Cherry headed tort wanted

[jstanley07]

I've been adding more and more tropical species to my chameleon habitat, and after looking at the large empty space at the bottom (since all the lizards and frogs are arboreal) I thought a beautiful cherry head would fit in nicely. I've found some for about $125, but they're hatchlings or 8 months at the oldest. I want one with some good size. Also, if there are any adoptions of any type of tort species that would go good in the 50-70% humidity range and temperatures between 75-90, I would love to add them as well.

 

[Madkins007]

How much floor space is in the habitat? An adult cherry-head would want as close to 8'x4' as you could get.

 

[Itort]

Not to dash your plans but red foots do not mix well in an inside enclosure with other herps. Being a highly opportunistic omnivore the others will suffer especially chameleons being a slow moving animal. Tried it once with a retailed boa who lost the redtail to the red foots.

 

[jstanley07]

Right now the enclosure is about 3.5'x3.5', but I'm thinking about making it bigger. When the tort outgrows the habitat I'm sure I will be relocating it to a larger one. Especially since my fascination with torts seems to be increasing exponentially everyday; I may just end up creating a tort habitat keeping a smaller tort in the lizard enclosure until it outgrows it.

I usually hand feed my chameleon along with the Madagascan day gecko (which surprisingly seems to love it). For the most part, the chameleon only eats the crickets that are foolish enough to walk along the walls/roof/vines of the enclosure and doesn't seem very interested in anything on bottom. The day gecko can quite literally fly to catch his, and is a very opportunistic feeder. However, now that you mention it I am a little worried about the crested geckos. Their food dish is at the bottom, and is sure to attract the attention of the cherry. Although, I do have a feeding dish in the trees that I'm sure I could use for them, and that way the cherry couldn't get to it. I think the biggest thing I'd be worried about is all the crickets it may eat. As I've read, I don't want to give too much protein in the cherry's diet.

Is there possibly another species of tort that y'all may recommend given the habitat I've described?

 

[jstanley07]

I'm still looking at getting a cherry head, but I've also started to think about a South American Wood turtle. What are y'alls opinion?

 

[jstanley07]

So Ive still got my heart set on a cherryhead, but going back and forth between the redfoot and it, im wondering what the differences between the two species are? Ive been told the differences are night and day once you are around the two sepcies long enough,but since I would only be able to get one or the other this is not a possibility. I could really use yalls knowledge on this one. Also, with my original intention of setting up the little one in my tropical enclosure until it outgrew it, Ive come to realize this may not be the best with the need of natural sunlight(although the enclosure is kept in a large window that I keep cracked). At the same time with it being a hatchling I dont think it would be proper to allow it to graze my back yard, even though the environment where I live is perfectly suitable. Could yall please help guide me in the right direction so as to give my little one the right start in life?