For my friends at Youtube

Hi. Sorry I haven't checked in in a while. She is a Leopard tortoise.

You have astutely pointed out that her shell is not correctly formed. I am her 4th owner and her shell was irreversibly damaged by malnutrition by her first. At least the first owner surrendered her to N.O.A.H. (Northern Ohio Association of Herpetologists). She was then given to a family who had her for ~14 years. She escaped from her outdoor enclosure and ended up at the Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Animal Rehabilitation Center and they gave her to me. I eventually met the family she escaped from and was able to learn her history.

I've had her for a few years and have not nor am I likely to see much correction in her shell. This is the 4th largest species of tortoise (I think) and her shell may correct a little if she gets large. However the damage to her shell may ultimately shorten her life if it affects the way she breathes or has otherwise adversely moved her organs around. Nonetheless, I have agreed to take responsibility for her and care for her to the best of my ability, probably for the rest of my life. She's not worth a nickel but someone has to love the ugly ones, right? She's a sweetie and I adore her.

Not that I owe an explanation to any of you, but she is as healthy as can be expected and she sees a vet regularly. Her full spectrum lights are changed every 6 months. Her diet for 18+ years was bagged frozen vegetables (at best) and now is fresh Opuntia pads, long grasses similar to her native land (I don't even feed her alfalfa as it is too high in protein) and some occasional fresh produce like dandelion greens (which I also grow at home for her). Yes, her beak was overgrown and her nails were allowed to grow too long by previous owners, but they have very long quicks (which means she would have to be anesthetized to cut them) and the vet and I are not comfortable with putting her under to cut them as her liver is probably not healthy enough to handle isoflurane. Therefore I give her the opportunity to walk on hard surfaces to wear them down. She was likely raised on carpeting. She now has a (secure) pen outdoors for summer and other warm days.

Thank (some of) you for being the passive aggressive, presumptuous, ignorant twits that I have come to expect from Youtube and keep me from participating in youtube discussions in the first place.

For you others, thanks for your concern. When you visit pet stores, remember that you are taking on an awesome responsibility when you choose to take an animal home. Not only is nutrition important, but proper ambient temperature and often lighting as well. Here's some good advice.

Thanks

~Jimm

RE (all sic):