[ the following is from a request of Anyfoot.. to aid those new to this hobby or anyone who admits or realizes that the way they have been informed and now practicing is not getting the results they can ( and should ) have. ] Other than specific questions { thru contact in website ] and maybe pics.. this is all I need to say about redfoot tortoises.
When someone says that they get good results using "their" techniques.. most often they have changed the balance of the "basic" parameters.. which always overall will influence the growth and appearance of their redfoot tortoise. They are Temperature.. Humidity.. Lighting and Diet
Everything else falls under those 4.
I learned this personally early on - 1990's - since there was little info available.. and what was available was prescribed for mainly the "open-range" African and European herbivorous tortoises.
So all the "scientific- researched- authors" were relying on limited or 'second-hand' info.. which even now have found errors in their claims and publications!
My early hatchlings looked like pineapples before year two and quite pyramided by 3 or 4! Something needed to change .. and now!
Almost EVERYONE of the 4 basic parameters were the exact opposite of what was being stated.. of how to keep and maintain redfoot tortoises!
HOW TO RESEARCH .. once you know what species you have we need to know where and how they thrive "in the wild" - that's easy and can be done with a map - check temps.. humidity and/or continent, etc. - http://internationalweather.net/?gclid=CjwKEAiAuea1BRCbn-2n7PbLgEMSJAABQvTTNf7uyFb not sure why these links don't work.. will amend ASAP!
South America - http://internationalweather.net/local/region/sa.html - this tells us the Temps / Humidity they require.
The overall best READ is here.. explaining the major "climate" of all the different regions -
http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/y1997e/y1997e1c.htm#TopOfPage
So I took this info.. realizing that the redfoots from "North of the Amazon" needed a lot of humidity and moderate temps and light! When I made those changes it was amazing how the new hatchlings were developing compared to their siblings and cousins.
Tests of time .. the first hatchlings from 1998 created their FIRST hatchlings at 6 years 4 months - Feb. 2005. A second generation hatchling ( hatched in July 2005 ) created hatchlings in Feb. 2012 - at 6 years 7 months.. raised by the SAME Caresheet!
This and the link(s) above are the Caresheet that also created the hatchling on the cover of REPTILES magazine - see in link below.
Turtletary.com website - http://turtletary.com/northern.html
Can provide pics dating back to 2004 .. as requested - be specific with request or use contact form in site.
When someone says that they get good results using "their" techniques.. most often they have changed the balance of the "basic" parameters.. which always overall will influence the growth and appearance of their redfoot tortoise. They are Temperature.. Humidity.. Lighting and Diet
Everything else falls under those 4.
I learned this personally early on - 1990's - since there was little info available.. and what was available was prescribed for mainly the "open-range" African and European herbivorous tortoises.
So all the "scientific- researched- authors" were relying on limited or 'second-hand' info.. which even now have found errors in their claims and publications!
My early hatchlings looked like pineapples before year two and quite pyramided by 3 or 4! Something needed to change .. and now!
Almost EVERYONE of the 4 basic parameters were the exact opposite of what was being stated.. of how to keep and maintain redfoot tortoises!
HOW TO RESEARCH .. once you know what species you have we need to know where and how they thrive "in the wild" - that's easy and can be done with a map - check temps.. humidity and/or continent, etc. - http://internationalweather.net/?gclid=CjwKEAiAuea1BRCbn-2n7PbLgEMSJAABQvTTNf7uyFb not sure why these links don't work.. will amend ASAP!
South America - http://internationalweather.net/local/region/sa.html - this tells us the Temps / Humidity they require.
The overall best READ is here.. explaining the major "climate" of all the different regions -
http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/y1997e/y1997e1c.htm#TopOfPage
So I took this info.. realizing that the redfoots from "North of the Amazon" needed a lot of humidity and moderate temps and light! When I made those changes it was amazing how the new hatchlings were developing compared to their siblings and cousins.
Tests of time .. the first hatchlings from 1998 created their FIRST hatchlings at 6 years 4 months - Feb. 2005. A second generation hatchling ( hatched in July 2005 ) created hatchlings in Feb. 2012 - at 6 years 7 months.. raised by the SAME Caresheet!
This and the link(s) above are the Caresheet that also created the hatchling on the cover of REPTILES magazine - see in link below.
Turtletary.com website - http://turtletary.com/northern.html
Can provide pics dating back to 2004 .. as requested - be specific with request or use contact form in site.
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