Picked up my new pet this morning

Ron-P
Ron-P Posts: 8,520
edited June 2007 in The Clubhouse
His name is Porter and he's a 3 year old Cherry Head Red Foot Tortoise. He's about 5" in diameter and will grow to about 12". I alsmost went with an African Spur but they get 200+ lbs. and over 2', that's just too big for my newly landscaped yard. The nice thing about these, they do not hibernate.

I had a desert tortoise most all my life but he had to go as he could never stay healthy so close to the coast.

Porter.jpg
If...
Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
Post edited by Ron-P on
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited May 2007
    For bug control or companionship?

    How long do they live? How much can you train them? (if at all)
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited May 2007
    Cool new pet. I had a baby snapper when I was a kid, I used to feed it baloney and lettuce.

    Did you see the thread on the killer turtle? It is a hoot. Maybe you can teach Porter to be a good watch dog.
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited May 2007
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    Cool new pet. I had a baby snapper when I was a kid, I used to feed it baloney and lettuce.

    Did you see the thread on the killer turtle? It is a hoot. Maybe you can teach Porter to be a good watch dog.

    Linky for thread on killer turtle? I've been attacked by some strange "watch animals" including a "watch goose" and "watch turkey". (The turkey was effin scary sounding, worse sounding than a dog IMHO- Picture growling velociraptors from JP) Having an attack turtle, well that's just weird!
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,092
    edited May 2007
    Soup's on!!! :eek:
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited May 2007
    Here is the link to the killer turtle. . .this is hilarious. Ron you have to teach your turtle to do this although it is probably a mother turtle protecting her eggs.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited May 2007
    jdhdiggs wrote: »
    Linky for thread on killer turtle? I've been attacked by some strange "watch animals" including a "watch goose" and "watch turkey". (The turkey was effin scary sounding, worse sounding than a dog IMHO- Picture growling velociraptors from JP) Having an attack turtle, well that's just weird!

    I got beat up by a Canada goose about 10 years ago. I had to kick it in the throat to get it off of me.
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  • strider
    strider Posts: 2,568
    edited May 2007
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    I got beat up by a Canada goose about 10 years ago. I had to kick it in the throat to get it off of me.

    Geese are no joke! Nasty things, loud, quite a bite, too! IIRC, they had them at an Army facility around here, maybe Aberdeen Proving Grounds, to serve as guard animals.
    Wristwatch--->Crisco
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited May 2007
    strider wrote: »
    Geese are no joke! Nasty things, loud, quite a bite, too! IIRC, they had them at an Army facility around here, maybe Aberdeen Proving Grounds, to serve as guard animals.

    Well this one caught me in the groin and wouldn't stop. They use their webbed feet as talons also. Once I caught my breath I turned on the nasty thing and kicked it in the throat. It took the thing a few seconds to realize it couldn't breathe and then backed off.

    Talk about getting goosed!!!
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited May 2007
    Trust me, the "guard turkeys" are way, WAY scarier... (Sharper beak, bigger, louder, etc...) The damn thing looked like a walking keg with a hatchet head. Attached are the pics. For a sense of scale, the top of the turkeys back is at about 30-33 inches high.

    This was the goose and turkey that tried to attack my wife and I
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited May 2007
    jdhdiggs wrote: »
    Trust me, the "guard turkeys" are way, WAY scarier... (Sharper beak, bigger, louder, etc...) The damn thing looked like a walking keg with a hatchet head. Attached are the pics. For a sense of scale, the top of the turkeys back is at about 30-33 inches high.

    This was the goose and turkey that tried to attack my wife and I

    Well he looks tasty even if he is ferocious!!!LOL
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  • strider
    strider Posts: 2,568
    edited May 2007
    jdhdiggs wrote: »
    Trust me, the "guard turkeys" are way, WAY scarier... (Sharper beak, bigger, louder, etc...) The damn thing looked like a walking keg with a hatchet head. Attached are the pics. For a sense of scale, the top of the turkeys back is at about 30-33 inches high.

    This was the goose and turkey that tried to attack my wife and I

    York is no joke, either! Roving avian street gangs, you're not safe anywhere these days. No wonder your real estate is so much cheaper up there. :D


    Seriously, though, I wouldn't want to mess with a turkey. I've had the crap scared out of my by a couple of turkeys once. I was backpacking in western MD alone, had been reading in my tent for an hour or so. Tent site was a couple hundred feet from a road, in a creek wash. It was twilight, I was starting to fade into sleep, when I hear branches breaking, loud noises, stuff starts hitting the top of my tent. I thought some hillbillies found my tent and decided to have some fun. Turns out, 2 turkeys were roosting across the creek about 20 feet or so up slope. They decided to fly (something turkeys don't do so well) across the water to my side of the creek. I was ready to defend myself much better then Ned Beattie ever did!
    Wristwatch--->Crisco
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited May 2007
    Those were Panamanian thugs. The Avian thugs up here are more of the 4 Oz variety instead of the 30 lb type. If I can get it on video I'll post my dog (a 75lb black lab/border collie) getting harrassed out of the yard by this little grey and white bird.

    Back to the original post: What do you plan on doing with the little guy?
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • Ron-P
    Ron-P Posts: 8,520
    edited May 2007
    In a few years, when he's a bit bigger he'll just cruise the backyard, that's all. He will out live me, way past 50 years. But, you cannot train them, there just fun and a neat pet to have in the yard.
    If...
    Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
    Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited May 2007
    jdhdiggs wrote: »
    Those were Panamanian thugs. The Avian thugs up here are more of the 4 Oz variety instead of the 30 lb type. If I can get it on video I'll post my dog (a 75lb black lab/border collie) getting harrassed out of the yard by this little grey and white bird.

    Back to the original post: What do you plan on doing with the little guy?

    John my dog is the same mix although he was 75 lbs for the longest time he is a lot heavier now, here is his picture.

    Ron sorry about the derail. . . okay back to your regularly scheduled thread.
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited May 2007
    They don't cruise the pool do they? That would be a bit.... odd?

    Attached is our rat prowing around some SDA's
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited May 2007
    jdhdiggs wrote: »
    They don't cruise the pool do they? That would be a bit.... odd?

    Attached is our rat prowing around some SDA's

    Funny thing is Mooses sisters were pure black like yours.

    Ron I used to hand feed my turtle and lead him around. Maybe you can teach Porter that way.
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  • Skynut
    Skynut Posts: 2,967
    edited May 2007
    My mother found a turtle in her back yard and it lived there for a couple of years.
    Then one day we found an empty shell and have no idea what happened.

    Good luck with yours.
    Skynut
    SOPA® Founder
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    Front L/R RT3000p (Bi-Wired)
    Center CS1000p (Bi-Wired) (under the television)
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    Sur FX1000
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    www.ShadetreesMachineShop.com
    Thanks for looking
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited May 2007
    Skynut wrote: »
    My mother found a turtle in her back yard and it lived there for a couple of years.
    Then one day we found an empty shell and have no idea what happened.

    Good luck with yours.

    Pearsall001 probably got a hold of it and made turtle soup!!!:eek: :D;)
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  • Ron-P
    Ron-P Posts: 8,520
    edited May 2007
    Ron I used to hand feed my turtle and lead him around. Maybe you can teach Porter that way.
    I already hand feed him, he's quite tame already.
    If...
    Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
    Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
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  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,663
    edited May 2007
    Does he like fingers?
    engtaz

    I love how music can brighten up a bad day.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,092
    edited May 2007
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    Pearsall001 probably got a hold of it and made turtle soup!!!:eek: :D;)

    I do make a mean snapper soup, however I need the shell for the stock. Whoever got that turtle, it wasn't me. LOL!!!
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • Ron-P
    Ron-P Posts: 8,520
    edited June 2007
    Well, Porter was taken back to the pet store. I could not keep this guy wet enough, being a tropical tortoise he required way too much water, more then I could set up for him. Plus, he wasn't quite big enough for the yard.

    So, I traded him in for an African Spur-Thighed. This breed is a desert type which requires much less water and he's already about 9" in diameter, much more yard savy. These guys will grow too 150 lbs and 3' in diameter. Two of my neighbors have them. One is nearing 2' in size and the other is about 16". This breed is more so what I was looking for, in fact this was the one I wanted to buy first.

    I'll post a pic tomorrow, don't have any yet. His name is Dusty. As we were driving home my daughter noticed a bug on him and when she went to blow it off dust flew everywhere, hence the origin of the name.

    I was bummed to give up Porter but this one is a much better fit for us.
    If...
    Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
    Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
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  • Skynut
    Skynut Posts: 2,967
    edited June 2007
    We need pics of Dusty.
    I would like one but I am afraid it will get into the pool and not be able to get out.
    Or my dogs will eat him.
    Skynut
    SOPA® Founder
    The system Almost there
    DVD Onkyo DV-SP802
    Sunfire Theater Grand II
    Sherbourn 7/2100
    Panamax 5510 power conditioner (for electronics)
    2 PSAudio UPC-200 power conditioners (for amps)
    Front L/R RT3000p (Bi-Wired)
    Center CS1000p (Bi-Wired) (under the television)
    Center RT2000p's (Bi-Wired) (on each side of the television)
    Sur FX1000
    SVS ultra plus 2

    www.ShadetreesMachineShop.com
    Thanks for looking
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