Picked up my new pet this morning

[Ron-P]

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.

[jdhdiggs]

For bug control or companionship?

How long do they live? How much can you train them? (if at all)

[hearingimpared]

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.

[jdhdiggs]

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!

[pearsall001]

Soup's on!!!

[hearingimpared]

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.

[hearingimpared]

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.

[strider]

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.

[hearingimpared]

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!!!

[jdhdiggs]

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

[hearingimpared]

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

[strider]

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!

[jdhdiggs]

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?

[Ron-P]

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.

[hearingimpared]

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.

[jdhdiggs]

They don't cruise the pool do they? That would be a bit.... odd?

Attached is our rat prowing around some SDA's

[hearingimpared]

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.

[Skynut]

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.

[hearingimpared]

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!!! :D ;)

[Ron-P]

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.

[engtaz]

Does he like fingers?

[pearsall001]

Pearsall001 probably got a hold of it and made turtle soup!!! :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!!!

[Ron-P]

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.

[Skynut]

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.