Barb Lucy Trinity

[Dan]

Had these girls for a little under a month now. I'm very happy with their growth in this span. One has increased 50% in weight to 60 grams and the others from this group aren't far behind.

 

[KenS]

Looking good Dan!!

 

[Tom]

Very nice trio! Thanks for the pics. I would love to see regular updates and watch them grow. These are one of my favorites.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Three beauties there.
Lucky chap!

 

[G-stars]

Nice babies. Definitely my favorite species.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Beautiful coloration.

 

[Dan]

I think these are about 3 months old now.

 

[wellington]

Wait, you named one Barb? After me? So sweet of you I feel so honored Which one is she?
They look great.

 

[deadheadvet]

Not crazy about Cypress mulch for babies

 

[KenS]

I've been using cypress mulch on all my babies for years with only great results. If humidity and temps are done right no issues should arise. If kept too dry, issues can arise as they can dehydrate easy especially when they are newborns.

 

[Dan]

Yes, humidity and hydration are key. This cypress is being used in a kiddie pool and it has been misted with a hose before I set the trio outside in the sun to elevate humidity for the babies. They are weighed and soaked daily.

 

[Dan]

All are now above 60 grams. I understand that it's way too early to say for sure but I do perceive some similarities/differences in carapace and anal scute shapes, which might be significant. For entertainment purposes, humor me. Any guesses about these TSFs? I notice that the top one / left one has a higher dome whereas the other two seem squatter and that the same one also has an ever so slightly narrower gap between the anal scutes.

 

[Dan]

Had these tearing into pumpkin flowers today and they definitely prefer those to hibiscus.

 

[Yvonne G]

Not crazy about Cypress mulch for babies

Yeah, me neither. You just can't find it anymore that's a smaller, more comfortable size for them to walk on.

 

[Tom]

Not crazy about Cypress mulch for babies

Not my favorite either. Could you share with us why you don't like it and what you prefer? So few people keep this species and its so important to get everything right the first time, so I'm looking to learn everything I can from everyone who will share info?

 

[Tom]

All are now above 60 grams. I understand that it's way too early to say for sure but I do perceive some similarities/differences in carapace and anal scute shapes, which might be significant. For entertainment purposes, humor me. Any guesses about these TSFs? I notice that the top one / left one has a higher dome whereas the other two seem squatter and that the same one also has an ever so slightly narrower gap between the anal scutes.

I've got no guesses for you here, but I could sex all of mine at two years old. Males are already showing plastron concavity and tail length, carriage and size, is a very obvious give away even at this young age.

I'm also seeing some mounting, pursuits and shoving among the four males. I separated them from the females so the females can live and grow up in peace. I see none of this behavior with the females.

Another clue: Initially my males grew much faster than the females. At a little over two years old, the females are catching up and surpassing the males in size. My largest one is now a female.

Dan every one of yours is just tortoise perfection. I can't thank you enough for sharing them with us.

Another shout out to @KenS , the breeder and starter of this tortoise perfection!

 

[deadheadvet]

The risk of ingestion for youngsters is too high. I typically use Coco coir for youngsters and then switch to Cypress when they are at least a year of age. There are too many other choices out there than Cypress when they are little. In California, orchid bark is available, not here. For larger ones, I use plain organic top soil in 1 part of the enclosure. The big benefit w/ cypress, is it isn't dusty like the others. Keeps moisture well. Just because someone doesn't have an experience with problems with a substrate doesn't make it the best choice. Prevention is the key to perfect husbandry. Is there something I can do to avoid a potential problem? Am I feeding the right stuff? Is my lighting correct? Am I soaking my tortoises enough? Is the temperature correct?
So to be clear, I am not saying to not use Cypress, I am saying wait till they are bigger than go to it. Tortoises will eat things they shouldn't. Since they are notorious for eating tortoise feces, and it happens to be stuck to some mulch,it will accidentally be ingested with the possibility of obstruction. Coco coir is very fine and if ingested, will pass on through. Best to keep it moist as well. As far as bumping goes, there are times when it is a natural occurrence. I have 3.3 Burmese and 3 are smooth and 3 are bumpy. All kept in the same conditions. So genetics play a roll in how some tortoises will appear. They are all very healthy so my opinion is that there is too much worry about pyramiding except when it is very apparent that they are not being cared for properly.

 

[Dan]

Now at 88, 88, and 102 grams, respectively. Growing nicely...
Husbandry tips are appreciated and duly noted. Please take any further concerns to a forum section designated for that purpose, where I'll gladly engage in off topic discussion.

This is a brag post from a very pleased burmese star keeper. Thanks again KenS !

 

[KenS]

Dan, You are doing a GREAT job with your babies! I love seeing my babies grow up. Keep up the great work! Also, keep posting updated pictures as they grow. I have a few dozen people who have gotten babies from me over the last few years and they have been sending me pics about every few months since birth. Some now are almost adults and I just love seeing how they turned out! Keep up the good work

 

[Dan]