Just became a member; introducing myself to the community

[Vitor Franceschini]

Well hello people of this forum, I've just registered to improve my knowledge and share the joy related to raising these lovely animals that tortoises are.
I'm italo-brazilian, living in Brazil at the moment...
I think something like two months or so ago I "rescued" a baby tortoise (had 30 days back then), or my friend gave it to me, depends on how you look at it: he was keeping the poor thing in a sink with no water whatsoever and some bits of papaya scattered that were so old not even flies were around. When I saw that situation I basically demanded the tortoise ( a red-footed cherry head - Chelonoidis carbonaria, the eastern variant) for I just could not stand such negligence. Now the animal is pretty happier ( and a lot bigger) than how it came home; I'm using an indoors terrarium till she gets bigger, as it gives me more ease to be always paying attention and such. No pyramidalisation on its shell, it's pretty tall and round actually (what makes me think it's a female, but it's too soon to tell anyway), at least has become so since properly cared for.
I use an hygrometre/termometre to maintain the environmental needs (which is easy in such a FREAKING HOT weather), and provide a great variety of food, so it can choose... It tends to eat fruits mostly, especially liking watermelon, mango, papaya and cherry, but eating others as well... I give it small amounts of meat like twice a month, and once a month (twice in the first) I sprinkle its food with a vitamin/mineral supplement made for members of Reptilia.
Now a bit about me, for who's got the interest...I'm 21 years old, concluded 2 years of medschool but had to "retire" due to serious health problems (cardiac and psychiatric BS, putting it shortly) and since then I've been kind of "bound" to the bed lol but I'm much,much better now...Resuming my studies in February or March!
I've got some "old" pics of the tortoise, like in the first month or so... I'll try and get new pictures for comparison, so you people may shed me a light or anything haha...
Thank you in advance for reading, and I hope we all help each other to properly care for these awesome pets.
Cheers!

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Vitor! I'm looking forward to your pictures.

 

[Vitor Franceschini]

Welcome to the Forum, Vitor! I'm looking forward to your pictures.

Thank you very much
I guess I'll upload the older ones already then see when I manage to get a good and newer image...

 

[Vitor Franceschini]

Alright some old pictures are uploaded already ( in my media, the "my cherry head" album). I already apologise for the quality, but my iPad is the best digital camera I've got (sadly).
I'll soon try to get updated pics, note all those uploaded up to now are more than a month old, she's notably bigger you'll see...Let's just wait the sleeping beauty do its thing hahah she loves to dig and sleep

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/media/afterbath-snack-2-lihter-for-size-reference.2679/

 

[mike taylor]

Welcome

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome to TFO!

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and Welcome.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Prairie Mom]

Hello Vitor,
I'm glad this tortoise is now in the hands of someone who cares for her. You'll find this is a really helpful forum with lots of interesting and helpful people. Welcome and it's good to have you here!

 

[Momof4]

Welcome Vitor! She is very cute!! Glad you rescued her!
Stick around and you will learn a lot from this forum and you will raise a beautiful smooth tortoise!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Vitor welcome to the TFO from AZ, USA . May I ask some questions ? What do you feed your torts ( wild weeds ) ? What do torts sell for ? What do they use as enclosures for torts ? What type of torts can buy there ?

 

[kathyth]

Welcome Vitor! I will check out your media.

 

[Carol S]

Welcome to the Forum. I am glad you rescued the tortoise and gave it a good home.

 

[Vitor Franceschini]

Thank you all very much for the warm welcome, it's very nice of you!
As for who had asked me some things:

Hello Vitor welcome to the TFO from AZ, USA . May I ask some questions ? What do you feed your torts ( wild weeds ) ? What do torts sell for ? What do they use as enclosures for torts ? What type of torts can buy there ?

My answer: Thank you for your welcome haha Well her diet consists mainly on little tomatoes(called "cherry tomatoes" here, they're very sweet and juicy, and luckily enough one of my organic-garden crops). papaya fruit(I remove only the seeds; in fact this is valid for all the fruit examples that follow), cherries, mango, peaches, plums, strawberry, watermelon, etc with some green always (even though she doesn't really like leaves - yet) like broccoli (both leaves and flower), spinach; dark-green coloured things, basically lol. I also provide her a little meat twice a month, gridded and with nothing on it like salt or spice, obviously. I also supplement her diet with a reptile-directed mineral/vits compound, I drop it on the meat once a month (as high protein intakes may prejudice the calcification and lead to kidney calculi, I apply it on the meat for the mineral intake to kind of balance the effect...I figured it would be better for my Pharmacological knowledge from medschool, but again, I am no vet; anyway, it seems to be working good... She also got a shallow plate filled with mineral water (which I change daily and use to give her her "old toothbrush bath" to clean and moisturise the shell for proper development) that she goes sometimes when her plastron gets sticky or something from the fruits.
As for their commercial value I'm afraid I will not be able to shed you some light, for I've never seen one being sold. as this particular species is normally forbidden to be kept as pets where I'm living at the moment (Brazil), unless you can prove to the government that it was born in captivity from a certified specimen and that you can keep it under proper care...Even so, you need to pay for a ton of documents, the usual bureaucracy BS... And they periodically come to check on the animal and everything... It's currently in "near-threatened" state of extinction, therefore it's not much of a good idea to sell it or anything (much less leave it without food or water in a freaking aluminium sink)...
As for the enclosures, my 2 friends which have also got this species in particular keep them outdoors, as here is their native biome anyway, so weather is normally very good for them. I, however, am keeping my baby indoors in a glass terrarium floored with sterilised soil, some plants for decoration and a ceramic makeshit-house. I'll keep her close till she gets bigger, this way I interact more with her and all...To keep the humidity levels and the temperature at the proper point I use a higrometer/thermometre...To control it I spray water, changing the humidity and temperature.
As for the last question I have no idea, sincerely... This country is very under-developed and having exotic pets is heavily bureaucratic and normally not endorsed by the Constitution.
Hope I helped, thanks for everyone again, tomorrow I ought to have more free-time, I'll post some pics of how she is now, she really developed!
Cheers people, all the best!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Vitor
Thank you for your very informative reply it was great !

 

[Vitor Franceschini]

2 new photos have been uploaded, just taken. Hope you like her!

 

[Jacqui]

Hi and welcome! *waves* Love all the information u have given us.

 

[Vitor Franceschini]

Hi and welcome! *waves* Love all the information u have given us.

Thank you for your kindness!

 

[Kenno]

Welcome, Vitor!

Thanks for the pictures, and best wishes with your studies!

 

[Vitor Franceschini]

Welcome, Vitor!

Thanks for the pictures, and best wishes with your studies!

Thank you! I'm glad to see that this forum's got such polite and kind members