A Ten-Year Re-introduction

[erdmanne]

I joined Tortoise Forum over ten years ago, but have posted only three times. In 2012 I bought a Chelonoidis Carbonaria and Chelonoidis Denticulata for my wife, suffering Alzheimer's, who had fond memories of tortoi (that is the plural, right?) on the banks of the Illinois River near her childhood home. She has been gone for eight years, but Anna (Redfoot) and Lara (Yellowfoot) have stayed with me, been healthy at every veterinary check, and live in a roughly 3 foot by 6 foot "universe" here in southern Wisconsin. As I am seventy now, I realize that with good care, Anna and Lara will likely outlast me (though I plan to hang on for a long time). What is more, sometime in the next few years, I will be leaving the home my late wife and I built (oof! don't try it!) for smaller quarters. So I am trying to re-activate a bit to see what is best to find these girls (or so says the veterinarian) a new home. Of course, I will miss them, but that is the way of life.

 

[zovick]

I joined Tortoise Forum over ten years ago, but have posted only three times. In 2012 I bought a Chelonoidis Carbonaria and Chelonoidis Denticulata for my wife, suffering Alzheimer's, who had fond memories of tortoi (that is the plural, right?) on the banks of the Illinois River near her childhood home. She has been gone for eight years, but Anna (Redfoot) and Lara (Yellowfoot) have stayed with me, been healthy at every veterinary check, and live in a roughly 3 foot by 6 foot "universe" here in southern Wisconsin. As I am seventy now, I realize that with good care, Anna and Lara will likely outlast me (though I plan to hang on for a long time). What is more, sometime in the next few years, I will be leaving the home my late wife and I built (oof! don't try it!) for smaller quarters. So I am trying to re-activate a bit to see what is best to find these girls (or so says the veterinarian) a new home. Of course, I will miss them, but that is the way of life.

The plural of tortoise is simply "tortoises".

Additionally there are no tortoises native to IL, so what your wife saw on the banks of the river were turtles rather than tortoises. Not overly important, but figured you might want to know the reality of the situation.

It would probably help you to find a new home for your tortoises if you posted some photos of them.

Good luck from another old man!

 

[wellington]

Are you looking to re-home them or to sell them?
Selling them on here takes a few rules to be met, but @Yvonne G can make a judgement call since you been a long time member whether you could sell
Otherwise, if you just want to re-home them, you can post in the adoption section under the for sale section and give all the info about them as possible and posts the pics
For reasons you must have not known about, tortoises should not live in pairs. So when rehoming, be sure the new owner understand they should be separated.

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh boy! A ten year reunion!!

I'm so sorry to read about your wife. Alzheimers is a terrible thing. But I hope Anna and Lara brought her some peaceful times.

Welcome back. We'll help as much as we can.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome back.
I'm sure that we can assist you in finding great new homes for your animals.
Are you certain that you have two different species? Many Redfoot are yellow.
Excuse me if you are sure of the species.
But it's a very common mistake.

 

[erdmanne]

Thank you for all your kind responses. Although I am rather busy just today, I will try to get some photos of Anna and Lara. As to your comments and questions:

1. I was told when I bought them that they are two different species. The seller was Captive Bred Specialties of Waukesha, Wisconsin. They do appear to be the two different species I indicated above, and their behavior suggests so, too. The veterinarian, Troy Semandel of West Allis, Wisconsin, seems to agree.
2. I, too, have heard that two different species should not be kept together. When I first got them for my late wife, I dove into books and online sources about their native habitat, range, status, and care. I learned, for example, that the Redfoot (Chelonoidis Carbonaia) and Yellowfoot (Chelonoidis Denticulata) were once classified as one species. These two specific tortoises were kept together by the seller and have cohabited quite well for twelve years. There have been instances in the past of the Redfoot (Anna) seeming to engage in mating challenges (head waving) against Lara; I took that to be a domination behavior. Should they be separated in their new home, that is fine.
3. Indeed, I want them to have a caring new home. They would come with their big custom-made "Tortoise Universe." (If someone wants to give me some money for them, fine.) But to me it is most important that they be cared for. It will be much easier for me to let go if I know they will go to a caring home.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

From the menu on the upper left.
Go to FOR SALE.
Then to ADOPTIONS.
Create a new post with all of the specific information.
It'll have to be an "adoption" because you do not have enough posts to sell a tortoise.
(Forum rules)
You'll get more action there than you will hoping that the right person happens to wander into this post.
There's usually a lot of interest for a Redfoot tortoise. And for those of us that know, Yellowfoot are equally cool.
I doubt if you'd have much trouble finding them great forever homes.

 

[erdmanne]

Thank you ZeroPilot. I guess I have to face up to it and do just as you say.

Hello Zovick. Thank you for your responses. Indeed, I do know the plural "tortoises," but as a practicing writer and retired professor in a writing program, I edit with great care (although not always perfectly) but I am an incorrigible punster and find language to be a joyful playground. (Similarly, the ends of trains used to be protected by those in "cabooses," but "cabeese" is so much more fun.)

Indeed, my late wife's experience was certainly with turtles; however, I chose tortoises because their care is so much easier and they could come out to an large screened-in porch to entertain her on summer days.