Migi's Personal Paparazzi

𝕄𝕚𝕘𝕚 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣

What do you call a mooch who eats all my fruit and lives on the first floor of my house?

Only one tortoise fits that description, and the answer is Migi.

My exotic friend is originally from the wet grasslands of South America. They belong to the Red-footed tortoise species, thriving as herbavorous nomads of their forest terrain. Their typical diet consists of grasses, fruit, flower petals, insects, and other nutritious plants! Red-foots are the coolest tortoises to look at, because they have a unique black and yellow shell pattern. Observing them closely, you can see many colorful scutes on their front legs and bright spots on their heads. In my opinion, a better name for this group of animals would be to simply call them "The Migis."

Until Migi is of age to correctly identify their gender, I just resort to using they/them pronouns or interchangeable mister/miss titles. Nevertheless, Migi is spoiled and immensely respected in this household.

To describe Migi is easy! They are a lovable grouch with a wrinkly frown, and one of my very best friends.

My tortoise is curious, adventurous, and exceptionally wise about the world. Even though I haven't been able to take wild close-ups of hungry lions or colorful parrots in motion, my tortoise is an adventure on its own! Having Migi around has been a gateway to view the daily life of this awesome living being. Migi has given me amazing content so far, even if it isn't what people think of as "extraordinary." There are numerous times where I have caught my tort in action, adding onto some incredible memories of our bonding time.

Whenever I am able to record them, Migi tends to push the boundaries of an average tortoise's capabilites. Some days I take pics of them climbing over small hurdles on the carpet or just exploring the depths of our kitchen. Either way, taking these photos of Migi reveals all those pieces of their energetic personality, spunkiness, and irresistible charm!

𝔾𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥

Capturing the perfect angles of Migi is sometimes harder than it looks. On most days, my tort likes to stay parked under their lamp. Their mood can vary, as they are either hiding, basking, or frowning in my direction as a signal for more snacks. While a Red-footed tortoise is not considered a common household pet, Migi has morphed into those stereotypical images of a mischievous cat! They've knocked over my plants, chewed on my packages, and even peed on my shirt...ugh.

Finding unexpected animals outside my house is a rare treat, so I never get any worthy photographs of Illinois nature. However, I don't really need to look past my own front door to get those high quality photos of exotic animals! Migi's schedule is usually free, so booking photoshoots with them is a piece of cake.

The only problem is, Migi tends to sniff the camera lens or move around a lot. Getting them to stay still can be a challenge!

𝕀𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕞 𝔼𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘

The following photos are my top 3 photos that I captured of the lovely Migi!

Trying to get an idea for the right environment and angle of these photographs required a little bit of creativity. I wanted to show Migi enjoying the great outdoors, a quick peek into their usual routine, and a shot of them doing something fun!

Using some basic Instagram filters and editing, I was able to bring out the bright features of Migi's face and shell in this first pic. Here they are, smiling wide and surrounded by tall grass!

For this pic, I had to kneel down and adjust the lighting of the room in order to get Migi's supreme grump face. Based on the results, you can definitely say that they were not in the mood to be bothered!

Lastly, I wanted to create a fun backdrop for a Halloween themed pic. I decided on putting Migi as the role of Dungeon Master for a rousing game of D&D. Here they are, exploring the game board and marveling at the scenery. Migi rolled a 20 on their first try, and summoned "food bringer."

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed these pics ❤️