This is my humble attempt to show pics and info about the infamous Brazilian Redfoot tortoise.
Some info may be questionable.. this is not posted for debate. One of my one-liners:
We may all have differences of opinions.. but we don't have different facts!
Additions to this on my site are always welcome.. send your pics to - [email protected]
See here - https://turtletary.com/brazil.html
Brazilian Redfoot Tortoises
*****
Extensive tutorial of Brazilian locale redfoot tortoises.
Although I don't keep / breed them anymore...
here's what it once was!
( note dates in pics )
First things first.. about the 'infamous' "Cherryhead" tortoise!!!
Named by the 'first' importers - late 80's early '90's - as the:
"DWARF Paraguayan Cherryhead Tortoise"!
A name that has haunted the redfoot community since!
First of all it is a .carbonaria [ redfoot ] just like every other locale
redfoot tortoise!
Nothing special or rare about them other than some are very red
and have different 'carapace/plastron' patterns during different stages
of development -- just like every other locale of redfoot tortoise!
Colombians are all "yellow"-- Bolivians are "peach/orange" and HUGE!
Unfortunately when they were first imported from
Paraguay.. [ because Brazil was closed for exportation..
they were smuggled into Paraguay ] they came in as young adults -
males were showing beginnings' of 'concave plastrons' at only 6" SCL.
Nothing "DWARF" / Cherryhead about them.. they were just smaller and redder
than those they had imported from Guyana / Suriname for decades before.
My alpha male was a solid 10" SCL at 10 years old - still young!
++++
There reportedly is a small pocket of "Dwarf's" out there - very unlikely their
blood-line is to be found! She is right at 8" SCL .. shown digging a nest!
These pics are from Oct. 2007 -
In over 20 years have not seen 'any' that come close to that small!!!
++++
"Comparisons"
...
One of the differences of the Brazilian locale is the 'bulbous' nose!
Compared to 'Northern' locale..
If yours does not have a 'fat' nose.. it is NOT pure Brazilian!
Another thing is - 'on the average' - in their 2nd year.. the carapace
starts to "marble" - sometimes they are 'extreme' -- but usually it
fades after 2 years.. however sometimes it lasts much longer.
One of my hatchlings just shy 2 yrs. old -
And a few from other breeders -
And the 'extreme' !
I suspect this one is 4+ yrs. old.. at least.
These 3pics are from 'old' friend that sent the two hatchlings [ below ]..
in early 2005 - that grew up to be outstanding males!
( thank you CM )
I imagine that 'marbling' stayed for a long while!!!
++++
My FIRST young Adult Brazilian ever was in Sept. 2005.. a real stud at shy 7" SCL -
showing the remains of carapace 'marbling' and fantastic plastron
'marbling'! He was just showing plastron concavity!
My very first Adult Brazilian female was acquired a few months later .. in Jan. 2006 -
She was 10" SCL and had that beautiful 'marbled' plastron -
++++
Alpha Male at 5+ yrs. old -
At about 7 yrs. old he had grown to a solid 10" SCL..
++++
Alpha Female nesting inside..
Seen here in the 'nesting-trance' -
And the results!
"Repositioning" eggs while nesting outside -
And a favorite shot of them both outside -
Have always wondered why the males would get in the females' face..
while they were nesting?
They made some very unique babies!!!
This "Red" male and "Orange" female made a few of these..
I called them "BlackBR" -
This is a prime example of the color variations among the Brazilian locale.
Have always wondered if the vast differences of 'flora' throughout
Brazil make a difference?
NOT ALL Brazilians are "cherry-red" as some may have thought!
++++
A variety of early and late... kept over a decade!
An 'old' friend sent me these two in May 2005 at 2+ months old -
And those 'noses'!
They both grew to be males!
At 9 months -
3 +/- years old - notice how smooth they've grown!
[ see the Caresheet that created them HERE ]
Great blood-line!!!
Perfect growth!
4 yrs 7 mos here!
++++
Early pic of outdoor habitat.. planted
with 'Rose-of-Sharon' that created a mix of "forest"
and "savannah" to escape into or browse -
A rare shot of them in the sun!!!
"SPECIALS"
A 'friend' from Rio de Janeiro .. sent pics of this 'special'..
note the color / pattern on the neck of this nesting female!
And this female raised from a yearling sent by Yvonne G / TFO -
love the head-leg colors and neck patterns also!
I knew when I first saw this one.. that 'she' was "Special"!!!
What a plastron !
Of course the female that created the 2 males from CM -
[ the hatchlings from 2005 were not from this nesting ]
Some info may be questionable.. this is not posted for debate. One of my one-liners:
We may all have differences of opinions.. but we don't have different facts!
Additions to this on my site are always welcome.. send your pics to - [email protected]
See here - https://turtletary.com/brazil.html
Brazilian Redfoot Tortoises
*****
Extensive tutorial of Brazilian locale redfoot tortoises.
Although I don't keep / breed them anymore...
here's what it once was!
( note dates in pics )
First things first.. about the 'infamous' "Cherryhead" tortoise!!!
Named by the 'first' importers - late 80's early '90's - as the:
"DWARF Paraguayan Cherryhead Tortoise"!
A name that has haunted the redfoot community since!
First of all it is a .carbonaria [ redfoot ] just like every other locale
redfoot tortoise!
Nothing special or rare about them other than some are very red
and have different 'carapace/plastron' patterns during different stages
of development -- just like every other locale of redfoot tortoise!
Colombians are all "yellow"-- Bolivians are "peach/orange" and HUGE!
Unfortunately when they were first imported from
Paraguay.. [ because Brazil was closed for exportation..
they were smuggled into Paraguay ] they came in as young adults -
males were showing beginnings' of 'concave plastrons' at only 6" SCL.
Nothing "DWARF" / Cherryhead about them.. they were just smaller and redder
than those they had imported from Guyana / Suriname for decades before.
My alpha male was a solid 10" SCL at 10 years old - still young!
++++
There reportedly is a small pocket of "Dwarf's" out there - very unlikely their
blood-line is to be found! She is right at 8" SCL .. shown digging a nest!
These pics are from Oct. 2007 -
In over 20 years have not seen 'any' that come close to that small!!!
++++
"Comparisons"
...
One of the differences of the Brazilian locale is the 'bulbous' nose!
Compared to 'Northern' locale..
If yours does not have a 'fat' nose.. it is NOT pure Brazilian!
Another thing is - 'on the average' - in their 2nd year.. the carapace
starts to "marble" - sometimes they are 'extreme' -- but usually it
fades after 2 years.. however sometimes it lasts much longer.
One of my hatchlings just shy 2 yrs. old -
And a few from other breeders -
And the 'extreme' !
I suspect this one is 4+ yrs. old.. at least.
These 3pics are from 'old' friend that sent the two hatchlings [ below ]..
in early 2005 - that grew up to be outstanding males!
( thank you CM )
I imagine that 'marbling' stayed for a long while!!!
++++
My FIRST young Adult Brazilian ever was in Sept. 2005.. a real stud at shy 7" SCL -
showing the remains of carapace 'marbling' and fantastic plastron
'marbling'! He was just showing plastron concavity!
My very first Adult Brazilian female was acquired a few months later .. in Jan. 2006 -
She was 10" SCL and had that beautiful 'marbled' plastron -
++++
Alpha Male at 5+ yrs. old -
At about 7 yrs. old he had grown to a solid 10" SCL..
++++
Alpha Female nesting inside..
Seen here in the 'nesting-trance' -
And the results!
"Repositioning" eggs while nesting outside -
And a favorite shot of them both outside -
Have always wondered why the males would get in the females' face..
while they were nesting?
They made some very unique babies!!!
This "Red" male and "Orange" female made a few of these..
I called them "BlackBR" -
This is a prime example of the color variations among the Brazilian locale.
Have always wondered if the vast differences of 'flora' throughout
Brazil make a difference?
NOT ALL Brazilians are "cherry-red" as some may have thought!
++++
A variety of early and late... kept over a decade!
An 'old' friend sent me these two in May 2005 at 2+ months old -
And those 'noses'!
They both grew to be males!
At 9 months -
3 +/- years old - notice how smooth they've grown!
[ see the Caresheet that created them HERE ]
Great blood-line!!!
Perfect growth!
4 yrs 7 mos here!
++++
Early pic of outdoor habitat.. planted
with 'Rose-of-Sharon' that created a mix of "forest"
and "savannah" to escape into or browse -
A rare shot of them in the sun!!!
"SPECIALS"
A 'friend' from Rio de Janeiro .. sent pics of this 'special'..
note the color / pattern on the neck of this nesting female!
And this female raised from a yearling sent by Yvonne G / TFO -
love the head-leg colors and neck patterns also!
I knew when I first saw this one.. that 'she' was "Special"!!!
What a plastron !
Of course the female that created the 2 males from CM -
[ the hatchlings from 2005 were not from this nesting ]