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Hermanns
Tortoises
Cocoa
 Cocoa
came to live with us as a hatchling in March of 1996. She is a Hermanns
Tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri). We obtained her from Central
Florida Reptile Farm while visiting Florida. Hermanns Tortoises are wonderful
little tortoises that are well suited to keeping in the northeast. Don't
misunderstand. Even though they are relatively small (Cocoa is 4 years
old and just over one pound and 5.5 inches long) they need a large amount
of space. They are active, inquisitive creatures. We are currently building
an outdoor area for her and Lumpy (not his real name, we haven't come up
with one yet. More on him later) to be out in for the summer. In the cooler
months Cocoa lives in a kiddie ppol in the house filled with either cypress
mulch or pine bark mulch.
Sarge
 Sarge
is a male Hermanns Tortoise also who came to live with us in March of
2000. We got him from Central Florida Reptile Farm as well. He was hatched
there by the Abbotts in 1993. Sarge was in quarantine for 6 whole months.
I kept him in a seperate enclosure and split the outdoor enclosure in
half so he had no contact with Cocoa at all. We needed to be sure he had
no parasites or diseases to pass on to my Cocoa who has led a very sheltered
life. He has quite the personality and marches around the perimeter of
the outdoor enclosure. He really looks like he is marching. Thus "Sarge".
The Introduction
The Introduction went quite smoothly.
Cocoa wasn't too sure about this at all. She looked him over but didn't
think much of him at all. She had never been with other tortoises since
she was a tiny hatchling back at the Abbotts. Sarge, on the other hand,
took an instant liking to Cocoa. He kept trying to bite her front legs
all the time. This went on for a week or so. Then he left her alone for
the most part. In November all of a sudden there was mating activity.
Tortoise mating involves a lot of vocalizations and it was pretty entertaining.
He pursued her all over the kiddie pool. She started running around the
edges in there even when he wasn't behind her. There are a couple of pictures
of the activity on my Webshots
page. We shall see what happens in the Spring of 2001. Eggs? Maybe!
Links
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