Tortoise talk and so on....

Thank you far the appreciation of the baby tortoises bathing.  They are in deed my pride and joy! The tortoise is the first picture is Talullah.  She was the first tortoise to move in with me and she is still here.
 Penny asked if the babies hibernate and the answer is yes and no.  They could hibernate at this young age, but so far I haven't had the courage to do it.  I wondered if perhaps you would indulge me in a few more torty pics and talk!  Its the next best this to having them out of hibernation!  I thought you might like to see the very beginning of my babies lives.  Well, not quite the beginning, I might just blush showing you pictures of both Mummy and Daddy having their moment together!! But then Mum (Persephone) laid her eggs, she buries them brilliantly and so if I don't catch her in the act, I miss the opportunity to incubate them as I would never find them and they would never hatch in the UK climate!

The eggs were incubated and after 68 days...

They hatched.  The next pic show the belly, where the yolk is absorbed, if you are squeamish scroll past it quickly!  But its not too bad!!

This is where the yolk is absorbed and this is crucial.  If the tortoise ruptures the yolk when hatching it is likely to be fatal.  The yolk provides all the initial nutrients needed and as a result it can be a few days before a tortoise hatchling needs to eat.  Once it does start eating they eat the same foods as an adult tortoise. Within a few days the area where the yolk was absorbed seals over and becomes shell.

This is Adah, my first ever hatchling.  Her name means beautiful addition, I think it's an apt name!

Any way onwards.  I finished the gift cushion mentioned in my previous post just in time. Well actually I was a half hour late for my class frantically trying to finish it off, but I think it was worth it and I think it was gratefully received!

 Good night one and all!