Cherry head color phase????? help

[jorrow]

I just recently aquired a cherry head red foot tort. The facts that let you know that a cherry head is in deed a cherry head are the red coloring on the face and the dark plasteron. Mine has yellow on the top of its head and red on the sides, but it does have the dark plasteron. Does anyone know if this is just a rariety or if his head will slowly turn red????? Any Ideas

 

[-EJ]

This kind of question without a photo... is not going to be productive.

I just recently aquired a cherry head red foot tort. The facts that let you know that a cherry head is in deed a cherry head are the red coloring on the face and the dark plasteron. Mine has yellow on the top of its head and red on the sides, but it does have the dark plasteron. Does anyone know if this is just a rariety or if his head will slowly turn red????? Any Ideas

 

[jorrow]

I'll put a photo up later when i get home.... Thanks

 

[-EJ]

It would really help getting you an opinion from many of the members.

I'll put a photo up later when i get home.... Thanks

 

[REDFOOTMATT]

I just recently aquired a cherry head red foot tort. The facts that let you know that a cherry head is in deed a cherry head are the red coloring on the face and the dark plasteron. Mine has yellow on the top of its head and red on the sides, but it does have the dark plasteron. Does anyone know if this is just a rariety or if his head will slowly turn red????? Any Ideas

If his head is yellow now it will most likley stay yellow. It might be a brazilian mix. Can you post pics?

 

[carrilac]

I just recently aquired a cherry head red foot tort. The facts that let you know that a cherry head is in deed a cherry head are the red coloring on the face and the dark plasteron. Mine has yellow on the top of its head and red on the sides, but it does have the dark plasteron. Does anyone know if this is just a rariety or if his head will slowly turn red????? Any Ideas

If his head is yellow now it will most likley stay yellow. It might be a brazilian mix. Can you post pics?

It's so funny that this is coming up right now. I've been studying Brazilian (cherry heads) redroots for months and less than 10 minutes ago I came across the most stunning Brazilian on Marl Lucas website (see below) with a bright yellow face and marbling. Before seeing this I thought Brazilian’s only came with Cherry colored heads. There are more pictures of Brazilian’s with yellow heads on his website, I find really fascinating!

http://markmlucas.com/images/Tortoises/yellow face cherry head 2 copy.jpg

 

[jorrow]

Here are those pics of my new little tort. I'll go on and apologies for the camera it's pic quality realy sucks sorry

 

[REDFOOTMATT]

I just recently aquired a cherry head red foot tort. The facts that let you know that a cherry head is in deed a cherry head are the red coloring on the face and the dark plasteron. Mine has yellow on the top of its head and red on the sides, but it does have the dark plasteron. Does anyone know if this is just a rariety or if his head will slowly turn red????? Any Ideas

If his head is yellow now it will most likley stay yellow. It might be a brazilian mix. Can you post pics?

It's so funny that this is coming up right now. I've been studying Brazilian (cherry heads) redroots for months and less than 10 minutes ago I came across the most stunning Brazilian on Marl Lucas website (see below) with a bright yellow face and marbling. Before seeing this I thought Brazilian’s only came with Cherry colored heads. There are more pictures of Brazilian’s with yellow heads on his website, I find really fascinating!

http://markmlucas.com/images/Tortoises/yellow face cherry head 2 copy.jpg

That's a new one for me! I'd like to know if that color is naturally occuring or the result of mixed breeding.

 

[egyptiandan]

It's quite possibly a Chacoan Redfoot. They are found in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil.

Danny

 

[cdmay]

Many misconceptions about cherryheads

One of the biggest misconceptions about cherryheads is that they all have bright red heads. That is one of the reasons I have always griped about that stupid name.
Many have heads that are a coral orange color, in fact I would say most do. But they can also be yellow or apricot in color.
The deep red headed individuals are nice but not the average.
The photo from the Marc Lucas site does NOT appear to be a cherryhead...notice that the legs are red and the head is solid yellow. Cherryheads whether red, orange, coral or yellow tend to have the head and legs the same color. Sometimes they have a few smaller different colored scutes on their head but for the most part, the head and legs are the same.

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For me, one of the identifying traits cherryheads have are the pair of elongated prefrontal scutes on the nose. Sometimes they are split by an extention of the nasal or frontal scutes which results in an 'X' pattern on the nose.
Notice that this hatchling is solid orange even though both parents are very red. That pair has produced hatchlings ranging from deep red to nearly yellow which shows how variable they can be.

 

[gummybearpoop]

RE: Many misconceptions about cherryheads

The photo from the Marc Lucas site does NOT appear to be a cherryhead...notice that the legs are red and the head is solid yellow. Cherryheads whether red, orange, coral or yellow tend to have the head and legs the same color. Sometimes they have a few smaller different colored scutes on their head but for the most part, the head and legs are the same.

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Wow...I never knew that. Thanks

For me, one of the identifying traits cherryheads have are the pair of elongated prefrontal scutes on the nose. Sometimes they are split by an extention of the nasal or frontal scutes which results in an 'X' pattern on the nose.

I always kinda wondered why my cherryhead looked different from the other redfoots other than the color and plastron.

Always informative cdmay! Your animals looked great in the South American Tortoises book

 

[cdmay]

This is an example of when the prefrontal scutes are split. It results in an X pattern on the nose.

 

[carrilac]

This is an example of when the prefrontal scutes are split. It results in an X pattern on the nose.

I’ve been trying to learn everything I can about Brazilians and I have really enjoyed this discussion.

I read in a 2007 post on kingsnake from Carl that most often young Brazilian’s will have colorful scutes outlined in Black. I was wondering about cherry head’s that do not have outlined scutes, are they still Brazilian’s, or have they most likely been out crossed with other nothern bloodlines?

I’ve attached 2 examples there is also another example on you tube of a “cherry head eating lettus”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVpw7_sE4Jg[hr]

This is an example of when the prefrontal scutes are split. It results in an X pattern on the nose.

I’ve been trying to learn everything I can about Brazilians and I have really enjoyed this discussion.

I read in a 2007 post on kingsnake from Carl that most often young Brazilian’s will have colorful scutes outlined in Black. I was wondering about cherry head’s that do not have outlined scutes, are they still Brazilian’s, or have they most likely been out crossed with other nothern bloodlines?

I’ve attached 2 examples there is also another example on you tube of a “cherry head eating lettus”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVpw7_sE4Jg

 

[cdmay]

The tortoise on YouTube and the other attached images look like nice cherryheads to me.
As for what I wrote in 2007...well I don't recall that. But I think I might have been talking about the plastron scutes?

 

[carrilac]

The tortoise on YouTube and the other attached images look like nice cherryheads to me.
As for what I wrote in 2007...well I don't recall that. But I think I might have been talking about the plastron scutes?

Thank you Carl, you truly are a "RockStar" of knowledge in the redfoot world!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate you, and the other redfoot veterans sharing your knowledge with me.