Female yellow foot not eating...

HouKen

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My female yellow foot is not eating... She's in her winter enclosure, I'm my garage. It's nice and warm... Is this a sign she's gravid? She's heavy and drinking and soaking as normal... She's ignoring her food... Even her favorites. Any ideas???
 

tort_luv_5055

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Try offering her fruit. Even the most stubborn tortoises usually won't refuse an apple.
Look for signs of illness, i.e., cloudy eyes. Discharge from the eyes, runny nose, any signs of difficulty breathing .
Give her a soak and see of she defecates. Maybe even try to feed her in the bath. The warm water helps to speed up digestion and might get things moving if there is any blockage.
Try moving the food closer to the basking bulb or further away. This might be why your tortoise refusing food. Try offering food in different parts of the enclosure at different times.
Look at your tortoises feces if she has passed any. Are the healthy looking? Do they seem to small or large? Are there any parts of food that didn't get totally digested inside? These could all be hints as to why she is not eating.
Hope I helped. GOOD LUCK!
 

wellington

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Are you sure the temp gauge you are using is reading the temps properly? Those disc type things from the pet stores are useless. If that the kind you are using get a new one from a Home Depot or hardware store that looks like this http://t.homedepot.com/p/AcuRite-Di...rature-Comfort-Monitor-00619HDCSA2/202260980/
Or even one with a probe on it. Also, be sure you are reading the temps at her level.
If they are not warm enough and can not warm up to 85 and above they will stop eating and also can not digest their food properly.
 

Yvonne G

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Even thought you've said the temperatures are correct, I'd double check them. Make sure the tortoise has moisture in her enclosure - moist air, moist substrate. And above all, plenty of warm air. YF tortoises need more moisture than most, and they won't eat if they aren't warm enough.
 

HouKen

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Thanks everyone... The garage is heated and she's by herself in a medium wonderland tub. I separated her from her mate, he wouldn't stay off her. She's got a heat bulb, a Kane mat. The temp is close to 80... She has plenty of water and gets soaked in warm water a couple times a week. She has ignored bananas, papayas, and red pellet food... All of her favorites. Today I came home and found she had dug a hole in the topsoil... I'm going to try bananas again tomorrow... She's still energetic and has no signs of illness... It's been 5 days so I'm starting to get a little concerned. Could it be she missed her mate?
 

mike taylor

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Close to 80 needs to higher than that . Thats why its not eating . Here is how I got my reds set up in the garage. I cut two sheets of plywood to make my walls 16" high and 16/16 . Put plastic in the bottom filled with dirt and cypress mulch. I have three oil filled heaters heating the garage to 85 degrees. Also have a 250 watt heat lamp for a basking place of 95 . I tented the top of the enclosure to hold humidity . Works good for me . My tortoise walk around eat like crazy and poop like little cows .
 

tortadise

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What are the dimensions of the tub? yellow foots are quite an easy species to stress when moved from one enclosure to the next. This typically is their laying season right now. So naturally it will be the dry season. However they still need a lot of humidity and to be sprayed down. Especially in the winter when the air gets very dry. I would try and give her as large of an enclosure you can. Like 8x4 at least.
 

mike taylor

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Re: RE: Female yellow foot not eating...

tortadise said:
What are the dimensions of the tub? yellow foots are quite an easy species to stress when moved from one enclosure to the next. This typically is their laying season right now. So naturally it will be the dry season. However they still need a lot of humidity and to be sprayed down. Especially in the winter when the air gets very dry. I would try and give her as large of an enclosure you can. Like 8x4 at least.

Kelly I don't keep yellows . What temperatures would you have ?
 

tortadise

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They can handle 70s to low 60s no problem. However that is in a very comfortable and safe surroundings. I would say mid 80s with lots of shelter. It seems this one has been coincidentally moved into its winter home in the egg search. Yellow foots are pretty unique they are a mapping canopy animal. Which means they move a lot ground, and territory in the wild, but under canopy cover. Most canopy dwellers don't tend to map as much as a true mapper like a leopard or greek would. I would try and maintain 80s for sure. But the substrate needs to be measured in addition to ambient. If the substrate is too cool, that may be the problem. Warm moist substrate would be the key here. I would also limit the times you move her. Does she have lots of good hiding spaces?


I also would like to add. She does not miss the other one and wont. Tortoises don't have emotions or the need to seek friends or socialization of any sort. If anything that would stress her even more. Survival is their main goal, Live, Eat, Breed, and Survive.
 

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