New Redfoot!

Hello!
After keeping multiple reptiles I decided to get my first tort!
The previous owners had him/her in a 10 gallon tank.. I currently placed it in a 6' by 2' enclosure for now. The owners said that it should be around 2 years old but he/she seems quite small. I feed dark veggies and soak him/her every day to every second day. I have questions though!
1) Is it a cherry head? It's head is still red and if the tort is really two years old, does it classify as a cherry head?
2) Is it a male or a female?
3) This is the most concerning one- it 'exhales' when it tucks its limbs into its shell. Otherwise, breathing is clear, eyes are clear and it doesn't have a runny nose. Would this be an indicator of a respiratory infection?

Also, the shell looks really dehydrated in the pictures but that's from the day I got him/her. The shells getting nicer with every soak!


Thank you!

I'm not a massive expert at telling the different species of Redfoots but I own one.
The exhaling seems normal. Some of my Sulcatas do it when I reach my hands into the enclosure. They would tuck themselves in and exhale.

Nice little Cherryhead.
How are you keeping it?
Remember he/she needs temps from 75-90 (80-85) and humidity above 70%.
Places to hide and no very bright lights.
It looks like it could benefit from a nice long warm water soak.

Humidity and temps are perfect actually! S/he has many hides and even has a favourite wood bridge to sleep under. Is it a male or a female though?

Also, I've been soaking it every day and you can see the improvement!

Too small to sex accurately, but holding the tail to the side is a male trait. (but honestly, it's just too small to tell). I have a 3 year old RF who is just a tad larger, so the 2 year guesstimate may be accurate.

Does the "exhaling" sound like hissing? My turtle hisses and draws its head in when it is scared.
That's a pretty little guy/girl!
The cat scares him. Don't leave them alone together. The cat can hurt him.
Very pretty cat!

TammyJ said:

Does the "exhaling" sound like hissing? My turtle hisses and draws its head in when it is scared.
That's a pretty little guy/girl!
The cat scares him. Don't leave them alone together. The cat can hurt him.
Very pretty cat!

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It really just sounds as if he/she is just taking a huge breath! It's been doing it less lately though. I was taking pictures and the cat just jumped on the table! Curious little creatures.. but no worries, the cat isn't allowed into the reptile room. Thank you!

Maya_ said:

Humidity and temps are perfect actually! S/he has many hides and even has a favourite wood bridge to sleep under. Is it a male or a female though?

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I "famously" have a female named Julio because I guessed to soon about sex.
I kept her name to remind me....

ZEROPILOT said:

I "famously" have a female named Julio because I guessed to soon about sex.
I kept her name to remind me....

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My Rambo is a girl and LaVerne is all boy, go figure. And while searching google to find out if Laverne is spelled right (since he's just Vern) I discovered that the most popular Laverne on the internet is apparently a transgender reality TV star. I smell irony.