He's Arrived

[Kymiie]

RE: Hes Arrived

Feel free to say no, but is it possible you could post a close up picture of the tooth... im facinated
I can see it but not very good

xx

 

[Defiant]

RE: Hes Arrived

Feel free to say no, but is it possible you could post a close up picture of the tooth... im facinated
I can see it but not very good

xx

Not a problem. I could not get a clear enough picture but this is one from Terry's thread you can see it really well. Its the little spike on his nose its kinda milky clear.

 

[Meg90]

RE: Hes Arrived

He's beautiful Defiant! I'm betting he was well worth the wait!

Man, one of the prettiest little cherries I've seen!

Congratulations! May the tort bug be kind to you. I swore I would stop at one, and alas, now have three with plans for more!

 

[Defiant]

RE: Hes Arrived

Here he is eating breakfast this morning. Yummy food processed collard greens.

 

[terryo]

RE: Hes Arrived

His coloring is spectacular. Keep taking those pictures, because when he grows up you will be so happy to look back and see how cute he was.

 

[Kymiie]

RE: Hes Arrived

I love the egg tooth!
makes him look like a dinosour RAWR

xx

 

[BethyB1022]

RE: Hes Arrived

What a sweet baby! I love the coloring, makes me want a redfoot of my own even more!

 

[Redfoot NERD]

RE: Hes Arrived

AND is eating on his own within 16 days of hatching?????
Isn't that unusually fast?

Why is that a shock? Do tortoises need to be hand fed for a while?

Still has his egg tooth.

Whats an egg tooth? Pictures?

xxx

Kymiie, you can see the little white spec on the center of his face? thats the egg tooth. What they use to get out of the shell. It eventually falls off. I just don't know when.

Chewbecca, he took a few bites of collard greens and a little bite of a strawberry other than that hes just been sleeping. I put a little bowl of more greens in his humid hide. See if he eats or not.

HMMMMMM?????

Those are very nice colors on that little guy!

Since you asked:

Rebecca was concerned that he was shipped as soon as he was. I don't ship until they have established an eating pattern for 6 weeks minimum.. to eliminate any possible problems as a result of the shock of being shipped.

They will eat before the egg-tooth is absorbed! It varies 4-6 weeks usually. Of course there are always exceptions and extremes.

No it is not necessary to hand feed.. ever.

Stop handling him now! Give him a chance to "start" right.. since he was fed mazuri first - now you have him on greens.. keep him on greens for a couple of more weeks.. no sweet fruit. He doesn't need [ anymore of ] that "carb" overload that he got from the mazuri.. virtually right out of the egg.

The thread you got the 'egg-tooth' pic from is an average time-frame from hatch to first eating. Seldom do they eat before 16-18 days.. out of the egg! That's been my experience with several.

FWIW...

Terry K

 

[Stephanie Logan]

RE: Hes Arrived

Such miniature perfection with his own individual "stamp" of glorious crimson coloring!

And that egg-tooth is just so endearing.

Tiny, tiny, though; do be careful to attend to every detail so he stays healthy and strong...what is his name again?

 

[Defiant]

Yeah I have left him alone other than to offer him greens and mist him down. He sticks his head out of the moss to feel the water I'm assuming. Or he's just wondering who the hell let the light in . His temp in the humid hide is 84 degrees with 96% humidity. How long would you recommend leaving him alone aside from misting and food?

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm pretty sure the egg tooth (caruncle) falls off, rather than being absorbed.

 

[Defiant]

Everyone is right I googled it. Turtles, crocodilians, and birds have an analogous horny structure that is reabsorbed or falls off.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Yeah I have left him alone other than to offer him greens and mist him down. He sticks his head out of the moss to feel the water I'm assuming. Or he's just wondering who the hell let the light in . His temp in the humid hide is 84 degrees with 96% humidity. How long would you recommend leaving him alone aside from misting and food?

Forever!

You mist when they come out ( on their own ).. and make the food and water-dish available.. they'll figure it out from there on their own.

That's simple enough isn't it?

Terry K

---

Everyone is right I googled it. Turtles, crocodilians, and birds have an analogous horny structure that is reabsorbed or falls off.

Remember we're not talking about birds.. we're talking about redfoot tortoises here.. so what you Googled doesn't apply Defiant. Actually they really absorb and grow 'around' the egg-tooth.

In 5 years and several hatchlings I've yet to find a fallen tooth.

Terry K

 

[t_mclellan]

Just to swim against the stream! Cuz thats what I do!
What about a hatchling fed on a tile or slate, Maybe there is cuttle bone or a rock it gnaws on?
Do ya think maybe, Just maybe on some occasions the egg tooth wears off?