That was nice of your wife to give up the bathtub. They put up with so much from us
settling in
- Thread starter TotallyRad
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2013
- Messages
- 79
Jeff,
Just a note, the clear ridged roofing will block the UVB from the bulb like a filter. If you're going to cover it, it would be best you cut a hole around the fixture. This will allow for the UVB light to penetrate unfiltered.
Just a note, the clear ridged roofing will block the UVB from the bulb like a filter. If you're going to cover it, it would be best you cut a hole around the fixture. This will allow for the UVB light to penetrate unfiltered.
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2013
- Messages
- 79
View attachment 40073
John,
Yeah I had learned that awhile back when taking care of chams. Even the plastic shield on the zoomed 5.0 fixtures are suppose to come off after you buy them because it filters out the UV and renders the whole fixture just about useless.
The setup I have allows the MVB bulb to be about 2.5-3 ft from the ground, but having direct bulb to tort exposure for UV. I cut a hole in the plastic to allow the fixture inside.
I appreciate the heads up! Hope all is well over there!
Jeff
John,
Yeah I had learned that awhile back when taking care of chams. Even the plastic shield on the zoomed 5.0 fixtures are suppose to come off after you buy them because it filters out the UV and renders the whole fixture just about useless.
The setup I have allows the MVB bulb to be about 2.5-3 ft from the ground, but having direct bulb to tort exposure for UV. I cut a hole in the plastic to allow the fixture inside.
I appreciate the heads up! Hope all is well over there!
Jeff
coastal said:
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2013
- Messages
- 79
Weight update
3/27/13
3/27/13
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2013
- Messages
- 79
Gaining some serious weight!
Last edited by a moderator:
TotallyRad said:
Looking good
Dan said:
Very easy tortoises to keep and a privelage to own. Just like any other tortoise they need Weeds and sun
A good varied diet, Uvb lighting or real sun, Excercise and daily care
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2013
- Messages
- 79
bigred said:Dan said:
Very easy tortoises to keep and a privelage to own. Just like any other tortoise they need Weeds and sun
Exactly!
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2013
- Messages
- 79
Dan,
To answer your questions you can refer to a thread started by member Tom. He has a great reputation and startup help for many animals. The thread is called "radiated info" and should help you out! I will post some of his post, but the credit goes to him and you should read his guides, but there is a much more info within the forums here to help you as well.
To quote,
" (05-23-2010 09:43 PM)Tom Wrote:
1. If I do not cross state lines, do I need a permit of any kind to buy, sell, possess or breed this species?
You do NOT need a permit to possess or breed the species, but you will need a CBW permit (from USFWS) to transport the species across state lines. So, if you want to sell your offspring to another state or purchase animals from a different state, you better have that permit.
2. How hardy are they? Do they compare in hardiness to any other more common species like Leopards or CDTs?
I think they are hardier than leopards. I don't know what a CDT is...California Desert Tortoise? If so, that depends because a desert tortoise is very hardy in it's natural distribution but not the case in Alaska or Maine, etc. Radiated tortoises are the hardiest tortoise I have kept out of redfoots, sri lankan stars, and leopards. My russian tortoises are pretty tough as well.
3. Diet seems pretty straight forward, but are they more of a leaf eater or grass eater? Habitat descriptions just aren't clear on this.
I feed them both....a good mixture of grasses and leafy greens. A great source is a book called Tortoises and Turtles of Madagascar by Miguel Pedrono.
4. I recently gave up on attaining pancakes because of their generally shy nature. How are the Radiateds? Do they compare in personality to any of the more common species as far as being outgoing, interested and unafraid? Just looking for generalities here.
Radiateds are shy as hatchlings, but become pretty personable. I have heard them of being compared to redfoots. Mine aren't as personable as my redfoots, but mine are still pretty young.
5. I'm gathering that temps ought to be a little less extreme and less variable than some species. By that I mean lower highs and higher lows than say for a Russian or Leopard. What should the temps be? Day? Night? Basking spot?
I keep mine similar to a leopard or star tortoise, but they can tolerate cooler temps.
6. The internet sites say they come from the drier more open parts of Southwestern Madagascar. So, how well do they tolerate humidity? Are they best kept on the dry side? Are they prone to respiratory tract infections like the stars?
Google some of the weather in southern Madagascar. It is an island surrounded by water, so the humidity is higher than some people think. I keep the humidity up, but make sure they aren't wet. They aren't as susceptible to respiratory infections like the indian stars (burmese and sri lankans are more durable as well) in my experience. I live in the sonoran desert, so I have a constant battle of trying to keep it more humid. Many "desert" animals are not found in the heat of the day when it is the driest. Many are found when it is cooler and more humid. In Madagascar, Radiated tortoises are more commonly seen during the rainy season. During the dry season, the adults are less active and juveniles/babies tend to aestivate.
Thanks people. There might be one more soon joining your ranks.
I wouldn't say ranks...haha. The radiated tortoises are fun, but expensive. If you get studbook animals, get a copy of the studbook and that is fun to check out as well. Check out http://www.madagascartortoises.org as well
"
To answer your questions you can refer to a thread started by member Tom. He has a great reputation and startup help for many animals. The thread is called "radiated info" and should help you out! I will post some of his post, but the credit goes to him and you should read his guides, but there is a much more info within the forums here to help you as well.
To quote,
" (05-23-2010 09:43 PM)Tom Wrote:
1. If I do not cross state lines, do I need a permit of any kind to buy, sell, possess or breed this species?
You do NOT need a permit to possess or breed the species, but you will need a CBW permit (from USFWS) to transport the species across state lines. So, if you want to sell your offspring to another state or purchase animals from a different state, you better have that permit.
2. How hardy are they? Do they compare in hardiness to any other more common species like Leopards or CDTs?
I think they are hardier than leopards. I don't know what a CDT is...California Desert Tortoise? If so, that depends because a desert tortoise is very hardy in it's natural distribution but not the case in Alaska or Maine, etc. Radiated tortoises are the hardiest tortoise I have kept out of redfoots, sri lankan stars, and leopards. My russian tortoises are pretty tough as well.
3. Diet seems pretty straight forward, but are they more of a leaf eater or grass eater? Habitat descriptions just aren't clear on this.
I feed them both....a good mixture of grasses and leafy greens. A great source is a book called Tortoises and Turtles of Madagascar by Miguel Pedrono.
4. I recently gave up on attaining pancakes because of their generally shy nature. How are the Radiateds? Do they compare in personality to any of the more common species as far as being outgoing, interested and unafraid? Just looking for generalities here.
Radiateds are shy as hatchlings, but become pretty personable. I have heard them of being compared to redfoots. Mine aren't as personable as my redfoots, but mine are still pretty young.
5. I'm gathering that temps ought to be a little less extreme and less variable than some species. By that I mean lower highs and higher lows than say for a Russian or Leopard. What should the temps be? Day? Night? Basking spot?
I keep mine similar to a leopard or star tortoise, but they can tolerate cooler temps.
6. The internet sites say they come from the drier more open parts of Southwestern Madagascar. So, how well do they tolerate humidity? Are they best kept on the dry side? Are they prone to respiratory tract infections like the stars?
Google some of the weather in southern Madagascar. It is an island surrounded by water, so the humidity is higher than some people think. I keep the humidity up, but make sure they aren't wet. They aren't as susceptible to respiratory infections like the indian stars (burmese and sri lankans are more durable as well) in my experience. I live in the sonoran desert, so I have a constant battle of trying to keep it more humid. Many "desert" animals are not found in the heat of the day when it is the driest. Many are found when it is cooler and more humid. In Madagascar, Radiated tortoises are more commonly seen during the rainy season. During the dry season, the adults are less active and juveniles/babies tend to aestivate.
Thanks people. There might be one more soon joining your ranks.
I wouldn't say ranks...haha. The radiated tortoises are fun, but expensive. If you get studbook animals, get a copy of the studbook and that is fun to check out as well. Check out http://www.madagascartortoises.org as well
"
- Status
