Chersina Angulata

tortadise

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Commercial tortoise diet. It's very good. Marion tortoise pellets. I don't use it but I have. They were eating lots of with favor at my vets. Here they eat grass in the enclosure, cactus blooms and are offered some greens. Have eaten everything offered.
 

Flipper

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Commercial tortoise diet. It's very good. Marion tortoise pellets. I don't use it but I have. They were eating lots of with favor at my vets. Here they eat grass in the enclosure, cactus blooms and are offered some greens. Have eaten everything offered.
Oh, ok, thanks :) I just ordered some Mazuri for my new baby. That ok too, right?
 

tortadise

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I believe I've read that they need a substantial day/night temperature drop. Is that correct Kelly?
I was a little too broad with my previous answer. Yes they do exhibit very highs and lows in the wild. However it's not per say 38 at night to 110 during the day. The seasons wet and dry(winter and summer) are both about equal in temperatures variants. Winter obviously is cooler, but still warms up. The temps will be around the same percentage or minimum to maximums just cooler. One season will have rain and more moisture. The difficulty with these and many Southern Hemisphere species is that there backwards to our seasons. Our summer is there winter vise versa. So you have to establish these guys and offset there winter and summer with captivity. Keeping these(any species really) at constant temps with a basking side is not going to work at all. It can work for many species but it's not quite natural in my opinion. Drops in temp and elevation in temps with extreme moisture sand dissolution of moisture over hourly period is crucial for this species and many others. Detailed husbandry for sure is a must with this species.
 

mitchellr

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Yeah but not too much. The drop to rise and moisture elevation and decrease throughout the day has worked very well for them. Now were at mid to high 90s and low to mid 70s which gives a good drop. Mid day I simulate a "rain" heavy spray down. They come out and graze and eat at this point. So far they are doing very well. But yes stable temps are not suitable for this species and other species of South Africa or any arid environment.
Including the radiated and yniphoras?
 

tortadise

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They sure do love hibiscus and cactus blooms. Kinda hate picking the flowers off the cactus because the bees are all over them, but there's more plants to pollinate around the property for the bees.
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tortadise

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Including the radiated and yniphoras?
Yep. Where those guys are found they do have a drop especially during "wet" season. Being captive bred throughout the world(mainly radiata and not yniphora) those protocols can be scued a bit in care. If wild collected, which I advise highly against for those species and should never happen now days, than it's crucial to follow natural weather patterns to acclimate them in captivity.
 

tortadise

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Joan is doing fantastic. The male unfortunately didn't make it, never adjusted 100% so he passed. Necropsy showed nothing. Sucks but this species is commonly difficult to acclimate in captivity. Joan will eat anything, I seriously mean anything offered is eaten.

Enjoying some junk food(ret tip lettuce)
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juli11

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Cool guys. I hope that they acclimate 100% in the next years. And I don't know why but I think that South African species are one of the hardest species to acclimate...
 

tortadise

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Cool guys. I hope that they acclimate 100% in the next years. And I don't know why but I think that South African species are one of the hardest species to acclimate...
They are indeed. The female is just fine. Very active, eating anything, the male didn't do well. A colleague/friend of mine has some pretty extensive South African chelonian experience. He was just there actually. Whatever dies off within the first 6 months was not going to make it anyways, seems to be so far about 20% from all that came in.
 

tortadise

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Were these two purposely ripped from their wild land?
These came from sanctuaries in South Africa. They have very strict keeping laws of native animals. So when people get them confiscated they are not allow to be returned to the wild. So every once in a while these organizations get overrun and send them abroad. So no they were not traditionally wild collected for export.
 

ascott

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These came from sanctuaries in South Africa. They have very strict keeping laws of native animals. So when people get them confiscated they are not allow to be returned to the wild. So every once in a while these organizations get overrun and send them abroad. So no they were not traditionally wild collected for export.

Similar to the CDT here....I get it...right on...
 

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