SUMMER TORTOISES

For the past several weeks -- once the cooler night temperatures remained in the 60 degree range -- my four tortoises began spending their time in the outdoor facility I have for them on my property.  With the benefits of warm weather, sunshine & plenty of room to move around, it is a pleasant time for both the tortoises & me.

The two animals featured in the photos below are South America RED FOOTED TORTOISES.  I acquired mine as small "hatching's" several years ago, & with the aid of the proper food & containment I provide, the growth of both tortoises has been outstanding. 

This above tortoise is about 12 inches long.  Not shown in the photo is the plate of food I have just put down for the tortoises "dinner" & which is the object of this fellows attention at the moment.

 Being a hungry guy -- it's amazing how much they do eat -- I believe the tortoise would walk over & "taste" the camera if he thought he could eat it.

The above tortoise is the smaller of the two RED FOOTS -- about 10 inches long -- & appears to be a female. In the above photo, she too has her eyes on the food tray as she exits from a pile of moist  bamboo leaves.

I have only made a serious effort in the past few years to keep tortoises, along with my collection of turtles. If their needs are met as to proper husbandry, tortoises -- especially these RED FOOTED TORTOISES -- make interesting additions to any reptile collection.



MORE COLOR CHANGES IN BAMBOO

I wrote about one of my favorite bamboos back on March the 21st of this year -- Phyllostochys Viridis 'Robert Young'. [Quick reminder: Many bamboos in cultivation do not have "common names".  In the case of this bamboo, the name is a combination of Latin & a former bamboo scientist being honored.]

This bamboo is a large grower.  I have some now reaching about 40 feet in height & thick enough for it to give my combined hands difficulty to encircle.  It matures at a bright yellow color, with many sections having a green vertical stripe.

 In the Spring growing season -- just now coming to a close in my gardens -- bamboo 'Robert Young' provides me with some of the prettiest contrast of color.  This is a bamboo which under goes a color change in it's first year of any new growth.  As seen in these photos, the emerging new clums are a very delicate, lime green in color. 

The new shoots will -- over the Summer -- begin changing to their permanent yellow color.  This is one bamboo I wish would remain it's Spring time color.

I have never seen any species of bamboo which retains this early growth, lime green color.  Perhaps someday, some scientist will develop, through cross-breeding bamboo, a species which will permanently grace our bamboo gardens with this fine lime green color ... all year round.