How big will he get?
- Thread starter scooter27
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On http://www.tortoisesupply.com/products/Redfoot-Tortoise.html it says 12"-14" I trust them 
14" is about the biggest I've ever seen.Usually,it about 12-13".
We had one years ago as a drop off, he was alomost 16".
Whenever people ask I always just say about a foot. Cover the 12" give or take an inch or two general size range.
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It depends. Also keep in mind it will take years for them to get that big.
http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Largest-Longest-Non-Gran-Chaco-Red-Foot-That-You-Have-Ever-Seen
http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Largest-Longest-Non-Gran-Chaco-Red-Foot-That-You-Have-Ever-Seen
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Over ten at least.
scooter27 said:
Ahh, you're catching on. This is usually one of the first lessons that tort keepers learn and was definitely one of the first things I figured out as well.
Pet stores = ignorance.
First of all you don't have to worry about seeing yours grow to 16".. you may not live that long. A 16" redfoot is a serious antique!
In Dec. 1998 I bought 3 Northern redfoot hatchlings.. probly hatched in May or June [ maybe earlier ].. don't know for sure. The smallest is less than 10" SCL and the other 2 are around 12" SCL.
Jackrat has one of the other 2 which have always been around the same size.. maybe he can measure her and see what we get.
I also have two early '05 hatchlings that are 8"+/- ! The point is..... during the first 5 years they grow to more than half their adult size and then for the next 7-8 years they grow only half that much to become average sized adults.
My alpha female was almost 12" in the summer of '06 and is now a little over 13". Until the past couple years they have all been overfed I'm sure. Not something I'm proud of.... but without a doubt ( quote me if you like ) "The worst thing you can do to a redfoot hatchling is feed it too much!". That means they can and will survive little errors in care easier than overfeeding them.
NERD
GENERALLY SPEAKING! Those most ignorant about [ redfoot ] tortoises? = Pet shops and Veterinarians
In Dec. 1998 I bought 3 Northern redfoot hatchlings.. probly hatched in May or June [ maybe earlier ].. don't know for sure. The smallest is less than 10" SCL and the other 2 are around 12" SCL.
Jackrat has one of the other 2 which have always been around the same size.. maybe he can measure her and see what we get.
I also have two early '05 hatchlings that are 8"+/- ! The point is..... during the first 5 years they grow to more than half their adult size and then for the next 7-8 years they grow only half that much to become average sized adults.
My alpha female was almost 12" in the summer of '06 and is now a little over 13". Until the past couple years they have all been overfed I'm sure. Not something I'm proud of.... but without a doubt ( quote me if you like ) "The worst thing you can do to a redfoot hatchling is feed it too much!". That means they can and will survive little errors in care easier than overfeeding them.
NERD
GENERALLY SPEAKING! Those most ignorant about [ redfoot ] tortoises? = Pet shops and Veterinarians
I just measured her and she is exactly 12".Very heavy and solid.
toxodon said:
seriously? another proof of ignorance, mine is about 4 1/2" and i was told he was less then a year...huh...
im in the process of making him an enclosure big enough for a 14", considering it'll take him so long to grow, should i continue making it that big? or make it a smaller size, and expand as he grows?
A bigger enclosure isn't going to hurt anything,but it will be years before yours gets to that size.Plenty of time to expand as your tort grows.
12"-14" is a good working number, but personally I would not try to raise a baby in an adult's habitat. On the other hand, I have no intention of making another whole series of homes of increasing size!
If I were doing one baby over again, I would do...
- Medium tub or aquarium (20-40 gallon range)
- Big tub ('hauler' or Christmas tree storage)
- 8x4' or so table
I have 4 (hopefully to be 5 this spring) babies, so I started in the big tub range, and the next step will be another big tub and split the herd. THEN the table, which I am aiming for about the equivalent of about 10x5'
If I were doing one baby over again, I would do...
- Medium tub or aquarium (20-40 gallon range)
- Big tub ('hauler' or Christmas tree storage)
- 8x4' or so table
I have 4 (hopefully to be 5 this spring) babies, so I started in the big tub range, and the next step will be another big tub and split the herd. THEN the table, which I am aiming for about the equivalent of about 10x5'
Okay, let's put it this way...
I have one Redfoot that was dropped off this last summer. She was at the time 3 3/4", and two and a half years old. She had lived all her life in a 10 gallon tank. She was kept dry (is heavily pyramided) and fed only pelleted foods (she literally grew to over 5" in the three months she lived outside at my house.)
I have a hatchling Redfoot that is about 5 months old, and just over 3". He has been fed good quality greens and flowers since birth, and also kept very humid since birth (bought him from Terry K. (Redfoot NERD).) He has no pyramiding and is very healthy.
A lot of how fast they grow depends on care. It is flat out IMPOSSIBLE for a tortoise to reach full size in 6 months, and I don't know whether to laugh or cry that they told you that. Petsmart and Petco also seem to like to tell people that their Russian tortoises are about a year old, when they are probably closer to 6-10 years old.
My biggest female also grew a LOT this past summer, and is now close to 14". She is massive, and weighs around the same as a cinder block I swear, lol.
I have one Redfoot that was dropped off this last summer. She was at the time 3 3/4", and two and a half years old. She had lived all her life in a 10 gallon tank. She was kept dry (is heavily pyramided) and fed only pelleted foods (she literally grew to over 5" in the three months she lived outside at my house.)
I have a hatchling Redfoot that is about 5 months old, and just over 3". He has been fed good quality greens and flowers since birth, and also kept very humid since birth (bought him from Terry K. (Redfoot NERD).) He has no pyramiding and is very healthy.
A lot of how fast they grow depends on care. It is flat out IMPOSSIBLE for a tortoise to reach full size in 6 months, and I don't know whether to laugh or cry that they told you that. Petsmart and Petco also seem to like to tell people that their Russian tortoises are about a year old, when they are probably closer to 6-10 years old.
My biggest female also grew a LOT this past summer, and is now close to 14". She is massive, and weighs around the same as a cinder block I swear, lol.
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