Redfoot Caresheet.. w/results?

[Redfoot NERD]

Since "RESEARCH" seems to be so important.. let's compare results - fair enough???

I did research in the past.. and the 10/98 hatchlings I acquired in 12/98 ended up looking like pineapples at 3 years old. Since then I've made changes and have put together the Caresheet that you can find a link to in any of the links in my signature here.

I am totally honest with everything I've represented.. because this is not about anything but the best care for redfoot tortoises. This is not about who has the best.. or perfect.. or only caresheet - which I have never claimed! There is no ego or emotion involved.. so I respectfully ask and expect the same.

With the above in mind.. let's see results, not claims or opinions please?

Let's see 'links' to caresheets that show their results.. or let's see anyone's results of following any other or my Caresheet - from hatchling to adult or anything in between.

TerryO has showed her Pio in other posts { hopefully here also } - who else has pics?

My first Guyana hatchling [ Soneshine's - compare the 'head-pattern' ] - note dates in some of the pics..







Oct '07 pic -



I'll get more recent pics ASAP. And also pics of those that have followed my Caresheet.

Let's see yours!

Terry K

[cdmay]

Nice results Terry. That has turned out to be a really nice redfoot.
Obviously, your parameters are working well for you.
I have had similar, although not quite as uniform, growth in my hatchlings here. I get mixed results as I keep mine outdoors and at times we experience dry, windy conditions. This tends to produce (I think anyway) that unwanted 'lumpy' growth despite the fact that I provide nice humid hide areas for the animals. But I have also found that minor pyramiding smooths out as the young tortoises grow. By the time my captive hatched young are near adults, their shells look perfect.
But then again, many of mine start out with and then continue to produce perfectly smooth shells. Maybe there is just some individual variation? In any case as adults they all look great.

[Redfoot NERD]

Thank you cdmay.. especially for mentioning about ".....dry, windy conditions.",

"Dry" ( low humidity ) conditions has proven to influence the carapace growth.. especially in 'younger' redfoots - easily becoming "bumpy"! I agree that variation is always possible.. raised in identical environments! Once again there are always cases of extreme or exception.

Carl remembers these.. sent to me in May '05 [ Jan/Feb hatchlings ] -



And in November '05 -



At 18 months -



Then at 3 years old -



NERD

[cdmay]

Dang! Did I send you those? They look really nice.
I sold two to another guy here locally that were both sort of orange headed. Like the two that you got they were ones I might have held back for myself.
About 18 months later he asks me to babysit them while he and his wife went away on vacation. He brings them over to my house and I am shocked to see that one of them had turned an intense deep red! Its carapace was also extremely marbled. The only drag was that both of them were pretty lumpy from being raised indoors in an air conditioned apartment.
There is a photo of the really marbled red one in that new Vetter book on South American tortoises.

[Redfoot NERD]

Thanks Carl,

IMHO that 'lumpy' comes from a drier environment. That's why I like to "spray-them-til-they-drip" almost right out of the egg!

The plastron of the male Brazilian.. you sent me..





.. looks like a male doesn't he?

How come you and I are the only ones with pictures of nice healthy smooth-shelled redfoots?

Terry K

[cdmay]

Don't worry. I have grown some somewhat lumpy ones too. But at least by the time they are 6 inches they look good.
Are both of the ones I sent you males?

[REDFOOTMATT]

I've kept Redfoots for about 15 years trying to learn from outdated and plain incorrect information. I have some healthy, active bright eyed adults which I raised from various ages Some were pyramided when I got them. I am by no means a nutritionalist so I listened to a lot of different info. My husbandry has not produced shells like yours Terry. I'm not talking deformed but definitley not smooth like yours. I've apparently focused too much time & $ on lighting for one thing. I've been feeding some of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff. I've been over supplementing also. Probably not enough humidity consistantly. About a month and a half ago I started using your diet on my Torts. One thing that I noticed is they seem to get full sooner when eating the correct foods. I'm going to hold back some babies this year and mabey I'll have some pics worth putting behind your thread. lol

[Madkins007]

(12-26-2008 06:55 AM)Redfoot NERD Wrote:  Since "RESEARCH" seems to be so important.. let's compare results - fair enough???
...
Let's see yours!

Terry K

I've only got a couple years so far, and only two of my herd came to me young from a solid background (the ones from you, Terry!) Not much to brag up yet.

Here is what I have so far...
Quip- the little one from Terry this summer.

Rana- the next smallest, also from Terry this summer.

Mylo, the 'middle child', the one I restarted keeping torts with when my kids got it got me Christmas 2006.

Pele came to us shortly after Mylo, already pretty bumpy, but you can see how things are leveling out.

Oscar is an adoptee from a guy who was doing a good job with him. He is 240mm SCL, and 2153grams.

[Meg90]

I can't see the pics...

[Redfoot NERD]

(12-29-2008 06:09 PM)REDFOOTMATT Wrote:  I've kept Redfoots for about 15 years trying to learn from outdated and plain incorrect information. I have some healthy, active bright eyed adults which I raised from various ages Some were pyramided when I got them. I am by no means a nutritionalist so I listened to a lot of different info. My husbandry has not produced shells like yours Terry. I'm not talking deformed but definitley not smooth like yours. I've apparently focused too much time & $ on lighting for one thing. I've been feeding some of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff. I've been over supplementing also. Probably not enough humidity consistantly. About a month and a half ago I started using your diet on my Torts. One thing that I noticed is they seem to get full sooner when eating the correct foods. I'm going to hold back some babies this year and mabey I'll have some pics worth putting behind your thread. lol

Thanks MATT..

I did.. have done.. the same things you're talking about.. from old out-dated info from those that just can't confess that redfoots have a UNIQUE set of needs. We're just trying to make it better for the redfoots!!!

Thanks again and keep up the good work... it's amazing how they respond when provided their 'proper' needs!

Terry K

[Madkins007]

Dang... Well, here is the Flickr site they are on...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27915195@N0...435793623/

[Redfoot NERD]

Mario submitted this on Redfoots.com - http://redfoots.com/smf/index.php?topic=908.0

After a year of following our Caresheet -

[terryo]

Pio...17 months old now following Terry's care sheets from when I got him at 1 month.

[Redfoot NERD]

(12-29-2008 05:39 PM)cdmay Wrote:  Don't worry. I have grown some somewhat lumpy ones too. But at least by the time they are 6 inches they look good.
Are both of the ones I sent you males?

These are about to have their 4th birthday.. based on what I recall you said Carl - Jan. & Feb. '05 hatchlings. And they were not in the mood for a photo-shoot.. so please forgive the pic quality [ especially on their backs ].

That is a 6" ruler which overall measures right at 7" total -



I think you "DUN-GOOD" Carl.. .. looks like a pair(?).. at 7" -



Maybe these will help?

Female ? -



Male ? -



Thanks again...

Terry K

[emysemys]

That female looks like a male to me!

Yvonne