(**Note: This is the third post in my Desert Tortoise series - I have three rescued Desert Tortoises. They are indigenous to this part of the country, an endangered species, and require special care - please don't ever pick up a Desert Tortoise if you find one in the wild, it's against the law and can kill the tortoise. You can meet Doris and Momma Tortoise & Speedy with these links....)
Yesterday morning all of our Desert Tortoises were up and about, ready for breakfast. I brought my camera when I fed them, so you all could come along and watch everybody get their morning treats.
Doris was the first one up, and he came over to say hello and get a drink from the hose - I washed him off to reveal his beautiful, unusual orange color...
Speedy heard us, so he came over to see what was going on. He got a shower too, and lined up with Doris to see if I had any goodies...
I picked some ripe prickly pears right off the cactus; Doris and Speedy loved their juicy treats...
Speedy finished his first one before Doris, and even though he had a another one right in front of him, he decided to see if Doris had something better than he was getting...
He really stuck his neck out checking to see what Doris had...
Then Speedy actually steals Doris' treat - the brat! - and Doris starts to pout. (Don't worry - I got more for Doris)
...
With all of this going on, and the smell of fresh prickly pear in the air (which you can smell if you're a tortoise, I guess...), big, old Momma Tortoise woke up and came wandering over...
She got a bath, which always makes a girl feel prettier...
Then she chowed on some prickly pears, too... yummy and messy!
It was pretty hot out, so after their treats, everybody went back into their burrows to cool down. I had to go inside too!
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Comments: 26
Doris sure has grown a lot! Great pictures Heidi, they sure chow down don't they, ha!
Very cool, thanks.
Doris has grown a lot - he's twice the size he was when he came to live with us!
I loved this essay about your tortoises! The photos are wonderful!
Very interesting photo essay.
Thanks, Sandy! Thanks, Pam!
This turtle lives with them for years. Then all her children grew up and left home. My friend Joan decided to go to Germany (this was in the early 80's) for a year to work and travel. Her children came with her to the airport to say goodbye and she assumed one of them would take the turtle home. They all had reasons NOT to take him.
Since Joan was taking her great dane and cat with her ... she placed the turtle down in her large coat pocket and went through the security check point and onto her flight. (check points were easier back then)
As they received their dinner on the flight there were strawberries on the trays - the turtle LOVED strawberries. She looked at her seat mate and told asked for her's saying,
"Please don't be alarmed, but I have a turtle in my pocket and he loves strawberries."
The woman was so excited, she reached across the aisle and took her husband's strawberries too so she could feed the turtle.
Joan ended up staying in Germany for almsot four years and the turtle lived happily there.