RAISING NON-PYRAMIDED ALDABRAS

Status
Not open for further replies.

ALDABRAMAN

KEEPER AT HEART
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
Messages
28,446
Location (City and/or State)
SW Forida
I get many e-mails regarding pyramiding in aldabras. I will try and explain what we do with ours. Our aldabra breeding program is located in SW Florida which is naturally hot and humid. When our hatchlings hatch we keep them warm, humid, and hydrated from day one. They get soaked every day two times in warm water and fed a variety of natural grass, weeds, cactus, and mixed assorted greens. We do this for the first thirty to sixty days until they are picked up by our customers. If we choose to keep any back past this time frame we continue to soak them at least once a day and follow the same feeding routine. Note: We do not feed any fruit or commercial foods to our hatchlings, they seem to grow very nice and steady without any issues or pyramiding. Another important thing is that ours are allowed to browse in natural sunshine at will all day and they get afforded the area for ample exercise. They seem to grow very strong and energetic.

HATCHLING AT ONE DAY OLD
105oefb.jpg


HATCHLINGS EATING IN SUNSHINE
1z67bjl.jpg


HATCHLINGS SOAKING IN WARM WATER
2yv8m82.jpg


SIX MONTH OLD ALDABRA
5tub2w.jpg


MIXED AGES (1,3,& 4 years) OF OUR ALDABRAS
i2pyc8.jpg
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
I think you are the only one that raises and sells non pyramided. At least i haven't seen any others. Even though they are old pics love seeing them.
 

bigred

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
3,402
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Great info and Im sure it keeps you busy. Im sure the people that end up wit your hatchlings are getting a great healthy quality tort:cool:
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Greg, what's it going to take for the rest of the tortoise world to catch up? How much "evidence" does there need to be? Warmth, humidity and hydration works. So simple.

Your torts all look fantastic.
 

JoesMum

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
21,610
Location (City and/or State)
Kent, South East England
Tom said:
Greg, what's it going to take for the rest of the tortoise world to catch up? How much "evidence" does there need to be? Warmth, humidity and hydration works. So simple.

Your torts all look fantastic.

I think this is a very important factor too, regardless of species:
ALDABRAMAN said:
<snip> Note: We do not feed any fruit or commercial foods to our hatchlings, they seem to grow very nice and steady without any issues or pyramiding. <snip>
 

Zamric

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Messages
3,301
Location (City and/or State)
The Crystal Unicorn
I've only been on this site since last October. Before that I might have seen 10 pictures of Aldabras (including ones I thought to be Galopagose). I cant say that I've ever seen a Aldabra with pyramiding issues....
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Zamric said:
I've only been on this site since last October. Before that I might have seen 10 pictures of Aldabras (including ones I thought to be Galopagose). I cant say that I've ever seen a Aldabra with pyramiding issues....

The ones most often depicted are the giant wild caught ones. I have seen a lot of captive raised ones, and EXCEPT for Aldabrmans, all of them have had some degree of pyramiding. I had never seen a smooth captive raised one until I saw his. And his aren't just kinda smooth, they are flawless. As perfect as any I have ever seen. Though I am not surprised given his climate and care routine. I think anyone with a similar climate who does it the way he does it will have similar results.

... I guess that was the point of his post. :)
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
I agree, except I don't think it's just the Florida weather. I have seen others raised and sold out of Florida, and theirs had pyramiding. So it must also be in the care, humidity, temps, soaks, food.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
wellington said:
I agree, except I don't think it's just the Florida weather. I have seen others raised and sold out of Florida, and theirs had pyramiding. So it must also be in the care, humidity, temps, soaks, food.

Oh I definitely agree. It is a combination of all of it.
 

DAV46

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 8, 2009
Messages
71
Greg- how do you keep the larger ones, 50lb + hydrated? I have seen pics of yours with the water tubs for drinking but curious do they have an area to soak in water/mud? Reason for asking I am looking for ideas for Squirt who has out grown manual soakings.
 

ALDABRAMAN

KEEPER AT HEART
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
Messages
28,446
Location (City and/or State)
SW Forida
DAV46 said:
Greg- how do you keep the larger ones, 50lb + hydrated? I have seen pics of yours with the water tubs for drinking but curious do they have an area to soak in water/mud? Reason for asking I am looking for ideas for Squirt who has out grown manual soakings.

We do provide plenty of clean fresh water for drinking, we give them daily showers, we have an automatic irrigation system that goes on every day, and they do create mud holes for wallering. I have considered a cement pond, however after speaking with several zoo keepers and other private keepers i have mixed thoughts about it.

f1e6nl.jpg

19ulbs.jpg

28jhekl.jpg
 

DAV46

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 8, 2009
Messages
71
Thanks, I do provide clean drinking water in large plant dishes. I don't really have an area for soaking but will come up with a misting system of some sort at least a few times a week.
Thanks Greg.
David
 

Tortus

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2012
Messages
970
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
Zamric said:
I've only been on this site since last October. Before that I might have seen 10 pictures of Aldabras (including ones I thought to be Galopagose). I cant say that I've ever seen a Aldabra with pyramiding issues....

Try searching for sites that sell aldabras, or looking in reptile classifies.

Just about all I've seen for sale are pyramided. Not that I would try to have one around here since it would be too expensive to heat in the winter, but I was curious about the price.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top