3" Red Foot Tortoise

[Eguzzo]

I am getting my 1st red foot tortoise this weekend. He/She is 3 inches long and I don't know if it's a hatchling, yearling or a juvenile? They all require slightly different care during those stages....I can't seem to find anything online that will clarify the approximate sizes to age. I am still waiting to hear back on a hatch date. P;lease help me.

 

[Anyfoot]

Hi there Eguzzo and welcome.
Mine are about 3" and they are 6 month old. Had them in a tortoise table at first, but they were very lethargic and I wasn't happy. I've now got them in a vivarium 2ftx4ft which has aided me to keep the humidity higher and also the heat is now an ambient heat not just a localised heat in the areas where I had the the heat bulbs in the tortoise table. All 3 of them are more active now and seem to like climbing a lot.
thanks Craig

 

[Eguzzo]

Right now I have a large rubbermaid bin for it. 2 feet by 3 feet. I will be building a table as soon as the snow is gone. I've got the cool end at 72 F with 80 to 90% humidity, basking area is 90 to 100 F 85% humidity and the warm end is 85 F and 75% humidity. Using Cypress mulch and spagnum moss. I do have live plants in the enclosure, 3 hides in various locations, a cuttlebone, ceramic food and water dish. I get to pick my baby up on Saturday Is 6 months old considered a juvenile??

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the forum!

There's a bunch of very good reading for you about RF tortoises at the Tortoise Library

 

[Eguzzo]

Beautiful, thank you Yvonne

 

[Anyfoot]

Yes its a juvenile. Would love to see a picture of your setup. Sounds good

 

[Eguzzo]

 

[Eguzzo]

I also have 3 thermometers and hygrometers, one in the cool end, one in the warm end and one in the basking spot. And I've added the live plants after these photos were taken.

 

[Anyfoot]

That looks right good. Have you got a name for he/she yet.

 

[Eguzzo]

My son wants to name him/her Johnny Tortoise/Janet Tortoise but for now he/she will be called JT

 

[Anyfoot]

These are my 3 juveniles. They've just had a soak. All from same batch of eggs and hatched may this year. You can see they are slightly different sizes already.
7.2cm, 7.5cm and 8cm in length. I'm assuming this is normal for them to grow at different rates.
Littlefoot on the left has an extra scute.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[tortdad]

Welcome. Cool side is too low for hatchlings. Hight humidity and low temps equal sick tort. Nothing below 80 until they are older and bigger (twice the size it is now)

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Eguzzo]

Thank you Tortdad, I will lower the heat lamp. I am thinking on getting a ceramic heat emitter...will that keep the enclosure warmer than the heat lamp?

Anyfoot, your Torts are beautiful!

Thanks all for the welcome

 

[stojanovski92113]

Hello your set up looks nice. It's hard to tell from the pic but it looks like you could push down your water bowls into the substrate so it's easier for your tort to get in & out of. But you will love your Redfoot!! They are amazing torts!! And make sure no coil bulbs. You can also checkout redfoottortoise.com congrats!!!!

 

[Eguzzo]

Darn!! My UVB bulb is a coil bulb....Guess I'll pick up a different one when I go to pick up my Tort tomorrow. Bowls are not sunk, but I will sink them when I get home.

 

[stojanovski92113]

Darn!! My UVB bulb is a coil bulb....Guess I'll pick up a different one when I go to pick up my Tort tomorrow. Bowls are not sunk, but I will sink them when I get home.

Oh good...glad we caught that in time!!!! They are damaging to their eyes!!!!

 

[Eguzzo]

Now I have another issue...I lowered the heat lamp to warm up the enclosure to 83 in the cool end and 88 in the warm end, but now directly under the basking lamp I am getting temp upwards of 120...I centred the water dish under it....but now I'm afraid I'm gonna cook the poor guy....help!!

 

[Eguzzo]

I'm going to go buy a ceramic heat emitter, hopefully this will help regulate temps without having a localized boiling spot....eeekkkk. He comes home tomorrow and I'm not ready!!!