Bob Dole Lacoste Oliver

Bob Dole Lacoste Oliver is the newest addition to our family. He is a Russian Tortoise and so cute! We've had him for a week now and so far I haven't killed him! He's a desert tortoise so we have to keep his terrarium between 60-70 degrees at night and 70-90 degrees during the day. We turn our temperature way down at night to conserve and the first few nights I was so worried his heat lamp would turn off and he'd freeze to death that I tossed and turned and woke up about every hour. I'm over it now and Steve is very thankful. (He's a light sleeper, so every time I woke up so did he.)
You'd think for a tortoise he wouldn't have much of a personality but he really is a quirky little guy. We feed him vegetables and fruit. He loves yellow bell peppers, bananas, and cooked cauliflower. But he's not a huge fan of apples and won't even go near tomatoes. (Steve and I hate tomatoes too so maybe he got that from us.) He discovered his reflection in the glass the other day and sat mesmerized for about 15 minutes-moving his head back and forth and opening and closing his mouth. I still catch him looking at himself a lot. I have a feeling he thinks it's another tortoise that's his friend. He also is very active. We take him out a couple times a week to let him walk around the house. He loves it! He walks every where and we have to keep a close eye on him because he's a fast mover. He also likes to climb up on the log in his terrarium and slide down it. He'll do it over and over again.
Steve is really cute with him too. He gives him bathes, and lets him walk around on his stomach while he lays down, he even baby talks to him. And if you're wondering-yes, Steve and I know we're weird and pathetic for getting so excited over a turtle. But he really has become part of our family. And considering they have a lifespan of 30-50 years, he's going to be a part of our family for a long time.