OH NO.. this messes everything up ...

[Redfoot NERD]

.. this is my last breeding female from Guyana, South America - is that a "wasp-waist"? @Anyfoot



And her mate of 12+ years -



And he was always courting(?) her -



As you can see she was almost 14" SCL and he was almost 12" SCL - they are still together a few states away..

They made upwards of - I don't know - 100+ babies over the 10 years they produced - this is just one of them from 2013 -



They actually spin inside egg as they "pip" / break the shell -



.. and then rests for as much as 24 hours before coming out -



And in the "nursery" incubator absorbing the yolk-sac - it could take a week for that.. and then another week until they take their first bite of greens, etc.
Shown here less than a week out of the egg -

 

[MysticCaribou]

I really enjoyed your photos and your notes! Thank you.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

I really enjoyed your photos and your notes! Thank you.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH @MysticCaribou - those kind words is what makes the time and efforts worthwhile!!!

In December 1998 I acquired 3 redfoot hatchlings.. and 2 of their grand-babies hatched in late 2012... and then one of the later ones appeared on the cover of Reptiles Magazine.. the article here - http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Keeping-and-Breeding-Red-Footed-Tortoises/ - @cdmay contributed the Brazilians shown.. how blessed can one be?

 

[Gillian M]

.. this is my last breeding female from Guyana, South America - is that a "wasp-waist"? @Anyfoot



And her mate of 12+ years -



And he was always courting(?) her -



As you can see she was almost 14" SCL and he was almost 12" SCL - they are still together a few states away..

They made upwards of - I don't know - 100+ babies over the 10 years they produced - this is just one of them from 2013 -



They actually spin inside egg as they "pip" / break the shell -



.. and then rests for as much as 24 hours before coming out -



And in the "nursery" incubator absorbing the yolk-sac - it could take a week for that.. and then another week until they take their first bite of greens, etc.
Shown here less than a week out of the egg -

Lovely pics! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Gillian M]

I really enjoyed your photos and your notes! Thank you.

Me too.

 

[Anyfoot]

She has flare, but I already knew that, I've looked enough times.
You shouldn't mess with your NEONATES Terry, the demons will come. REMEMBER .

OK seriously, She is flared, not a constricted waist and both are fine specimens.

That hatchling has some gorgeous patterns, looks like tiger stripes on the marginal scutes.

I never did asked, Do you know how SONshine got that smooth patch on her scute?

 

[Anyfoot]

Do you have any photos of this male from above Terry(birds eye view) so we can see how pinched his waist is. At what size did you notice the hourglass/waistband shape appearing.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Wh

Do you have any photos of this male from above Terry(birds eye view) so we can see how pinched his waist is. At what size did you notice the hourglass/waistband shape appearing.

ere are you asking about Craig @Anyfoot ?


Not sure when this was.. he was around 10+"..



The point is - redfoot tortoises don't show a real hour-glass shape until they get a lot older and bigger!

 

[Anyfoot]

Wh




ere are you asking about Craig @Anyfoot ?


Not sure when this was.. he was around 10+"..



The point is - redfoot tortoises don't show a real hour-glass shape until they get a lot older and bigger!

He's a right beauty.
My 2 northern males were showing an hour-glass at 8 and 9" when I got them from previous owners. Both are pyramided a lot. Does this mean they should be bigger than they actually are. I'm thinking that if they were smooth they would be bigger than they actually are, does it make sense that if the bone structure grows at an angle creating pyramids rather than across with a smooth tort that they would be smaller than they actually should be. If yes, this would explain why I thought you see the hour-glass at a smaller size than you are saying.

 

[leigti]

OK, stupid question from someone that does not know anything about this type of tortoise. Is the hourglass shape a bad thing?

 

[Redfoot NERD]

OK, stupid question from someone that does not know anything about this type of tortoise. Is the hourglass shape a bad thing?

The only stupid question is one not asked .. which creates misguided thinking - why we get such crazy opinions!

Nothing at all wrong with the "Hour-glass" shape.. it comes with age starting in early maturity - most likely about 15-20 years old in the wild.
The misguided thing about this is the way it's viewed upon and described - the females develop the wider/flared rear [ where the eggs develop ] still maintaining the even parallel "waist" -- where the male does start to get the true hour-glass shape.. but not until a later advanced age.

AND another thing is how this applies to other regions and those redfoot "sub-species"...