Anyone breeding Yellowfoots?

[REDFOOTMATT]

I was just wondering if anyone is breeding Yellowfoots successfully out there or had success in the past. I'd have some questions if you do.

 

[Yvonne G]

I had two beautiful adult females that were given to me by a fellow club member who couldn't keep them any longer. Then I took in a male and female from an overseas confiscation. Even though I quarantined the two new tortoises for 6 months before putting them with my existing two, one by one they all died except for one of the original females. In the meantime, the original that died pooped out several eggs inside the house between the wall and the pig blanket. I hatched out three babies. This was 3 or 4 years ago. I then received a young, not full grown male, then a couple weeks later received an even younger male. So now I have 2.1.3 yellowfoot tortoises. I have to keep the two males apart because the older one is very mean to the younger one. I've always got my eyes and ears open for another female or two, but I can't afford to pay very much. I'm hoping my three babies are female. That would work out well.

Yvonne

 

[Kristina]

Aw, Yvonne, I am sorry for the loss. I too would be wishing that my babies were all female!

I know what it is like not being able to pay much overhead... I take the best care of my critters, and I have a wonderful vet that accepts payments from me, but people don't understand sometimes that just because I can't pay a lot up front, doesn't mean I can't take good care of my animals.

Was there ever any diagnosis on what caused the death of the others?

Kristina

 

[Redfootedboxturtles]

I say this in every yellow foot thread, and I know it adds little to nothing. But I love yellow foots, they are the most underrated tortoise. I know glades herp breeds yellow foots and they are pretty good with answering questions via emails.

 

[Yvonne G]

No. There is a lab here that will do a very basic necropsy and that is (or was about 5 years ago) $70. This tells you that the tortoise is dead, and that the organs weigh xxx and seem normal and healthy. No cause of death is evident. For a more extensive necropsy and a tox screening it costs more. I just plain old don't have that kind of money. When I lost a couple of birds (Brotogeris) I sent one to the lab for necropsy, and the above report was what I got back for my $70.

Yvonne

 

[Kristina]

Ack, that is too bad. Obviously it had to be some organism/disease carried by the introduced torts. but who would have thought that it would have waited to manifest itself past a six month period? Myself, obviously, would have thought things were safe.

Really too bad, and very sad.

Kristina

 

[Tortugo]

Hi..I'm very sad for this story...
I read this thread because I'm informing myself about the maintenance in captivity of this wonderful specie. I read 2 books too, one of this is rally very interesting ("South American Tortoises -Chelonoidis carbonaria, C. denticulata and C.chilensis", Sabine Vinke, Thomas Vinke, Holger Vetter, Susanne Vetter, Edition Chimaira). I'm tanking 1.2 C. denticulata.
I send you some pictures of these turtles..I will take them at the end of this month.
They are in Italy for 2 years...I hope they are fine.
What do you think about them, are they hard to keep??
thank you so much
Best regards

 

[REDFOOTMATT]

Hi..I'm very sad for this story...
I read this thread because I'm informing myself about the maintenance in captivity of this wonderful specie. I read 2 books too, one of this is rally very interesting ("South American Tortoises -Chelonoidis carbonaria, C. denticulata and C.chilensis", Sabine Vinke, Thomas Vinke, Holger Vetter, Susanne Vetter, Edition Chimaira). I'm tanking 1.2 C. denticulata.
I send you some pictures of these turtles..I will take them at the end of this month.
They are in Italy for 2 years...I hope they are fine.
What do you think about them, are they hard to keep??
thank you so much
Best regards

I don't know yet, I've had Redfoots for years and I was thinking about trading some hatchlings for some YFs. Everyone tells me they are difficult to breed and I like a challenge so I might give it a go. I get wide range of opinions about these guys. Most ask me why I want to waste my time with them. To each his own I guess. I'm trying to stick with the rainforrest breeds at this time.

 

[Tortugo]

I will take only one couple at the end of this month. The smaller female and the male you can see in the pictures in my post.
I hope everything will be fine. I'm happy to share my experience with you about this tortoise.
I will send you the pictures of my couple as soon as I will take them.
Best regards

 

[Redfootedboxturtles]

Tortugo, keep them warm, humid and feed them alot of fruit and greens. Give them a lot of places to hide. They will do fine.

___
waste of time!? thats crazy! Yellow foots are awesome!

 

[Tortugo]

Thank you so much...
I prepared for them an indoor enclosure of 200 x 80 cm. I'm preparing the outdoor enclosure too, with a lot of plants.
I hope they will be fine.

 

[nrfitchett4]

maybe it was tortoise herpes that I have read about? It can lay dormant for years:
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/herpeswarning.htm

 

[dmmj]

Maybe I should open my own lab, 70$ to tell you it is dead wow, and it looked normal.

 

[nrfitchett4]

I've got a good saw, what else do you need?

 

[REDFOOTMATT]

I've got a good saw, what else do you need?

A strong stomache?

 

[Tortugo]

This is my couple of Yellowfoots tortoises. In the first picture there is the male, in the second there is the female. I have taken them February 28th 2009. I hope they are fine.

 

[jorrow]

Pretty torts Tortugo

 

[REDFOOTMATT]

This is my couple of Yellowfoots tortoises. In the first picture there is the male, in the second there is the female. I have taken them February 28th 2009. I hope they are fine.

Very nice specimens, looks like a humid enviroment. I'm on the look out for some locally, in which to trade some RF hatchlings for.