# New Red Foot torts!



## matt41gb (Aug 11, 2009)

I just got my red foots in this morning. I bought them from a guy in Illinois. They're getting used to being outside and exploring. My little yellow foot had to join in too. Here are some pictures. 

-Matt


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## Greg T (Aug 11, 2009)

Your yard looks great - just what torts like to explore. They look very happy!


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## Shelli (Aug 11, 2009)

Do they swim??? Olive just loves to soak in her shallow dish she would love to be have a big water area i'm sure!!


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## matt41gb (Aug 11, 2009)

They are very happy so far. They are checking out every nook and cranny. They're in a huge outside pen complete with a shallow pond. They can swim, err... float really. I assume that do that quite a bit in South America during the rainy season.


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## Nay (Aug 11, 2009)

Now, now now Matt, Did you just throw them all in together????
Beautiful looking torts though!


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## Meg90 (Aug 11, 2009)

Can you post pictures of their pen? It sounds beautiful!


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## matt41gb (Aug 11, 2009)

Nay said:


> Now, now now Matt, Did you just throw them all in together????
> Beautiful looking torts though!



I did put them together right away. I have never had a problem in all the years introducing one tortoise to another. They were long term captive bred and I inspect for any noises, bubbles, ect.... I agree with the six month quarantine time in some cases, but in this case, no. If anything ever does happen I work as a vet tech and can treat my animals for almost nothing. 

-Matt



Meg90 said:


> Can you post pictures of their pen? It sounds beautiful!



Here are a few pictures of the pen while I was still working on it. 

The pond is much bigger now.








Shot of backyard, sulcata gets the right side and red foots get the left shady side.









-Matt


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## Shelli (Aug 11, 2009)

Oooo you have quite a few torts!! 

So what is your location? I always like to know what kind of weather you have so I can weigh up what kind of enc. to do with Olive when she's older..


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## matt41gb (Aug 11, 2009)

Shelli said:


> Oooo you have quite a few torts!!
> 
> So what is your location? I always like to know what kind of weather you have so I can weigh up what kind of enc. to do with Olive when she's older..



I'm in Arlington TX. near Fort Worth. It's been in the 100s for the last month at least. Humidity is pretty high lately, we had a few really good rains. I've had one box turtle nest already. You're in Canada, right?

-Matt


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## Shelli (Aug 11, 2009)

Yes sadly I am... but I'm inspired by Terryo's outdoor enc. and I saw she is in NY so it can be done!!!  Well in the summer at least..
This year we arn't having a summer we are just having rain! Although RF's probably love it!!


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## matt41gb (Aug 11, 2009)

Shelli said:


> Yes sadly I am... but I'm inspired by Terryo's outdoor enc. and I saw she is in NY so it can be done!!!  Well in the summer at least..
> This year we arn't having a summer we are just having rain! Although RF's probably love it!!



Yeah, they love rain and humidity! I wish we were having more rain here. We have a drought every summer, it's normal. We're not really supposed to water but I do anyways.


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## Gulf Coast (Aug 11, 2009)

matt41gb said:


> Nay said:
> 
> 
> > Now, now now Matt, Did you just throw them all in together????
> ...





But is it worth the chance? Even if you can treat them for cheap? I have always done quarantines with my birds. New birds are not allowed anywhere near my established birds.. My flock is sealed off now, no more new birds. It's just to much worry and stress doing the quarantine thing, and doing it right.. I have never taken a chance of introducing a new bird into my flock and take the risk of making my flock sick.. I don't even feed the wild birds outside because I might track germs from them back into my house. Anal Anal Anal I know but hey those are my babies.. I gotta protect them!! Why even put the established torts through it? If (and I know that's a big IF) but what if they did get sick from the new tort, why even take that chance? And putting them through taking the meds and the possibility you might lose one. Now I know birds and torts are feathers apart, but with birds they can hide illness, I know what to look for on the surface and what their poop looks like and all the tell tale signs of them being ill, what if it doesn't show up for a few days after the tort arrived at your house? Shipping stress? I have kept birds for 30 years. As I said above I know what the signs are but also know that some signs don't appear until its to late.. That's how they survive in the wild.. 

Wasn't trying to come of mean, that wasn't my goal.. Plz don't take my post as a vent, I'm just trying to understand why? 

Very nice pictures and like others I didn't know they would float/swim. Is this normal? lol..


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## matt41gb (Aug 11, 2009)

Gulf Coast said:


> matt41gb said:
> 
> 
> > Nay said:
> ...





I didn't take it as you were being mean at all. I used to be big on the quarantine deal but I guess after never having any problems you get used to inspecting and making sure you don't see any signs of illness. I totally agree with the process of quarantine, I just don't do it. I could learn a lot from you, keep in touch with me. I'm always looking to learn. Thanks.

-Matt


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## Gulf Coast (Aug 11, 2009)

Aww Thanks Matt for not thinking I was venting.. I am afraid my knowledge is with birds and not turtles/torts as I am here learning everyday about them myself.. I just know quarantine is very important... 

Thanks again for understanding my post and not taking it the wrong way.. 

Janice~


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## matt41gb (Aug 11, 2009)

Gulf Coast said:


> Aww Thanks Matt for not thinking I was venting.. I am afraid my knowledge is with birds and not turtles/torts as I am here learning everyday about them myself.. I just know quarantine is very important...
> 
> Thanks again for understanding my post and not taking it the wrong way..
> 
> Janice~



No problem, I'm a pretty humble person.


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## terryo (Aug 11, 2009)

What a great looking bunch. I can't believe they are swimming. I never knew they could swim. so I put some river rocks in my pond to make it more shallow for Pio, my cherry head. Now it isn't over his head and he can walk through it. Great pictures too.


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## Nay (Aug 11, 2009)

Oh, did ya notice how I let Janice do all the whys?? And I just mentioned the "now now now'? I guess that was the chicken way out for me. It is very hard to have a beautiful outdoor enclosure with room to spare and to have them seperate. I admire you , Matt, for just saying it like it is and not worry 'bout what people say.. I do understand the 'going with your gut' on things. I have a different feeling about introducing dogs and horses, that a lot of folks would go, you do what!!!???
So , hey beautiful torts and pen, I love the idea of having those benches inside to just sit and watch. Between yours and Terrys I may have to copy all these elements!!
NA


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## matt41gb (Aug 11, 2009)

Well thanks for the compliments! I've been keeping tortoises and box turtles for a long time. Sickness has never been an issue that I can remember. Some desert tortoises (wild tortoises) introduced into a group I totally understand quarantine. Tortoises coming from a person that has kept them from birth is a different story. You call em' as you see em' I guess. 

It's funny how social all the red foots are. Tortoises aren't naturally social but mine are very interested in anything new that comes into the pen. I love making their enclosures as natural as possible. It's hard to get some plants to grow here because it's so hot here all the time. What kind of torts do you have? 

-Matt


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## Candy (Aug 11, 2009)

Matt, I was wondering about the depth of your pond is that normal or something you just do? I didn't think that tortoises could be submerged in water like that do they swim or am I missing something in the picture? One more question...do you find that Yellowfoots are shyer that Redfoots?


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## Gulf Coast (Aug 11, 2009)

HA thanks Nay... 




Nay said:


> Oh, did ya notice how I let Janice do all the whys?? And I just mentioned the "now now now'? I guess that was the chicken way out for me. It is very hard to have a beautiful outdoor enclosure with room to spare and to have them seperate. I admire you , Matt, for just saying it like it is and not worry 'bout what people say.. I do understand the 'going with your gut' on things. I have a different feeling about introducing dogs and horses, that a lot of folks would go, you do what!!!???
> So , hey beautiful torts and pen, I love the idea of having those benches inside to just sit and watch. Between yours and Terrys I may have to copy all these elements!!
> NA


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## matt41gb (Aug 12, 2009)

Candy said:


> Matt, I was wondering about the depth of your pond is that normal or something you just do? I didn't think that tortoises could be submerged in water like that do they swim or am I missing something in the picture? One more question...do you find that Yellowfoots are shyer that Redfoots?



The pond on probably not even 12" deep. It's just deep enough for my adult red foots to soak in. There is a shallow ledge all the way around it so the smaller ones can get in to soak and not have to go to the deeper part. Red Foots are pretty good in the water. They are actually very buoyant, if they ever go to the deeper part they just float, plus it's full of water plants for them to hang on to. 

I've only had one yellow foot and I bought her from a show. She had something wrong with her third eyelid and nobody would buy her. The vendor sold her to me for next to nothing. She is not shy at all. I think it depends on if you purchase a wild caught or a captive bred. I've had wild caught red foots before and they were crazy shy. They do come around after a couple months though. I think when people say yellow foots are shy or sensitive, I believe they are talking about they're more sensitive to temperature and humidity, where red foots are much hardier in that area. 

I hope this helps. 

-Matt


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