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Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Heres a few pics of some of the torts I work with at the zoo, hope you all enjoy.
Aldabra tortoises, these guys are super cool. Al (the larger one) is well over 100 years old and weights close to 600 pounds.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/100_3200.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/100_3201.jpg
Sulcata, ankle bitter;).
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/100_4119.jpg
Radiated tortoises.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/100_3197.jpg
Indian Star Tortoises, these guys are super fun when it comes to feeding time.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/100_4123.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/100_4121.jpg
unfortantly there are quite a bit of torts and turtles that are not out for display. Including Spider torts, Pancake torts, Egyptian torts, speckled cape torts, etc......
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Wow, very cool pics. I'm starting to like the big sloths more and more. :D
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Great pics, we love torts.:)
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
:love: Awwwwww....I love those giant old dudes!! And all the young'uns, too! Torts are really awesome!
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Thanks you all, I didnt really think I would like working with these guys but I love it. These are some super cool animals.
Heres a couple more pics of the Aldabras.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/100_3205.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/100_4118.jpg
weve got a few baby aldabras that will make alot of people rethink that torts are slow, these small guys can get some speed going;).
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
cool pics! my faves are the indian stars and the radiated torts!
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
wow how cool is that to be over 100yrs old?! that is so awesome
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
I can't stand it!! LOVE torts and we only have four.:(
That has to be great to work with them. Great pics!!
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
From the pics that loaded with my dial up, the look great. I love turts and torts. They are great creatures. Just out of curiousity Aric, how fast to Sulcata's reach the 200lbs mark? Petland in the next city over sells Sulcatas for 150 and they are tiny 2.5 inchers. People think they are cute, which they are, but don't realize how big they get. Figure what 5 - 7years for them to reach that size?
I had a friend ask why we don't hear about 200 torts running rampage around cities. It's sad cause they don't last that long, they die from lack of UV and heat, or improper foods.....
EDIT:
To add...are the turtles and torts at the zoo, were they purchased as wild caught, where they someone's high end pets, or where they purcashed as babies and hand raised. The only reason I ask is because of the pymariding. It takes some time to develop and longer to reverse....just curious.
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reptilian
From the pics that loaded with my dial up, the look great. I love turts and torts. They are great creatures. Just out of curiousity Aric, how fast to Sulcata's reach the 200lbs mark? Petland in the next city over sells Sulcatas for 150 and they are tiny 2.5 inchers. People think they are cute, which they are, but don't realize how big they get. Figure what 5 - 7years for them to reach that size?
I had a friend ask why we don't hear about 200 torts running rampage around cities. It's sad cause they don't last that long, they die from lack of UV and heat, or improper foods.....
EDIT:
To add...are the turtles and torts at the zoo, were they purchased as wild caught, where they someone's high end pets, or where they purcashed as babies and hand raised. The only reason I ask is because of the pymariding. It takes some time to develop and longer to reverse....just curious.
5-7 years sounds good, I would say no more then 11-12 years to reach that size depending on the diet.
Some of the chelonians were bought from private breeders, gotten from other zoos, and some of the Asian turtles and torts were confiscated from the Asian food market.
Article on the confiscated turtles.
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/apr02/s040102f.asp
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Love them all! 4-5 years on the sulcatas at 200lb. though!
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by worldcupkeeper
Looks just like family at Thanksgiving dinner LOL. Love the pics Aric! What a joy it must be to work with these regal creatures. :)
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
I was very interested in getting one but my coworker said he had a large one and it quickly got the name "Turdy The Tortoise" because it made lots of messes. He said they were extremely filthy which was a major bummer.
But, I curious for more opinions. What kind of maintenance can you expect for a large tortoise that lives in the back yard?
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Great pics Aric! They are amazing animals.
Can I assume from your comments that you work at the Knoxville Zoo?
BTW, is that duct tape on the Indian Stars? If so why? If not, what is it?
Thanks for sharing these magnificent animals with us.
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bearhart
But, I curious for more opinions. What kind of maintenance can you expect for a large tortoise that lives in the back yard?
Since they are inside now, cleanup is a pain. Their hay is changed several times a week. Their poop is big and lots of it, not always solid;).
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alice
Great pics Aric! They are amazing animals.
Can I assume from your comments that you work at the Knoxville Zoo?
BTW, is that duct tape on the Indian Stars? If so why? If not, what is it?
Thanks for sharing these magnificent animals with us.
Im a volunteer in the herp dept, its basically a non-paying job:rolleyes:. Their is a lady who is doing a study on the Indian start, theres duct tape on them for identification purposes.
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Great shots of some cool torts!!
I love the pancake torts. I have them on my 'wish list' for when I have more room. Such interesting little guys.
Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by worldcupkeeper
Since they are inside now, cleanup is a pain. Their hay is changed several times a week. Their poop is big and lots of it, not always solid;).
They have some tortoises at the local exotics shop that I've been pondering. Apparently, these things will get quite large and will need to live in the back yard with a heated dog-house for winter-time. Do you think one large tortoise like that would destroy a back yard?
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bearhart
They have some tortoises at the local exotics shop that I've been pondering. Apparently, these things will get quite large and will need to live in the back yard with a heated dog-house for winter-time. Do you think one large tortoise like that would destroy a back yard?
I don't think they would necessarily tear up a back yard, but I wouldn't keep them outside in heated dog houses for the winter, too much could go wrong with the heating system for the dog house. I would much rather have the room inside to keep them for when winter rolls around.:)
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bearhart
I was very interested in getting one but my coworker said he had a large one and it quickly got the name "Turdy The Tortoise" because it made lots of messes. He said they were extremely filthy which was a major bummer.
But, I curious for more opinions. What kind of maintenance can you expect for a large tortoise that lives in the back yard?
I do not find that they are filthy. I have a Red-foot named Samwise, he's no more messy than the snakes, but I have learned that if they do not have the proper environment and access to UVB rays that food will "run right though them" and if they are not eating the proper foods that could be a major cause of "messiness."
If they live in the back yard..many of them are diggers and will dig out of the yard (if it's fenced) some just dig because that's what they do. Unless the yard is fairly large with a lot of flora and fauna to keep them occupied, some of them can destroy a yard with their digging.
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
Amazing torts & turts!!!! Wow!!!!! We just have our little Saphira right now, however I am trying to find her a friend, but... man -o- man I wish I had the room, so many species so little space!!!
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Re: Tortoises are cool!!!!!!
I agree! theyre lovely tortoises! and turtles.
some good shots!
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