Food thief caught!

[ZEROPILOT]

This morning I tossed a few cut grapes into my RF enclosure looking for the baby RF. I knew he'd come out if he saw food.
However, what I saw was a Curly Tail lizard run out of the spider plants and start eating one. Then the baby emerged from the a flower pot and took it away.
I had no idea that the voracious, carnivorous Curly Tails were actually omnivores. (There are a few dozen of them inside the enclosure)
So aside from rats at night. Lizards are stealing food in the broad daylight.

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

that's too funny! will you figure a way to run them off or just plan on putting out more food?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

that's too funny! will you figure a way to run them off or just plan on putting out more food?

Now that I know, I wont assume that the baby has eaten.
The adult(s) eat bigger things...

 

[drew54]

That's an awesome picture

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Wild child looks like he's gotten a little bigger.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Wild child looks like he's gotten a little bigger.

He has.
And somewhat pyramided.
He's never been indoors. Born outside. He's a walking, eating experiment.
But he sure is a healthy little thing.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That's an awesome picture

Thanks.
That's one tough little tortoise.

 

[mike taylor]

I wish my reds wouldn't hatch out in late October early November. Too cold to leave outside. But I would love to try this with my hatchlings in the spring .

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That little booger hatched out last Winter, I suppose. An egg I hadn't found. And survived some low 50s high 40 degree nights.
But he may have found his way into one of the heated night houses. They turn on automatically.

 

[mike taylor]

I just found this guy running around my enclosure the other day . Naturally hatched in the great outdoors.lol S/he has a lot of orange color to S/he .

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I just found this guy running around my enclosure the other day . Naturally hatched in the great outdoors.lol S/he has a lot of orange color to S/he .View attachment 256531

Wow. Nice.
As you can see, mine is kinda beaten up looking and the colors aren't great.
More of a black RF.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I think that next time I wind up with breeding RF....And I will. I get calls all the time from keepers needing to get rid of their animals. I'll just let them hatch out in the pen.
Nature doesnt need help.
I also feel better about rehoming year old or older tortoises because they're not so frail.

 

[mike taylor]

Yeah, I've noticed with most of my hatchlings they are darker hatchling in the ground. This one I think came out of a dog house converted into a nesting box. With cyprus mulch and potting soil mix for substrate.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Yeah, I've noticed with most of my hatchlings they are darker hatchling in the ground. This one I think came out of a dog house converted into a nesting box. With cyprus mulch and potting soil mix for substrate.

I think Craig also found that to be true. @Anyfoot
I don't know. The few I hatched in my incubators were also dark.
My whole enclosure outside is decomposed mulch and soil. Grass.