Caring for a Red Foot Tortoise
February 15th 2010 15:37
Red foot tortoises are a little larger than your Russian and Hermann's tortoises, but this species is very rewarding to have as a pet. I have two baby redfoot tortoises that are the cutest things on the planet, but just because they're cute doesn't mean that they're a good choice for everyone. This species gets a little larger than most people have the accommodations for. They can average anywhere from 10" to 15" and weigh up to 20 pounds, which is pretty substantial if you live in an apartment or have a small yard.
Red foot tortoises have pretty basic care but the main and nearly most important aspect is going to be humidity! You want to remember that the species is native to rain forest type areas. They need high humidity levels or you'll see detrimental health problems.
They don't really need a basking area, but you want to make sure that the temperatures are around 85 on the warmer side of the enclosure. And, yes, you can house young and juvenile tortoises in indoor enclosures, but you'll need a rather large enclosure to properly house an adult. For adults, indoor enclosures are fine for winter months and bad weather, but it's not the ideal situation for year round housing.
To get proper humidity inside, you'll want to spray down the enclosure several times a day. I use a reptile fogger to help get moisture and humidity within my enclosure. I also use a plastic cover so that the moisture stays within the enclosure versus drying out quickly.
Use substrate that will hold in the moisture, such as sphagnum moss and coconut coir (compressed brick such as Bed-A-Beast). I use a mix of the two, but some people prefer just one or the other. Some will say that hatchlings and young tortoises should be housed on moss only because of moisture, but I never found that to work for me.
It's also a good idea to soak the tortoise. Don't completely submerge it in water, but give it enough to soak and drink, which means it needs to be a little deep, but not over their carapace by any means.
As for the temperature, try to keep the warm side around 85F. Ceramic heat emitters are great. You don't want to use a bright light though, which is why the ceramic ones work wonders. They just emit heat and no light. It's been thought that bright lights can damage the eyes of young tortoises, and you probably don't want to fry your redfoot's eyes out.
As for UV lighting, that's probably going to be a never ending debate. Some believe it's necessary, whereas others do not. You can try it for yourself, but use a ReptiSun 5.0 UV tube. This will provide minimal UV, but enough to offer some rays. Others feel that because red foot tortoises are native to thickly forested areas, they really don't see much sun anyway, so they don't really benefit from the UV rays.
I wouldn't recommend buying a T-Rex Active bulb and have bright lighting in the enclosure just to get the UV, but I don't see why a UV tube, that actually emits just a faint light wouldn't hurt. I don't use it, so I'm not saying it's necessary, but if you feel like the tortoise needs UV, then that's what I would use.
When it comes to providing proper diet, it's my favorite part. Unlike some tortoises species who only eat greens, grasses, and weeds, red foot tortoises can eat just about any fruit or vegetable. It's good to provide a varied diet to keep it balanced, but you can try just about everything.
Red foots need mostly vegetables and fruits, but after they're about a year old, it's good to introduce a little proteins, such as insects or a high protein dog or cat food. (I prefer using EVO dog food, as it's high in proteins, no fillers, and I have it around the house).
Otherwise, when trying to choose vegetables, consider various greens, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, endive, escarole, turnip greens, collards, squash, zucchini, etc. As for fruits, try strawberries, blackberries, mango, kiwi, pineapple, papaya, melons, etc.
Just try to keep bananas, tomatoes, kale, and spinach to a minimum if not at all.
You can also offer various flowers such as hibiscus leaves and flowers, grape leaves, and dandelions.
Don't rush your red foot's growth, as it can cause physical damage, especially to the shell. Many suggest that you have the following feeding schedule:
Day 1, 2: Veggies
Day 3: Fruits
Day 4, 5: Veggies
Day 6: Fruit (typically something other than what you normally offer, such as like a treat)
Day 7: Protein (crickets, mealworms, silkworms, feeder roaches, butterworms, high protein dog or cat foot)
Red foot tortoises can be very personable, you just have to give them time. This species is known to like head and neck rubs, but it's best to let them come to you versus impose yourself onto them.
Red foot tortoises have pretty basic care but the main and nearly most important aspect is going to be humidity! You want to remember that the species is native to rain forest type areas. They need high humidity levels or you'll see detrimental health problems.
They don't really need a basking area, but you want to make sure that the temperatures are around 85 on the warmer side of the enclosure. And, yes, you can house young and juvenile tortoises in indoor enclosures, but you'll need a rather large enclosure to properly house an adult. For adults, indoor enclosures are fine for winter months and bad weather, but it's not the ideal situation for year round housing.
To get proper humidity inside, you'll want to spray down the enclosure several times a day. I use a reptile fogger to help get moisture and humidity within my enclosure. I also use a plastic cover so that the moisture stays within the enclosure versus drying out quickly.
It's also a good idea to soak the tortoise. Don't completely submerge it in water, but give it enough to soak and drink, which means it needs to be a little deep, but not over their carapace by any means.
As for the temperature, try to keep the warm side around 85F. Ceramic heat emitters are great. You don't want to use a bright light though, which is why the ceramic ones work wonders. They just emit heat and no light. It's been thought that bright lights can damage the eyes of young tortoises, and you probably don't want to fry your redfoot's eyes out.
As for UV lighting, that's probably going to be a never ending debate. Some believe it's necessary, whereas others do not. You can try it for yourself, but use a ReptiSun 5.0 UV tube. This will provide minimal UV, but enough to offer some rays. Others feel that because red foot tortoises are native to thickly forested areas, they really don't see much sun anyway, so they don't really benefit from the UV rays.
I wouldn't recommend buying a T-Rex Active bulb and have bright lighting in the enclosure just to get the UV, but I don't see why a UV tube, that actually emits just a faint light wouldn't hurt. I don't use it, so I'm not saying it's necessary, but if you feel like the tortoise needs UV, then that's what I would use.
When it comes to providing proper diet, it's my favorite part. Unlike some tortoises species who only eat greens, grasses, and weeds, red foot tortoises can eat just about any fruit or vegetable. It's good to provide a varied diet to keep it balanced, but you can try just about everything.
Red foots need mostly vegetables and fruits, but after they're about a year old, it's good to introduce a little proteins, such as insects or a high protein dog or cat food. (I prefer using EVO dog food, as it's high in proteins, no fillers, and I have it around the house).
Otherwise, when trying to choose vegetables, consider various greens, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, endive, escarole, turnip greens, collards, squash, zucchini, etc. As for fruits, try strawberries, blackberries, mango, kiwi, pineapple, papaya, melons, etc.
Just try to keep bananas, tomatoes, kale, and spinach to a minimum if not at all.
You can also offer various flowers such as hibiscus leaves and flowers, grape leaves, and dandelions.
Don't rush your red foot's growth, as it can cause physical damage, especially to the shell. Many suggest that you have the following feeding schedule:
Day 1, 2: Veggies
Day 3: Fruits
Day 4, 5: Veggies
Day 6: Fruit (typically something other than what you normally offer, such as like a treat)
Day 7: Protein (crickets, mealworms, silkworms, feeder roaches, butterworms, high protein dog or cat foot)
Red foot tortoises can be very personable, you just have to give them time. This species is known to like head and neck rubs, but it's best to let them come to you versus impose yourself onto them.
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