I'm just curios, not for breeding purposes just in general? I was reading mixing cherry heads would be bad or not optimal at least, but has anyone kept the other breeds together?
Thanks!
Thanks!
In my limited experience, this is hit or miss with RFs. Most of the time, most of them seem to get along really well in groups, but most people who have kept this species for a while will tell you all about the ones that didn't get along, and we've seen a couple of examples of them doing serious damage to each other over the years.Thanks for the replies! I was more thinking just in terms of how they get along with each other. My wife got a new tortoise over the weekend, so the count is up to three. I'll post some pictures of him/her later.
Thanks all!
I'm one of those that believes in keeping like with like and not creating a bunch of mixes.
I'm just curios, not for breeding purposes just in general? I was reading mixing cherry heads would be bad or not optimal at least, but has anyone kept the other breeds together?
Thanks!
I think this is personal preference but it does provoke a lot of passion from folks here. I think most will tell you they keep localities (they are not different breeds) separate. This tortoise has a wide native range and the localities have thus developed some phenotypic differences. Most like to retain these characteristics that designate which locale they are currently raising. However, there's no rule that says you can't mix tortoises from Columbia and Grenada and you may produce some beautiful hatchlings in doing so.
It's up to you.
I would still argue for preservation of any proven and distinct forms by separation.
Yes. Although Redfoot seem to be the most tolerant species. They are not always willing.In my limited experience, this is hit or miss with RFs. Most of the time, most of them seem to get along really well in groups, but most people who have kept this species for a while will tell you all about the ones that didn't get along, and we've seen a couple of examples of them doing serious damage to each other over the years.
@ZEROPILOT might be able to lend some experience based advice here.
I agree with Jack. Trying to maintain pure Bolivian bloodlines is essential to avoid what has happened to most redfoots.(except some of the over 30 year old specimens) since people had one type but not a pair, they paired with another redfoot to produce offspring. However, now we have mostly “Mutts” I will not do this to Bolivians also.Bolivian redfoots are currently one of the most highly valued, limited and expensive of the different forms of redfoot. Bolivians, as well as the tortoises from the neighboring South American country of Paraguay, attain the greatest size, by many magnitudes, of all other redfoot forms. If you truly have a genuine pure Bolivian redfooted tortoise, Chelonoidis carbonarius, it would be unwise to mix with any other redfoot form. Should breeding occur, obstetric problems would be likely. On the basis of potential size alone, they should be isolated from other forms.