Happy Belated Birthday, Sunset! They all look beautiful, Alma.
I haven't heard from you in a while, May! I hope everything is going well for you and yours.
Happy Belated Birthday, Sunset! They all look beautiful, Alma.
That first picture explains why that tort of your is gigantic! Lovely setup, they look very healthy and happy.Delayed post on Punch's 3 year birthday (March 7). Between being sick and having two other birthdays around the same time, it's been very busy. I didn't get her third year stats (I'm horrible) but the closest date was the monthly check-up on March 2: 79.80 oz., 9-3/16".
Sorry, no soak, shell and plastron photos. Being sick sucks. I also had a big case of spring fever; I took the cover off of the enclosure a little earlier than I should have. The plants have been a bit neglected but hopefully they bounce back in a blaze of glory once the weather gets a bit nicer.
Lost a few plants during winter. Either eaten or crushed. I'm starting to realize that maintaining a fully planted indoor enclosure might not seem like a realistic goal anymore. The tortoises are still growing while their space isn't and plants just can't compete with hungry, mobile rocks. I can't wait until I have their outdoor enclosure set up. I have rose of sharon bushes, mallow, large broadleaf plantain, hostas, dandelions and clover already established from 2+ years ago. I have year old figs that will be massive this year as well as two blueberry bushes. I'll be growing grapes (from bare root) and pawpaws (from seed) this year, too. It'll be exciting to see what their yard will end up like when they get to move out there during the warmer months.
That first picture explains why that tort of your is gigantic! Lovely setup, they look very healthy and happy.
Thank you for this wonderful thread! I wrote down your list of plants big help thank you I am currently building a 7ftX7ft enclosure for my 3 red foot family and want it heavily planted like yours. Love your enclosure so much hope mine turns out half as good ! I got some terrarium tortoise grass seeds to plant in there as well hope it comes out right . Thanx again for all the helpfull advice and pictures! ❤️Been a while since I last posted something on my guys. I just took down the barrier in their indoor tort enclosure and now they have full use of it.
Daytime shot of the full enclosure:
Evening shot of the enclosure:
It definitely wasn't an easy task trying to upgrade their digs. Punch kept running over to wherever I was trying to help me dig. Five minutes later, the other torts were running around taking bites of dirt and plants. No matter what I did, I had a tort in my way.
I added 3 more jumbo cork flats, a large slate tile for another basking spot, and another plant saucer for a total of 4 sources of water. Yeah, it's kind of a pain to wash all those large saucers on a daily basis but I love my guys to death.
For those who want to know what plants I have in there: spider plant, bromeliad, dracaena marginata, lipstick vine, tradescantia zebrina (wandering jew), pothos, prayer plant, wax begonia, bird's nest fern.
Size comparison of torts vs. enclosure (kinda):
More tort pics:
(Yes, reds can bask.. and mine do so on a regular basis)
Loki and Punch are pushing 6" at almost a year and a half and Sunset and Jingle are around the 5" mark. No, I haven't been giving them steroids. I've tried greatly reducing the amount of food I give them but they seem to skip days on their own. I'm not too worried though; their growth has been coming in smooth and steady. Maybe I'm subconsciously plumping them up to hasten gender identification, lol..
Hope you like the pics. The end:
Now that's just so dang adorable
My Foxy is 2 and only 5 inches ❤️Just got 2 more yearling red foots and their 4.5inches the breeder said and just slightly over a year old , they'll be here few daysThat's crazy how big Loki is!
My T Rex is 2 1/2yrs old and only about 5 1/2 inches.
Adorable! GOD bless.Sunset turned 4 years old today! Stats:
1 year: 7.55 oz., 4",1.044 (Donoghue ratio)
2 year: 32.40 oz., 6-1/2", 1.04
3 year: 71.90 oz., 8-7/16", 1.059
4 year: 122.45 oz., 10.25", 1.006
View attachment 199040
View attachment 199041
She was doing so well eating her cake until she decided to lay on it:View attachment 199042
I'm going to guess that at this point, she's 100% female:View attachment 199047 View attachment 199048
Four years have made such a difference. Activity levels, appetites, personalities, and neediness have all increased significantly. It's impossible to keep their water dishes clean anymore nor is it possible to keep plants at ground level; They trample or eat anything in their enclosure. Feedings have been cut down to every other day or 3 times per week in the winter. Also, I feel more comfortable not having to maintain such high humidity and temperatures in their enclosure at their size. Unfortunately, their growth hasn't slowed down much, yet. Their enclosure size has stayed the same but they're still growing steadily. I'm hoping they top off at 12-13" or somehow I wind up with a lot of money so that I can build them a much larger year-round space. Still, they're pretty awesome and I love them to death.
Hi @pfara . How long have you had your cute torts for?
Omg! I have finally found your thread!!!! Yeay!!!! So beautiful! And your enclosure gave lot of inspiration in setting mine up. And you were very helpful to me in my beginnings almost 2 yrs ago! Yes! 2 yrs in June!!!! Goes by fast, and those little beasts do grow! And fast! Things here have settled down some and I'm spending little time on the forum again. It's so good to be back, and so refreshing to find your thread with gorgeous pics of beautiful healthy torts and top of the line enclosure! I'll have to pick your brain at some point for few things in my tort garden and winter indoors dwellings for them. I'm still keeping mine together. They are still very docile with each other. Maybe at some point I'll get another (or 2 from some rescue and give them good loving, and very comfortable home, now that I ½ way know what the heck i'm doing I just looooove looking at your pics! Please, more! More!!!My redfoot babes are now officially a year old! I thought I'd finally make a thread about them.
Sunset (Sunny).
Hatched 2/5/13
First measured: 2 oz, 2-5/8"
1 year: 7.55 oz, 4"
Sunny's growth has been very slow and steady. She's seriously fast for a tortoise and is dubbed the ninja of the group (she changes her hide spot daily and is usually found caked with a massive amount of dirt).
Loki.
Hatched 2/20/13
First measured: 1.5 oz, 2-1/2"
1 year: 12.05 oz, 4-7/8"
Loki's massive for his age but his growth has come in beautifully smooth. Despite his giant stature, he is known as the mighty coward.
Jingle.
Hatched 2/25/13
First measured: 1.45 oz, 2-3/8"
1 year: 7.65 oz, 4-1/16"
Jingle was the "runt" of the group. She's since kept up with everyone and has ended up being Loki's counterpart as being the bravest and most likely to beg for head rubs.
Punch.
Hatched 3/7/13
First measured: 1.75 oz, 2-1/2"
1 year: 11.35 oz, 4-3/4"
While Sunny and Jingle grew relatively slowly, Punch and Loki traded off who would be the biggest each month. Loki won the honors of being marginally larger but Punch won the honors of not being a wimp. Chances are you'll find Punch basking under an incandescent.
Here are some pictures of their enclosure:
I wanted to give thanks to Vicki Hale for these beautiful tortoises and Mark (madkins007), Carl (cdmay), Kelly (tortadise), and JD (N2TORTS) for their patience with all my "slightly" panicked questions. Thanks to everyone else on the forum whose posts I constantly read to provide the best for my babies.
Go Redfoots!
Ditto! @terryo is who got me started on all the moss work and I LOVE IT!!!It means so very much coming from you, @terryo ! I'm always in awe whenever I see your projects. You've been such an influence and I always try to provide a beautiful setting for my chelonians like you do for yours. Hopefully my outdoor enclosure ends up a fraction as nice as yours.
Those "cakes" are very cool and creative! Sunset is about as sure of a female as can be outside of laying eggs!
Your indoor enclosure is stunning and I can only imagine the amount of work required to maintain it
Omg! I have finally found your thread!!!! Yeay!!!! So beautiful! And your enclosure gave lot of inspiration in setting mine up. And you were very helpful to me in my beginnings almost 2 yrs ago! Yes! 2 yrs in June!!!! Goes by fast, and those little beasts do grow! And fast! Things here have settled down some and I'm spending little time on the forum again. It's so good to be back, and so refreshing to find your thread with gorgeous pics of beautiful healthy torts and top of the line enclosure! I'll have to pick your brain at some point for few things in my tort garden and winter indoors dwellings for them. I'm still keeping mine together. They are still very docile with each other. Maybe at some point I'll get another (or 2 from some rescue and give them good loving, and very comfortable home, now that I ½ way know what the heck i'm doing I just looooove looking at your pics! Please, more! More!!!
I love it how you do their b-daysGlad to see you back, too! I'm very sure you're an accomplished tort momma by now; don't sell yourself short. Feel free to message me any time! And I'll be posting a little bit more in the next two months. I have 3 other tort birthdays coming up.