Yesterday we had some visitors over to see our Galapagos tortoises. Brenda and my place here is officially called Rancho Tortuga, Inc. now - and we are a 501c3 public benefit non-profit. The day before - we had the representative for the local school district tour our facility to approve and recommend our place as a school field trip location for the local schools. Conservation through education is one of our main tag lines! (We are also building a social media educational outreach as well - facebook, instagram and tick-tok)
They got to see our various species we work with. From one of the smallest tortoises - Spider tortoises - to the largest - both Galapagos and Aldabras. In the "Tortoise Lab" they got to see baby Galapagos, and Aldabra, radiated tortoises hatching, Burmese Stars just one day out of the egg, some Pyxis planicauda, Pancake adults and babies, young Burmese brown mountain tortoises (Mee). Then outside to see our spotted turtle colony as well as other aquatics, then to "Radiator Springs" to see the adult group of radiated. Next, on to the Galapagos tortoises.
Touring the barn and insulated stalls used as night houses, they learned how a tropical species must be kept in a more temperate climate. Compared to the baby Galapagos in the tortoise lab, they then saw our 1 and 2 year olds in the "yearling pen". The babies in the lab are about 200g now at 2-3 mos old. The one year olds are about 1000g - 1500g, and the 2 year olds are 3000g - 4000g.
Next the 3 and 4 year olds' pasture. This pasture is about 1/3 acre. These guys are growing well yet we don't want them mixed with 100kg+ tortoises yet as the size differential could cause one to get crushed! Our 3 year olds average about 10,000g (10 kg) and our 4 year olds 20kg. Once they are in the 20kg range they are big enough to go in the pasture with the larger tortoises. However, the night house for each pasture (stall) is 12x12. and the one for our larger tortoises is already getting full at night. So we are keeping the 4 year olds in the middle pasture until we build out the next pasture and night house (stall) - which is one of this fall's projects.
In the larger tortoise pasture we have Galapagos from 30kg to 140kg currently. Brenda and I got our first Galapagos as a hatchling in 2019 - and that started this whole change to the rest of our lives!. With this project, we now have several Galapagos from new hatchling this year all the way to the 7 year old hatched in 2019. We have also added some other older tortoises that were initially raised elsewhere. So we get to see a nice size comparison for 2019 through 2026 hatchlings. Our 5 year olds average about 40kg and our 6 year olds are now in the 50kg range. Darwin, our 7 year old baby is now 65kg.
Since it was midday, all the tortoises are in the shade. But when they saw us coming with the gorilla cart - they knew there was cactus pads - so they all came out to meet us.
Of course that promted Brenda to feel the need to wash off the tortoise who love to soak in mud puddles wherever they can make one! They do absolutely love a shower!
Even stopping with grass still hanging form their mouth to stand up and "finch" for the shower!
They got to see our various species we work with. From one of the smallest tortoises - Spider tortoises - to the largest - both Galapagos and Aldabras. In the "Tortoise Lab" they got to see baby Galapagos, and Aldabra, radiated tortoises hatching, Burmese Stars just one day out of the egg, some Pyxis planicauda, Pancake adults and babies, young Burmese brown mountain tortoises (Mee). Then outside to see our spotted turtle colony as well as other aquatics, then to "Radiator Springs" to see the adult group of radiated. Next, on to the Galapagos tortoises.
Touring the barn and insulated stalls used as night houses, they learned how a tropical species must be kept in a more temperate climate. Compared to the baby Galapagos in the tortoise lab, they then saw our 1 and 2 year olds in the "yearling pen". The babies in the lab are about 200g now at 2-3 mos old. The one year olds are about 1000g - 1500g, and the 2 year olds are 3000g - 4000g.
Next the 3 and 4 year olds' pasture. This pasture is about 1/3 acre. These guys are growing well yet we don't want them mixed with 100kg+ tortoises yet as the size differential could cause one to get crushed! Our 3 year olds average about 10,000g (10 kg) and our 4 year olds 20kg. Once they are in the 20kg range they are big enough to go in the pasture with the larger tortoises. However, the night house for each pasture (stall) is 12x12. and the one for our larger tortoises is already getting full at night. So we are keeping the 4 year olds in the middle pasture until we build out the next pasture and night house (stall) - which is one of this fall's projects.
In the larger tortoise pasture we have Galapagos from 30kg to 140kg currently. Brenda and I got our first Galapagos as a hatchling in 2019 - and that started this whole change to the rest of our lives!. With this project, we now have several Galapagos from new hatchling this year all the way to the 7 year old hatched in 2019. We have also added some other older tortoises that were initially raised elsewhere. So we get to see a nice size comparison for 2019 through 2026 hatchlings. Our 5 year olds average about 40kg and our 6 year olds are now in the 50kg range. Darwin, our 7 year old baby is now 65kg.
Since it was midday, all the tortoises are in the shade. But when they saw us coming with the gorilla cart - they knew there was cactus pads - so they all came out to meet us.
Of course that promted Brenda to feel the need to wash off the tortoise who love to soak in mud puddles wherever they can make one! They do absolutely love a shower!
Even stopping with grass still hanging form their mouth to stand up and "finch" for the shower!
