Thank you for the informative post cdmay.
Thanks Tom.
As my hero (and the founder of my alma mater) Emil Faber used to say, "Knowledge is good"
Carl
Faber College
Class of '82
Thank you for the informative post cdmay.
Ok, this thread has raised a few thoughts and questions for me.
Now for my questions.
I've noticed on a couple of occasions Pete mention basking. I've seen my adults basking but never my juveniles.
Do juveniles bask in the wild?
I was under the impression that even in the arid areas where carbonaria habitate there was stills months of rainfall certain times of the year. I thought throughout their habitats wet seasons could be anything from 4 months to 9 months long per year. Is this correct?
I was planning in my new enclosure to imitate a 6 to 8 month period of wet season, feeding higher friut and protein levels as they have a growth spurt. Then a 4 to 6 months dryer period backing off with fruit and protein levels to imitate a slow or none growth period. Am I way off with this thought process ?
Lastly, what may seem a wierd question, hypothetically speaking.
If I was to go to Bolivia collect a Bolivian redfoot and release it in Colombia, would this Tortoise thrive aswell as the Colombians?
Some brief answers to your questions. In order:
Yes...but neonates and juveniles bask much more cryptically. This is why they are so hard to find.
At THIS point, SOMEONE is screwing around with 'Nerd.
This is the only way to do this is misleading? Really? You must do this is misleading? Redfoot nerd is definetely NOT who I think of when I think of people on this forum saying you must do something a certain way.Some brief answers to your questions. In order:
Yes...but neonates and juveniles bask much more cryptically. This is why they are so hard to find.
Yes, even in dry thornscrub or the Gran Chaco there are periods of high rainfall and lush growth, but it's seasonal.
No, you're not way off in your thought process--but you are overthinking. It would be far too difficult to do what you describe in your home and it simply isn't necessary. As Allegra pointed out, they're tough. And I would add, adaptable too. No wonder they inhabit such a wide variety of habitats.
Last question. Yes a Bolivian red-foot tortoise would do fine in Colombia. But then I would have my doubts about a Colombian red-foot thriving in the harsh Bolivian (or Paraguayan) Chaco where freezing temperatures and long dry periods occur during the year. Could be wrong though.
I think that the reason many of us with years of experience with this (and other tortoise species) of tortoise have chimed in is because we realize that speaking in absolutes, i.e. 'you MUST do this' or 'this is the ONLY way to achieve success' can be misleading and discouraging.
This is the only way to do this is misleading? Really? You must do this is misleading? Redfoot nerd is definetely NOT who I think of when I think of people on this forum saying you must do something a certain way.
This is the only way to do this is misleading? Really? You must do this is misleading? Redfoot nerd is definetely NOT who I think of when I think of people on this forum saying you must do something a certain way.
I agree with what you're saying. But this discussion is here on redfoot nerds thread so one would think we are speaking in regards to him. Again, i agree that there is not one way to do things. Maybe a few other members (besides terry) need to be told that.So far I don't recall mentioning Red-foot Nerd at any point in this thread. At least not in a negative way.
But in answer to your question yes, speaking in absolutes---saying that 'this is the only way to achieve natural looking captive raised tortoise' or 'you must follow my direction or your tortoises will look screwed up' and things like that, is misleading simply because such statements aren't true. It also puts an unnecessary fear into a new keepers head.
Many, many keepers have achieved perfectly natural looking captive raised tortoises without following any specific care sheet directive--either Red-foot Nerd's or anyone elses. But I would quickly add that care sheets can be, and generally are beneficial.
This is the only way to do this is misleading? Really? You must do this is misleading? Redfoot nerd is definetely NOT who I think of when I think of people on this forum saying you must do something a certain way.
Why do we have to try and find offense where there is none? Discussion on any thread is welcome. Its what a forum is meant for. If you are trying to quash any discussion about the care of our tortoises, I must question why you come onto this forum, because you are attempting to destroy the sole purpose of it. Nobody here has insulted Terry in any way, and I firmly believe no one intends to. We are simply discussing his methods, and if we were unable to discuss someones methods, that would cause me to question the validity of them. The great thing about science is the requirement of peer review, and that firmly applies here as well.
Things don't come out correctly online. I absolutely do like the discussions and questioning. I adopted my first redfoot this past summer so have been enjoying reading the information. As long as that applies to all forum members. I agree with cdmay in that there is not just one way to do things and one persons way isn't the only way. But that applies to all.Why do we have to try and find offense where there is none? Discussion on any thread is welcome. Its what a forum is meant for. If you are trying to quash any discussion about the care of our tortoises, I must question why you come onto this forum, because you are attempting to destroy the sole purpose of it. Nobody here has insulted Terry in any way, and I firmly believe no one intends to. We are simply discussing his methods, and if we were unable to discuss someones methods, that would cause me to question the validity of them. The great thing about science is the requirement of peer review, and that firmly applies here as well.