Archelon
Member
Hello all-
I'm new to TFO. I'm a long time avid exotic pet enthusiast but I've been out of the reptile world for some time. I used to keep red tailed boas, iguanas, box turtles and others- although for about the past 10 years I've been raising two humans and two dogs.
Last spring while I was out fishing with my 7 year old daughter and 10 year old son, we caught a tiny painted turtle hatchling. The kids had fun watching it walk and swim and gave me a very hard time about releasing it – they wanted to take it home! Ever since then, they have been begging me to let them get a turtle. Fast forward to just before Christmas and I started doing research. Finally decided upon a red footed tortoise hatchling, but could not order just one with the two kids. We have a starter enclosure on order, but plan on building a more suitable habitat, likely divided to give us the ability to keep them separate if need be. I am still researching substrate, heat/light sources, diet and supplements.
We have veggies, romaine, cuttlebone and fruit. I have them in a 20 gallon fish tank for now, on cypress mulch and a bit of sphagnum moss in a little cardboard "cave". I have heat lights from previous pets and picked up some new heat and UVB bulbs to start. The tank was used for a snake so it already had an under tank heater. Temp in the enclosure is 80, with the basking area running about 92 on a low flat piece of slate that is embedded in the substrate.
This is all temporary, I'm trying to do the best I can until I get their permanent digs constructed.
I am sure I will have plenty of questions for the forum moving forward. I introduced myself last night and was amazed at what a knowledgeable, avid and polite group you have here.
To get started, here are some pics of the torts- still trying to figure out their sex...my wife thinks that the yellow foot is a male and the red footed is a female but I suspect that they might both be female.
They are SOOOO ADORABLE!!!
We are surprised at how outgoing and adventurous they are, especially the yellow.
I'm new to TFO. I'm a long time avid exotic pet enthusiast but I've been out of the reptile world for some time. I used to keep red tailed boas, iguanas, box turtles and others- although for about the past 10 years I've been raising two humans and two dogs.
Last spring while I was out fishing with my 7 year old daughter and 10 year old son, we caught a tiny painted turtle hatchling. The kids had fun watching it walk and swim and gave me a very hard time about releasing it – they wanted to take it home! Ever since then, they have been begging me to let them get a turtle. Fast forward to just before Christmas and I started doing research. Finally decided upon a red footed tortoise hatchling, but could not order just one with the two kids. We have a starter enclosure on order, but plan on building a more suitable habitat, likely divided to give us the ability to keep them separate if need be. I am still researching substrate, heat/light sources, diet and supplements.
We have veggies, romaine, cuttlebone and fruit. I have them in a 20 gallon fish tank for now, on cypress mulch and a bit of sphagnum moss in a little cardboard "cave". I have heat lights from previous pets and picked up some new heat and UVB bulbs to start. The tank was used for a snake so it already had an under tank heater. Temp in the enclosure is 80, with the basking area running about 92 on a low flat piece of slate that is embedded in the substrate.
This is all temporary, I'm trying to do the best I can until I get their permanent digs constructed.
I am sure I will have plenty of questions for the forum moving forward. I introduced myself last night and was amazed at what a knowledgeable, avid and polite group you have here.
To get started, here are some pics of the torts- still trying to figure out their sex...my wife thinks that the yellow foot is a male and the red footed is a female but I suspect that they might both be female.
They are SOOOO ADORABLE!!!
We are surprised at how outgoing and adventurous they are, especially the yellow.
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