Starting out - New Cherry-head owner!

aquakat

New Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2014
Messages
2
Hi everyone!
I'm first-time tortoise owner and want to thank all of your for your help in getting Zoe, my yearling Cherry-head tortoise, settled in. I did a lot of searching trying to get the right stuff for her when she arrived last month and this forum and questions were such a great help, so thanks!

I'd like you to meet Zoe, she was hatched in AL on Feb 11 and arrived here in Massachusetts on Aug 5 at 85g. Now she's about 106g and seems quite content, I think, even though she always has that turtle-grumpy-face on. I'm trying my best to be a good owner but we are definitely doing a lot of learning together. I'm still trying to nail down this whole "humidity" thing, which is soon going to need to be figured out as it is already fall here in New England and our winters are dry dry dry! I'm planning on building her a proper wooden enclosure / tortoise table in the next month, right now she is living in a planted sweater-box type enclosure (35" x 18" x 7"), but I don't think it's quite big enough for a proper dry end and a wet end. I'm thinking of something L-shaped to fit in the corner of a room, anyone with any feedback on that shape - drawbacks, ideas - would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much for your feedback! And thanks for your help - from the past, and in the future!

Kat
 

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tortdad

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Cute.

Redfoots need a constant high humidity and this will always be a struggle and never maintain a constant level unless you make an enclose chamber. 100% closed makes maintaining humidity a no brainer. Mine holds constant at 95% and all I do is most one or two times a day.

The only concern I see with an "L" shape is that it would be slightly harder to heat. If it's a big enclosure the heat and light might not bend around the corner as easily as a straight box. This would be easily rectified with with an extra heat lamp. If it's a small enclosure it probably won't even make a difference. The beauty of making your own is you can shape it however you need to so it can fit in the room and still give max space to your tort. I'm building a new one right now and was told this morning to start over and go smaller. The wife saw my design on paper and said okay but she didn't realize just how big it was even though I showed he with a tape measure.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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Apr 3, 2013
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10,878
Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ . Have a great tort day !


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
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Welcome to the forum, Kat!
 

aquakat

New Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2014
Messages
2
Thanks for all the welcomes and suggestions! Tortdad - I'm concerned about her having too much wetness now because I'm seeing some strange "spots" or rings in the lighter parts of her shell (plastron and carapace). Afraid it might be the beginnings of shell rot? Almost looks like peeling but shell on the outside is smooth and hard (I'll try to get a good picture tomorrow, she's napping now). I think that it might be due to not presently having a good place for her to dry out - the whole enclosure is pretty wet cuz I overdid it a few days ago trying out a new drip system. But yea, looking to fabricate a tented lid (tented to accommodate the basking light, UVB strip, and IR heating element) for this enclosure while I build a new one in October. Thanks for the feedback on the L-shape, the heating would be a little more difficult. Any experience with those under-tank mats?
 

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