"NEW" Cherryhead FEMALE

[Redfoot NERD]

This story started out not very good.. really sad as a matter of fact.

A MA Herp Society friend contacted me to say that he was able to rescue [ wait'll you hear this ] an adult female Brazilian. He told me that a younger person contacted him and asked him if he would take this big "TURTLE" that they had raised. The story goes that she was a hatchling raised in a 55 gallon aquarium on newspaper and fed Reptomin pellets! Have no idea what kind of water dish.. probly no hide..... I hate to think what else - this really hurts to even write this. She got so big that she couldn't even turn around in the aquarium.

He took her and checked her over - excellent health!!! ( unbelieveable ) she had never seen another redfoot ever - and virtually shipped her to me the next day - mid Aug. '09.

Since the temps were good I immediately placed her outside into a quarantine enclosure and watched to see what she would do. She didn't move out from under the Rose of Sharon for 2 days.

Introducing our new girl coming out from under her 'corner-hide' -

She started cruising and hasn't stopped!

Eating her first "real" food - Hibiscus bloom!

I felt it was worth a video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq__RF_srdI

More 'inside' info soon...

NERD

 

[jblayza]

Awesome story! Glad she's in good hands now. The part about how she grew up is not awesome, but the fact she is in perfect health and in great hands now is awesome. Happy endings rock!!!

 

[Isa]

I love happy endings . I am glad she lives with you now!

 

[Yvonne G]

Ya know? It just kills me that folks uneducated in turtle/tortoise care can raise a tortoise under the absolutely wrong conditions and have the tortoise turn out looking almost normal. And others try their darndest to do the right thing and end up with mis-shapen or sick animals.

The only thing I notice from her picture is that her head seems a little small for her body.

Thank goodness she was rescued from those awful conditions!

 

[terryo]

It's wonderful that you got her Terry K. She'll have a good home now. But, I find it so hard to believe that she lived under those conditions for all that time and turned out looking like that and so healthy. They must have taken her outside for sun, or let her roam around for some kind of exercise. Something....anything... I have seen rescue Boxies and water turtles (I have one now) that were kept in those same conditions you speak of, or even better, and are so deformed and sick. I don't know a thing about Redfoots, so of course I could be definitely wrong, but it's just so strange that she is in such good condition. How old would you say she is?

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

She is really beautiful, and is looking amazingly healthy. Is this your first rescued tort? She couldn't be put in better hands.

 

[Madkins007]

Beautiful! It is absolutely amazing how resilient these guys can be in so many ways.

 

[fhintz]

Glad you got her. She looks like a happy tort indeed in her new home.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

You haven't heard the best part yet.

It is amazing how bullet-proof these guys are. The only thing I can figure.. and this ties in with what Yvonne says.. is she must have been started right! That means the process of absorbing the yolk-sac and allowing the eating habits to start - even tho they weren't followed up with the best and she was fed probly lettuce and carrots - who knows.. she did get a lot of protein. You'll see what I'm talking about as we follow the progress in the "PIP" thread.

The biggest problems that newbies have to overcome ( and the reason there are so many issues ) is the way the torts are started - I've heard this too many times.. "Should they have yolk-sacs and egg-tooths"?

Inside in late Oct. '09 -

After a couple of weeks she fit right in -

I did feed her off to the side for awhile until she felt more at home.

And she soon was eating her greens and fruit.. likes collards -

It may not show very well in this pic.. but her plastron is pretty rough -

I have no idea how old she is.. but my guess would be that she is very young.. maybe 7-8 years. She has great weight and mass! And 10" SCL.

In my humble opinion - "rescued" is a relative term Jordan. Rescued means saving a tortoise from someone who has kept one alive for 5 months by the grace of GOD.. and although the habitat should be changed considerably..
they know all there is to know and are advising others

- I'm being nice.

Hint: I think she might have a boy-friend.. hahahahahahahaha!

Terry K

 

[Stephanie Logan]

I just got on here, so I have no idea what that last part meant.

I just want to say "lovely lady!" She's beautiful--must have some strong genes! I watched the video twice.

Congratulations and may she repay your kindness with healthy, "cherryheaded" hatchlings.

 

[terryo]

Wow! I really don't understand this at all. I did water turtle "rescue" for years, and also have seen many boxies that really needed rescuing. So you're saying that if a tort is started correctly then no matter how bad the conditions were that they were raised in, they will turn out OK? Is that how it is with Redfoots? Maybe this is a thread for the debate page.....but as I said I am happy for your new Redfoot and she is beautiful, but I still can't understand how she could look so good, just from being started correctly, even though she lived in terrible conditions for all those years. I am really trying to learn here....so is this true???

 

[Jacqui]

Pretty tortoise.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

I just got on here, so I have no idea what that last part meant.

I just want to say "lovely lady!" She's beautiful--must have some strong genes! I watched the video twice.

Congratulations and may she repay your kindness with healthy, "cherryheaded" hatchlings.

healthy, "cherryheaded" hatchlings

I sure hope so Stephanie! Thanks...

---

Wow! I really don't understand this at all. I did water turtle "rescue" for years, and also have seen many boxies that really needed rescuing. So you're saying that if a tort is started correctly then no matter how bad the conditions were that they were raised in, they will turn out OK? Is that how it is with Redfoots? Maybe this is a thread for the debate page.....but as I said I am happy for your new Redfoot and she is beautiful, but I still can't understand how she could look so good, just from being started correctly, even though she lived in terrible conditions for all those years. I am really trying to learn here....so is this true???

Hi TerryO..

Sorry.. ya kinda jumped the gun on me.. so I'm glad you asked. And I imagine you're not the only one wondering what I meant by that. Debate page.. why?

Don't know how or why water turtles and/or box turtles got into this.. so that's another issue!

I said: "The only thing I can figure.. and this ties in with what Yvonne says.. is she must have been started right!".. and then I defined what I meant by "started".

I never ship any of my hatchlings until they have eaten hardy for at least 3-4 weeks.. in other words they are "started" right. That's where the phrase "They eat-right-out-of-the-box comes from. I have never had anyone get back to me with health issues with their hatchling from me. I attribute that to the fact that they were 'started' right.

I have to believe that a large number of the "issues" relating to RESCUE animals has to be because their system never had a chance to establish the natural defenses needed to deal with everyday growing up. So if they aren't 'ready' to deal with normal stuff.. they sure won't have much of a chance dealing with all the things they are subjected to by ignorant and stupid people.. now are they?

So when I said "The only thing I can figure...., etc. That's exactly what I meant.. shear speculation - maybe she had a good start and just got fouled up for a number of years. We don't know what's going on inside her. And we don't know that what you suggested isn't true - she had an opportunity to exercise, etc.! I am only passing along to you what I was told 2nd hand. Maybe the original owner lied or embellished.. or my friend did too??? She appears to me to be what I would figure an unbalanced diet would create.

I'm just very pleased that she has adjusted so well and that there is another "pure" adult female 'cherryhead' in the group!

Hope that clears that up...

NERD

 

[Redfoot NERD]

UPDATED INFO:

I spoke with my friend.. 'he said she said'

She acquired her "turtle" from Petco? ( a chain per store anyway ) .. about 5-6 years ago. That means it was a "farmed" Brazilian redfoot sold to this chain @ 4" SCL. We are confident that they are started on a high protein diet from hatchlings to 'grow-up' to market-size as fast as possible! The "mass" that I mentioned is due to the high protein diet from day one. And ( the fish in ) Reptomin was the staple! Yes she has grown much too fast and her "body" is too small for her 'shell'!

The 'smooth' appearance may be due to her giving her "a bath" virtually everyday. The waterdish was large enough to soak in initially but was never replaced with a larger one. Occasionally she was taken outside to 'graze' and get fresh air. When she was allowed to roam around the house she would follow the sun coming thru the windows. Again she was kept in a 'tall' aquarium until she could no longer turn around in it.. no cover and some kind of reptile 'carpet-squares' was the substrate which she would rinse off and put thru the laundry.

There you have it...

Terry K