• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Black Mountain Tortoise with soft bottom shell

WineGirl

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I have a black mountain tortoise that is about 1 year old. I purchased her about 6 months ago and she has always had a relatively soft bottom shell. She loves to sit in the water and she eats ok but she's a picky eater. Her eyes look good and I was just wondering if this is normal in this type of tortoise. If not, is there anything I can do? Thank you for any advice
 
Hey Jaymi, Go on the tortoise forum on kingsnake, and get ahold of Vic Morgan..he's the goto guy for your tortoise.
 
Black Mountain Tortoise

Hello Jaymi, Everything you say sounds normal the eyes are a great indicator of the health of a young Mt. Tort, As for the soaking that is normal also, just make sure the humidity in the enclosure is up. They don't like dry. As for the diet what are you offering it and what does it not eat. I have 2 blacks and 4 browns and they each prefer different foods. I got my first Black hatchling from Vic in 1996 it is now over 50 lbs and doing great. Len
 
Hi Len,
Thank you for the response. She tends to prefer fruits over greens but will eat some greens. Do you have any suggestions for foods to offer? Also, I'm using the cypress forrest bedding as a substrate with and a fogger to keep up humidity. Do you have any recommendations for alternate substrates? Thanks!
Jaymi
 
In the wild a large part of mt torts diet is made up of the plants in the colocasia and alocasia families they show up on every plant list as toxic but the mt torts love them and are good for them. Mazuri tortoise diet is also another good food. Some of mine eat it some don't.cactus,tomato,mulberry leaves,cooked sweet potato,squash and cucumber fruit and the plants also,if you can find the yucca root at the grocery store that is not covered in wax get it and plant it, they like the leaves, and the same goes for horseradish root,the horseradish spreads very quick i grow my in pots to control it, just pick some leaves and they grow new ones.if any mushrooms(toad stools) pop up in the yard offer it one,they will dig for fungus.then there is some of the normal things like flower blooms,collards,clover,oranges,kale,dandelion,plantain, (both kinds the weed and the one that looks like a banana) shaved or cooked carrot,and bell pepper,I always used cypress mulch with the youngsters because it holds moisture so well. Good Luck and enjoy you Tortoise,They get better with age. Len
 
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