raced home from work to take advantage of the remaining sunlight. I took her out on the front step and fed her some apple. Afterward I let her traipse off into the landscape rock and she really boogied! I couldn't believe how fast she was moving around! I took her over to meet a few of the neighbors and she was quite hospitable. She doesn't normally like to be held for more than a few seconds at a time, but she rested in my hands for about ten minutes while I showed her off.





Oh, by the way, the title of this entry reminded me of that one-hit wonder band with the same name. Gold star to the first person who can name their song.

While the cat is away...

Have Tort Will Travel

Spring is here! We got the RV out of storage and my husband has been tinkering with it ever since. We're taking a road trip to Colorado this summer and bringing Rosita with us! I'll get a big tupperware bin, throw in some substrate, attach a sun lamp, and Rosita will be traveling in style.

Why take my tortoise along for the ride? Mostly because I don't trust anyone else to take care of her properly while we're gone. The cat, well, that's a different story. Give Cricket some food and water, and she's good to go for a week. I always miss and worry about her too, but I know she can fend for herself for awhile. Whereas Rosita needs the right day and nighttime temperatures, humidity, and fresh veggies every couple of days. It just seems like there's way too much that could go wrong. So she'll get exposed to the fresh Rocky Mountain air right along with us.

Web Cam

Well, for two days in a row, Rosita's web cam has not been live. Yesterday, the computer was freaking out and I had to reboot right before I left the house. And today, I just plain forgot.

Coindentally, I saw a story on the Today show yesterday morning discussing web cams. A young boy had been exploited online through the use of a web cam and was going to Capitol Hill to testify about his experience. An expert who commented on the story likened web cams to guns, and said that if children are in the house, the camera should be under lock and key just like a gun would be.

I have no doubt that if this boy didn't have a web cam, he probably wouldn't have a story to tell. But there is no way I consider my web cam to be as dangerous as a gun. If it were, I would not own one, just as I don't own a gun. Access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection is potentially as dangerous as the addition of a web cam. The thought doesn't cross anyone's mind that if you spend time browsing the web, you are of suspect character. However, purchase a web cam, and watch eyebrows raise.

I want to stand up and shout: Web cam owners unite! Those of us using them for innocent fun need to speak up! I refuse to allow the mainstream to believe this technology is imminently endangering anyone's well being.

There. I'm off my soapbox.

Spa Treatment

I've started a new routine since I started working noon to 8:00pm. While I take a shower, Rosita hangs out on the bathroom's heated floor and takes in the humidity. When I get out of the shower, I have her soak in the tub. It's a spa treatment - tortoise style!

Another reason to relocate Rosita into the tub is so I can let my cat in the bathroom. Ever since I got Cricket over 10 years ago, she likes to hang out in the bathroom with me after I get out of the shower. In her more spry years she would jump up on the towel rack and paw at the curtain while I was in the shower. And I don't want Cricket to feel left out or jealous of Rosita, so I keep the door closed until Rosita is soaking in the tub. Cricket comes in and doesn't even know she's not the only four-legged creature in the room. The sad thing is, it's not because she's old that she is so oblivious. She's never been all that bright -- but it's part of what makes her so lovable!

Anti-Socialite

So, I'm getting together with some friends this weekend and inevitably Rosita will come up as a topic of conversation. I consciously try not to talk about her too much as to not dominate the conversation. But it seems that I am not the only one who finds her very intriguing, and she comes up pretty regularly. Wouldn't it be a hoot if I brought her with me? That would be the ultimate way to dominate the conversation, huh? That's certainly not my intention in having her join me. The point would be to get her out and about so everyone could meet her.

I just realized I'm a tortoise lunatic.

Friends

These are Rosita's friends. Since they live with her, should they be called roommates? The cute little green guy came from my real life friend Heidi. She saw it and thought of me (and Rosita) shortly after I adopted my new tort. I smile each time I see it hanging onto a basket. At first I put it at eye level, but Rosita is certain that anything green is edible and should be chewed on. Not a very nice way to treat a friend!

This other character I bought with my husband while we were at Joann's together buying fabric for Rosita's house. I think it's funny how similar it is in size to Rosita. She's never been interested in it. I think because the colors are all wrong -- she knows there's no way it could be real.

Someday I hope to get Rosita a REAL friend, another redfoot. Until then, these guys will have to do.

Yawns

Funny -- I haven't see Rosita stretch, but I have seen her yawn. On many occasions, in fact. Sometimes I'm not totally sure it's going to be a yawn until it's over. Almost as if she doesn't put her all into it. I know she could get her mouth open wider if she wanted to.

Ever really thought about yawning? I wouldn't be suprised if you're yawning right now as you're reading this! More on yawning.

Jealous?

Don't you wish you could do this? Hide away from the world for awhile. I'm not here if you can't see me.

"I'm not available right now. Come back later after I re-emerge."

Round Two

Back to the vet last night. Again, so friendly and kind. I'm bummed that Dr. Troye is going on maternity leave and that we would have to find another vet for Rosita to see if she needs one in the next 12-15 weeks. But congratulations to Dr. Troye anyway! (She's so cute -- it's her first!)

She agreed that Rosita's tummy is not back to good yet, but that she wouldn't expect it to be over only two weeks. Since Rosita was too wiggly and wouldn't allow for her second deworming treatment, we were sent home with about 10 syringes (without needles!) and a small bottle of medicine to give her over the next three weeks. These include deworming meds as well as an anti-biotic for her tum-tum. We need to administer these by either: a) getting her to open her mouth so we can squirt the medicine in or b) hiding it in her food, like a grape or other juicy morsel. Considering she thinks my fingers are food, I don't think we'll have a problem getting her to open her mouth. But even if we do, she's such a good eater that should be a sinch too.

Fortunately, the second trip to the vet - albeit difficult - was no where near as gut-wrenching as the maiden voyage.

Mango Maniac

The other day I bribed Rosita out of her hiding house with some mango. Any food works to get her to come out since she's always ready to eat. (The experts call it "opportunistic" - I love that word!) She nearly ran out to munch on it. She loved it so much that she acted like a junkie wanting more and more, watching my every move, willing me to give her more. The next day was a food day -- she gets a large serving greens every other day -- and she rifled through her dish seeking out something other than leafy veggies. No doubt she was hoping for more mango!

She definitely likes fruit more than vegetables, and I really can't blame her. Given the choice of an apple or collard, there's really no question what I'd be reaching for. I have also noticed that she doesn't seem to like the mustard greens as much as other leafy greens. So far she's had kale, collard, spinach, and watercress from the produce aisle. Funny -- spinach is the only one I'd ever purchased before Rosita. And the only one I could even identify!

Warm Fuzzy

I'm amazed at how many people read Rosita's blog. I started doing this just for myself, so I would have a record of stories and memories about her. I am warmed inside to hear that I am not the only one who she entertains.

Fascinating

I continue to be enthralled watching Rosita. (At least when she's not motionless for hours on end.) I remodeled her terrarium today, and I loved watching her inspect every newly positioned item. For awhile she was persistent in her attempts to leave home and explore the rest of the basement. I picked her up and put her back in no less than half a dozen times. I wish I could know what she wanted, where she wanted to go.

A couple of days ago, I brought a plastic container of chopped apple to her and hand fed her a few pieces. It didn't take long for her to see the source just outside her cage. I watched as she figured out how to use her mouth to move the container toward her. She tipped it up with her claws at such an angle that she could get at the fruit. She is one determined critter when she wants something.

Better with Betadine

I'm so happy to report that her tummy is already starting to look better - more smooth like a healthy plastron. Yay! Rosita Rocks!

Resilient Rosita

Despite all the trauma at the vet, Rosita is doing well. She didn't devour her food like usual when it was served up yesterday morning, but she did eat it all eventually. Last night she head her head burrowed in the dirt underneath the side of her plastic house. Apparently she slept that way and didn't move all night because she was in the same position this morning.

The Longest Day

Rosita, Von and I just got back from thet vet. We're all very tired and two thirds of us are already in bed and probably sleeping. Poor lil' Rosita has some type of shell rot on her tummy - either bacterial or fungal, we dont' know yet. I have to put some medicine (betadine) on her twice a day for two weeks and go back for a re-check. If there is no improvement with the topical treatment, we'll have to do injectable meds. Because reptiles metabolism is so slow, taking meds orally isn't the best method. It's good we caught it as early as we did, and it's not causing her other trouble. Plus, since she's young, she's healthier and better able to manage weakness.

We visited Como Animal Hospital and we were so impressed. Everyone was incredibly friendly and knowledgable. Nonetheless, it was horrible having them poke and prod her. They clipped her nails to show us how. While the one guy was holding her vertically, she closed her eyes for awhile -- and not in a relaxng kind of way. More like, she was thinking, "Please God, let this be over soon." Or maybe that was just me projecting my thoughts... I almost cried.

While we were talking to the vet, Rosita pooped. Actually, this was about the third or fourth time she pooped during our visit -- she shouldn't have to go again for weeks! I don't know if Rosita was trying to give the hint to take a stool sample or not, but it worked. The vet suggested we do a fecal test for worms. Turns out Rosita has hookworm and TWO other types of parasites! So after clipping her little toenails, they took her in the back to "de-worm" her. I'm sure I couldn't have handled watching them stick a tube down her throat with the medicine, so it's probably best I was not a witness. When we go back for our two week checkup on her shell, she'll have the second (and final) round of de-worming.

What a trooper. My lil' redfoot sat motionless but awake in her plastic shoebox car seat on the way home. All this after the most active day she's had in months -- non-stop exercise (pacing) in her cage. Exhausted as me, no doubt. * sigh *

Tort's Tummy

I'm worried about Rosita's tummy shell. Please contact me if you have any advise or suggestions about about this happened, what it is, how it can be prevented, and how to cure it. Thank you!

Settling In

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. So much has happened! The biggest news is that we assembled Rosita's new house and she moved in. I can't believe how much work the whole thing was:

• Moving all the pieces from the truck into the house; moving furniture (including unplugging the TV, DVD, stereo, etc. from the armoire) and assembling the house upstairs; then realizing how imposing the monstrosity is in the living area, we took it apart, moved it downstairs, and reassembled.
• Various trips to Home Depot (heat lightbulbs, clamp lamps, curtain rods, plastic carpet runners, plywood panel) PetSmart and PetCo (under tank heating pads, more substrate, black light for nightime heating, better UV light)
• Re-evaluating lighting, which led to an online purchase for a UV/heat lamp
• Joann's for fabric
• Researching foggers, misters, fountains, humidifiers, and vaporizers

The good news is that we're 80% done! Of course I have plans for more decor and better display of lights. And the web cam is not looking good - but it is up and running. But here's the (almost) final product -- YAY!

Rosita is in the lower left corner by her water pond - look for the yellow spots. The other tortoise is a plastic friend until we find another Red Foot down the road...

Ginormous!

Whoa! We just got a new house for Rosita, and man, is it BIG! Enormous! Colossal!
76" x 37" x 36" = 6 feet wide x 3 feet deep x 3 feet tall
I can't wait to get it set up and introduce her to it! Unfortuantely, she and I both are going to have to wait until the weekend. I won't be home much until Saturday at noon...
The best part -- it was only $75!!!! Thanks Andrew!

Tortoise "Grandparents"

My parents were in town yesterday and stopped by to meet Miss Rosita Bonita. I took her out to show her off and she walked around the kitchen floor. I also hand fed her a bit of an apple. Afterward they commented that she was a lot cuter that they thought she would be. They pictured her just sitting around motionless. They also said she has more personality than they imagined.

Of course, I'm not surprised at their reaction. I mean, how can you not love this lil' face?

Like a fish

For an animal that can't swim, Rosita sure puts her all into drinking! She submerged her entire head underwater and drank several gulps before coming up for air. It was cool how I could see lumps moving down her throat as she was swallowing. It was as if she knew I was watching and would be impressed. Twice she stopped for a moment, looked at me, and let a few drips fall from her chin. Then she went back down for more.

Will Work for Food

I had a bonding moment with Rosita the other day. I bribed her to get into her pond - to drink or soak, either one would make me happy. Of course the one thing I can use to get her to do pretty much anything is FOOD. I put a piece of pear on the far edge of the pond so she would have to go in to reach it. It turns out that she doesn't have to get all four feet in the water to reach the other side. Her neck stretches further than I ever thought possible!

The problem was that instead of grabbing it with her mouth and eating it, she pushed it off the edge and into the crack between the pond and the wall. I felt too guilty to let her go without. Afterall, that was the whole reason she got in the water to begin with. So I put another piece on the edge, and once again she inadvertantly pushed it off. The space between was very narrow, and I could tell she was looking around wondering how to get down there. She did her neck stretch, but it was at such at angle that she couldn't reach it. When it comes to eating, she is very persistent. She was not going to give up. And it pained me to watch knowing that there was no physical way she could retrieve it. So I gave a little help. While she was extending her neck, I gently picked her up and lifted her hind half into the air at such an angle that she was able to reach it. I thought she might retreat when I picked her up, but she seemed to know exactly what I was doing. She opened her beak and grabbed that fruit like a pro!

So Funny!

Yesterday as I'm flipping through Windows while multi-tasking at work, I catch Rosita on her web cam doing this:

So Funny!
What are the chances of getting this exact shot? Not only that, but how likely is it that I am going to see it while it is live on the web for 45 seconds?
I can't get over how cute I think this is. She's eating, but it looks like maybe she is laughing. Or sticking her tongue out at the camera saying, "Quit looking at me!" I'll have to try to clean up the image and get at least some of the glare off. I also need to move the camera to a different angle - one that is less affected by the sunlight. Being able to see each slat in the back of the chair the camera is resting on is quite annoying.

I did a full cage clean a few days ago. I used a litter box shovel to remove all the sand and bark before temporarily relocating Rosita out of the construction zone. She wandered around her barren cage seeming a bit distraught about where everything was going. I felt sort of bad. I brought her to the bathroom and let her cruise around in there with the doors shut while I used bleach and scrubbed it clean. I knew she would be safe, and I kept an eye on the cat, just in case. But when I heard a clanging noise, I ran upstairs only to find her shell bumping up against the pipe behind the toilet. She was exploring the terrain, and the sound echoed through walls making it sound much worse than it really was. So I finished up and brought her back to her home. I put more dirt (in case you're a tortoise owner, it's actually Bed-A-Beast) than bark in this time, thinking it will hold moisture better. She loves to get comfy by digging down in it and nestling in.

Coming soon: a new, bigger cage for Rosita...

I'm Coming Out

Last night Rosita met and hung out with some of my friends. It was a coming out party of sorts for her. However, the evening didn't start well. She was behaving very anti-social even before anyone came over. Just sitting in her hideout, not even coming out when I offered her food. She's never turned down food from my hand, so I was a bit concerned about her. When I mentioned that she was not acting like herself, Heidi questioned what I expected her to do, reminding me that a tortoise is not a terribly active pet. I assured her that I wasn't basing my expectations on the typical behavior of a puppy, rather Rosita's own past actions.

I let her be alone for awhile and then took her out for a soak. Unlike her usual attempt to get out of the water right away, she just sat there. Then she squeezed out some poop and obviously felt a lot better. I put newspaper down on the carpet in the living room and brought her upstairs to roam free with the guests. And she did just that. She was very friendly and active walking around, accepting a lettuce leaf from Karen, allowing Marni and Heidi to pick her up and touch her head. She was the life of the party until she forgot her manners and pooped again (on the newspaper) in front of everyone. Fortunately, she's got a lot of life ahead of her to learn and practice proper etiquette.

If She Were Capable of Grunting

It turns out Rosita has not been getting enough fiber. She's constipated. I feel like a bad tortoise-mom. But it's not like I've been feeding her white bread. You'd think leafy greens and fruit would keep any living creature pretty regular, but I've learned otherwise. How do I know she's constipated? Well, let me tell ya...

I noticed that she was very inactive the entire day (thank you webcam). I took her out to walk around in the bathroom with me. She walked around for awhile and I picked her up and rubbed her shell and head for several minutes. She seemed very relaxed and when I sat her back down, she just sat there. Her back legs and tail (which is usually tucked underneath) outstretched and her "belly" on the floor. I got down on her level and watched her. What I saw was as disturbing as it was funny. She closed her eyes tightly and recoiled her head and neck toward her shell, and then relaxed. This repeated several times. She lifted up one of her back legs, balancing on three. I swear, if she could grunt, she would have. As I carried her back downstairs and ran the water into her "bath" for a water soak to help loosen things up, the struggle was finally over.

Whew!

Breakfast with Rosita

I feel so fortunate to have today off. I sat with Rosita as she ate breakfast. Taking pictures of her is quite a challenge. She's in a glass terrarium so using a flash is nearly out of the question. Even without, I usually get some type of glare - sometimes a reflection of myself taking the picutre! The first one above is an example of that. I have to rest the camera on something to steady my hand while snapping the shot because the shutter stays open longer with no flash. While her entire body is not in motion, her head and mouth are moving like crazy and tend to blur. So yes, I realize these are not completely in focus, but given the conditions, these are the best ones I have.

Questions

After living with Rosita for almost two weeks now, I have several questions.

• Do tortoises yawn? Because I swear mine does.
  
• Should tortoises exercise? And if so, how do I get mine to move around? Hamsters have those walking wheels, but I don't think Rosita would be too keen on using an apparatus such as that. All of the research I have done indicates that tortoises need a lot of room to move around and explore, but Rosita isn't using the space she already has.
  
• Do tortoises get lonely? She was living with two other red foots before I took her home from the pet store. Does she miss them? Would she be happier with another somebody like her around? If I decide to do that, I better make sure I don't have a male and a female. Which leads to the next question --
  
• Can you neuter or spay a tortoise? Goodness knows I have a difficult enough time taking care of a full-grown tortoise -- I don't need to worry about a handful of babies!

She Pooped!

Yes, I admit, I was getting worried. We adopted her on January 2nd, and she pooped while walking into her new home - but hasn't since. The pet store told me that reptiles don't go as often as mammals, so a week isn't too long for a tortoise. Today was a week and three days, so I was quite relieved when I received a call on my way to work from Von telling me, "She pooped!" And what a great guy -- he cleaned it up too!

When I got home today around 5:00pm, I was surprised to see her sleeping -- head tucked in -- in her terrarium behind her house. I said "Hello" to wake her up. She seemed groggy until I wiggled my fingers in from of her face and then she got up and walked toward me. My fingers = FOOD!

Heating Hardships for Repiles

Check out this story from The Onion:
Rising Home-Heating Costs Hitting Reptile Families Hardest

Thanks to my sister Jen for finding it!

Sweet Slumber

Are all creatures cute and peaceful when they're sleeping? I know she's not really cute, I mean, I do know she's a reptile. But don't you just have to "awww" when you see her like this...

While the Cat's Away...

Apparently Rosita plays while we are all at work (or sleeping, as is the case for the cat). I came home from work today and Rosita's water pond had all kinds of dirt in it. She must have had her friends over splashing at a pool party today under the sun lamp.

I have been making a habit of hand-feeding her pieces of pear when I get home in the evening. It gets her up and around and I get to spend some time with her. The last few times I have done this, after she eats the first piece, she stretches her neck out really far and opens her mouth as if biting at something that isn't there. She's not even close to my hand or the pear. I realized today that I think this is her way of begging. It reminds me of baby birds with their mouths open for their momma to feed them. I thought maybe she had bouts of really poor vision, but then I noticed she does it when my hand isn't even in her cage. She walked right up to the glass chomping at the air. It was so cute!

Tucked in for the night and sleeping

Loves to eat!

What life would be like as a GIANT tortoise...

Rosita's bathtub

She found a backdoor

Bathroom Crawl

Rosita was up when I got up this moring around 8:30am. She was very ready to eat when I gave her breakfast of collard, kale, carrots, and pears. She ate all of it right away and then went into her home. She pretty much stayed in there for the rest of the day.

I took her out around noon and gave her a soak. She completely submersed her head underwater, which was terrific because she's been so dry and it's affecting her eyes. The bad news is that she didn't want to stay in the water for more than 2 minutes. She got out by herself for the first time today. Although I helped a bit when her little butt and tail got stuck on the edge of the tupperware.

Today was also the big day we drilled a hole through the wall to set up a webcam. I was so amazed that she did not seem at all frightened by the loud sound of the drill. She didn't even flinch when it came on.

I thought she should be moving around a bit more, so I planned a mini adventure. I turned on the heated floor in the upstairs bathroom, and took her up there to wander and explore. She spent about 20 minutes or more exploring each part of the room: under the vanity ledge, around and behind the toilet (where she turned her body sideways to fit between the wall and some plumbing!), and around me. I was surprised at how she would come really close to me. At one point, she even put her front leg on my jeans while looking up at my hand. I think she thought I had some pear for her to eat, but still. Even though she still tucks her head in when she is startled by my hands being too close to her head, she came up to me more than once. When I picked her up to go back to her terrarium, I took a moment to rub her head. I hear they like that, and she didn't seem to mind. I want to make sure I'm touching her and having a lot of contact with her now so she gets used to me while she's young.

She tucked in for the night around 7pm, so I turned her lights off.