Our New Addition!

Meet Norman the Tortie, our new adopted Russian tortoise! Straight from Molalla, Oregon we brought home our little bundle of joy right after the new year. Previously called Squish, his past owners wanted a new home for the little guy as they had recently had a baby and also had a rambunctious pup. Todd and I were happy to take him since we aren't quite ready for the full responsibility of a dog (or any other living creature) so adopting a tortoise was the natural next step for us. We are learning a lot about tortoises and hoping to be good parents. As Todd and I are both dedicated to raising our little guy right we are hoping to be good tortoise parents. The last thing this world needs is another tortoise living in an unsustainable ecological environment without a good education.

Yes, we know what you're thinking...What in the hell is going on with that beak!? We were concerned at first, but read that some tortoises in captivity sometimes have overgrown beaks. Don't worry, we are in the process of trying to find something natural for him to shave it down with. We will update later to see if it works. Until then, we just hope he can get food in his mouth!

Tortoises liked to be soaked every couple of days- it gives them a chance to submerge themselves in a nice warm bath and often times they will do their business when they soak. It took Norm some getting used to but I think he will become a real floater...and hopefully make some too!

We day we are figuring out Norman's likes and dislikes as we get to know him more. We have since figured out he likes kale, oldies soul and roaming around the living room. He dislikes bathing in the sink, ironic facial hair and being cold. We think we may have a budding musician on our hands...

Here are some of Norman's many facial expressions to help us understand him:

Norman when he is happy.

Norman when he is sad.

Norman when he is thoughtful.