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[TheBoy]

The last 6 months has taught me that apparently Tortoises are in a similar category. 

"Our*" slug, as Dad always called the tortoise as it frequently demolished his vegetable patch, "will bloody outlive us all".

Well, it outlived him by some margin, and has never cost a penny...   ...although I reckon mum secretly buys him lettuce and stuff, rather than just throwing him stuff that was going out of date in the fridge


Every winter she tucks him up, and she always sounds delighted every spring when he wakes up.


I say "our" because I have no idea where he came from, or if he really was ours or just adopted. But we've had him for as long as I can remember.

[Viral_Jim]

Every winter she tucks him up, and she always sounds delighted every spring when he wakes up.

Always wondered how you tell when its time to wake them up, or even if you can... do you just listen for scraping on the inside of the box* or just invest in a massive alarm clock?

*My granny's tortoise used to get over wintered in a shoebox in the attic. I think she inherited 'Timmy' from a neighbour, either that or he just ended up in our garden, he was quite the escapologist for one so slow and ungainly. 

[TheBoy]

Every winter she tucks him up, and she always sounds delighted every spring when he wakes up.

Always wondered how you tell when its time to wake them up, or even if you can... do you just listen for scraping on the inside of the box* or just invest in a massive alarm clock?

*My granny's tortoise used to get over wintered in a shoebox in the attic. I think she inherited 'Timmy' from a neighbour, either that or he just ended up in our garden, he was quite the escapologist for one so slow and ungainly. 

I think the slug just gets out of his box, and makes an appearance

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Have to be kept above 5 degrees but below 10.
Over 10 degrees they wake up. Under 5 degrees their eyeballs freeze first so they wake up blind. After that the internal organs freeze and they never wake up.
Need to be checked regularly to see if temp is ok, and check they havent peed or pooed. If they have then they need to be woken up as anything left inside will rot and ferment and kill them.
Also need to check they are still asleep, because if they wake and stay in a box for months they may well starve to death.
Not as low maintenance as their reputation suggests.
Of course I didnt know any of this before buying the wee shite. 
Also, it cant be just left to roam around the garden (hence my building of its own personal outdoor adventure playground) because we have lots of rats around here, as well as Buzzards and Red kites, so it wouldnt last a day out there.
Rats chew Tortoise legs off just for fun. Hateful evil creatures that they are. 

[STEMO]

We had one when I was a kid. It went in a shoebox in the cupboard under the stairs, no temperature checks, no poo or wee checks, nothing. It just came out when it was ready. We didn't have a garden, either, so it never went out of the house. It was still there when I left to join the army, but I don't remember at which point it wasn't there.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

This one is supposed to be one of the more hardy, low maintenance breeds. Wouldnt want to have a high maintenance breed. 

[TheBoy]

Have to be kept above 5 degrees but below 10.
Over 10 degrees they wake up. Under 5 degrees their eyeballs freeze first so they wake up blind. After that the internal organs freeze and they never wake up.
Need to be checked regularly to see if temp is ok, and check they havent peed or pooed. If they have then they need to be woken up as anything left inside will rot and ferment and kill them.
Also need to check they are still asleep, because if they wake and stay in a box for months they may well starve to death.
Not as low maintenance as their reputation suggests.
Of course I didnt know any of this before buying the wee shite. 
Also, it cant be just left to roam around the garden (hence my building of its own personal outdoor adventure playground) because we have lots of rats around here, as well as Buzzards and Red kites, so it wouldnt last a day out there.
Rats chew Tortoise legs off just for fun. Hateful evil creatures that they are. 

I know we've never done any of that in the last 45 years.

Guess its no different to having kids in 2020. If you dared smack them, or even tell them off, or made them walk to school, they would instantly die.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Possibly. Current perceived wisdom is that years ago everyone had one and many of them lived unhappy and shortened lives.
Much more is known about them now and the info is there to care for them much better and give them happier healthier lives.
How true all of this is I dont know. Doesnt matter though, its SWMBO,s baby and its going to be the best cared for Tortoise in the world - ever. 

[STEMO]

Possibly. Current perceived wisdom is that years ago everyone had one and many of them lived unhappy and shortened lives.
Much more is known about them now and the info is there to care for them much better and give them happier healthier lives.
How true all of this is I dont know. Doesnt matter though, its SWMBO,s baby and its going to be the best cared for Tortoise in the world - ever. 

Until both you and your good lady pass away and the pie crust is still only a youth 

[biggriffin]

And never mind Peloton, have you seen the advert for the other similar company, Echelon? Wait until the near the end of the advert, there is a shot of woman from the breasts upwards (so no bike in shot) arms in the air, eyes closed and a facial expression that suggests it's not a bike she is riding.

 Where's the link,so we can judge weather it's offensive or not

I don't find it offensive, it just raised a smile. Anyway, https://youtu.be/T7d3M2Z7SFk?t=23 I've not marked it NSFW (Not Safe For Work) as it's on broadcast TV.

 I'm not offended... A very cumly young gym bunny. 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Possibly. Current perceived wisdom is that years ago everyone had one and many of them lived unhappy and shortened lives.
Much more is known about them now and the info is there to care for them much better and give them happier healthier lives.
How true all of this is I dont know. Doesnt matter though, its SWMBO,s baby and its going to be the best cared for Tortoise in the world - ever. 

Until both you and your good lady pass away and the pie crust is still only a youth 

Its about the only thing we will leave to the kids for them to fight over.