I got a package today... Wanna see what was in it?

[Kristina]

Remember this guy???

Concentric WHITE Diamond Back Terrapin

Guess who he belongs to now?!?!

We built him an above tank basking area, so that he can utilize the full volume of the tank for water space. I will get some full tank shots tonight after dark, when I can do it without a glare, lol.

But wait... I'm not finished

Remember THIS guy??

Lil' "RUNT" Cherryhead

That little Black-cherry video..

Hee hee hee...

You know how Terry always says his babies eat RIGHT out of the box???

He isn't exaggerating. They really do. I took these pics about ten minutes after opening the box...

Have to say... I was a purt-ty darn happy girl this morning when I opened that box

 

[Annieski]

Very---Very Beautiful.

 

[Isa]

Congratulationsss
They are beautiful!

 

[Jacqui]

Like the basking area for the DBT. Of course you already know, they are both beautiful animals.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Wait til Kristina gets my bill for the little 'black-cherry'

Glad you're the "happy-girl"...

NERD

 

[Kristina]

HA! I am sure I can handle what ever you throw at me, Terry. Eventually, anyway LOL!!!

Very, very happy, and you know it

Thanks everybody!

 

[jensgotfaith]

Gorgeous!!!

 

[Traveller]

Aw a pair of cuties!
Congrats, love the basking area.

 

[Candy]

I take it you got both of them from Terry? Wow they're beautiful. We want to see pictures now of the Cherryheads enclosure.

 

[Kristina]

Yup, I did get them both from Terry

The baby's set up is a very basic set up, consisting of a large sweater box, slightly elevated on one end. On the higher end is damp Mosser Lee moss for burying in, and on the lower end water pools. I just have white paper towels on the rest, and small slate tile to feed on. Terry uses this set up for his babies, so I copied it

I'll get him set up in a terrarium in the future.

 

[ChiKat]

Soo exciting! Two new babies- aren't you lucky
I love the basking area you created for the DBT!
Do they have names yet?

 

[Tom]

Very nice. Congratulations.

 

[Kristina]

Nope, no names yet. I am starting to slack off on the names as I get more, lol. They do at least all have nick-names. The little Greek we call either "Snack Bite" or "Pizza Roll," lol, because she is so tiny and I take her with me if we go any where over night. I take her whole enclosure and light, but she travels in a little GladWare snack container I'll take little Black Cherry with me too when I go to my grandparents overnight tomorrow. The adult torts have plenty of food items in their pens, but I don't want the babies to skip a meal.

 

[terryo]

Congrats! I know EXACTLY how you feel....opening that box Kristina. Your new additions are both beautiful.

 

[Kristina]

Thanks Terry! I love your new baby as well

 

[HarleyK]

The scutes on the black cherry are special.

 

[Kristina]

Yes, they very much are. He has a split scute, (she? Most tortoises with split scutes seem to be female, but only time will tell...) and also, look at the color. Most baby Redfoots are born with almost the entire center of the scute yellow - that is what creates the yellow points on the carapace of an adult Redfoot. This little guy/gal has only a tiny yellow slash in the center of each scute. Imagine how black this kid will be as an adult! Almost solid.

This is another one of Terry's babies, for comparison

That baby grew to look like this -

There is no red on the body, none on the back legs, and only the "hook" scales on the front legs are red - just one tiny red scale on each leg. The head only has two tiny red dots, that I have a feeling they will fade with age.

This little guy probably never would have survived in the wild. He is smaller than "normal" hatchlings, and Terry had to help him out of the egg. That is probably why we don't see this coloration in wild tortoises. They simply are too small/weak to make it out of the egg/nest. I love that he is special and unusual, and the color to me is awesome. When Terry first posted him, I just had to have him!

I can't wait to see what he will look like, in a year...

 

[PeanutbuttER]

GAH! I didn't even know that little black guy was for sale... Love how dark he is. If I'd known I might have tried to snatch him/her up as well...

 

[Kristina]

I pinned Terry down the day he posted about him the first time Sorry.... He wasn't ever actually posted for sale.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Yes, they very much are. He has a split scute, (she? Most tortoises with split scutes seem to be female, but only time will tell...) and also, look at the color. Most baby Redfoots are born with almost the entire center of the scute yellow - that is what creates the yellow points on the carapace of an adult Redfoot. This little guy/gal has only a tiny yellow slash in the center of each scute. Imagine how black this kid will be as an adult! Almost solid.

This is another one of Terry's babies, for comparison

That baby grew to look like this -

There is no red on the body, none on the back legs, and only the "hook" scales on the front legs are red - just one tiny red scale on each leg. The head only has two tiny red dots, that I have a feeling they will fade with age.

This little guy probably never would have survived in the wild. He is smaller than "normal" hatchlings, and Terry had to help him out of the egg. That is probably why we don't see this coloration in wild tortoises. They simply are too small/weak to make it out of the egg/nest. I love that he is special and unusual, and the color to me is awesome. When Terry first posted him, I just had to have him!

I can't wait to see what he will look like, in a year...

It's true I did help little 'black-cherry' out of the egg.. however the #4 baby didn't grow up to be that one - sorry - he left at about 8 weeks old and haven't seen him since.

This one -

Looked like this.. in 18 months.

So there is a good chance that 'black-cherry' will be solid black!

Terry K