New Red Foot hatchling (Houston, TX)

[txturtle13]

I just got a new red footed hatchling last week, and have a few questions. I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction!

I live in Houston, TX, which is already a naturally humid area. However, I am struggling to keep the humidity above 50% in my enclosure (details below). I am looking for suggestions on how to increase humidity. I am currently misting 4-5 times a day to keep the humidity above 50%, but that is not sustainable.

Enclosure: Zoo Med Terrarium with the double doors in the front and mesh top. The walls are wrapped with a forest theme, so there is not glass at the tortoise's height. I covered half the mesh top with foil to try to maintain humidity.
Heat: 100w CHE
Light: UVB tube lighting
Temp: 88-89*
Humidity: struggling to keep it at 50%
Substrate: coco coir covered with forest floor. I put sphagnum moss around his hide.

My little guy hides all day. I bring him out once a day to have a good soak and eat. Then he goes back to his hide. I understand the babies like to hide, and that is fine. I just want to make sure I'm doing things right to give him the best life

 

[Cherryshell]

Easiest way to get that humidity up is to cover that top as much as possible, as you can tell covering only half isn't cutting it. The other option would be to either build or purchase a new enclosure, easiest being buying a horizontal grow-tent from Amazon. I'd also recommend removing the moss as if eaten could cause impaction.

Other then that the lil tort is behaving as any hatchling would. What are you feeding it?

 

[txturtle13]

Easiest way to get that humidity up is to cover that top as much as possible, as you can tell covering only half isn't cutting it. The other option would be to either build or purchase a new enclosure, easiest being buying a horizontal grow-tent from Amazon. I'd also recommend removing the moss as if eaten could cause impaction.

Other then that the lil tort is behaving as any hatchling would. What are you feeding it?

My husband has offered to make a plexi glass cover for the top, so that is still an option before I buy a new enclosure.

I've only had him since Friday, so he's had romaine lettuce for two days and 2 large mazurri pellets one day. The Mazurri pellets came from the lady I purchased him from. I've read some mixed opinions about those. I have tortoise food seeds that I have started growing. Tonight he will have hibiscus leaves. I've also purchased collard greens and Kale. I was also going to let him try a few tiny bites of strawberry, and hard boiled egg later this week.

 

[Cherryshell]

My husband has offered to make a plexi glass cover for the top, so that is still an option before I buy a new enclosure.

I've only had him since Friday, so he's had romaine lettuce for two days and 2 large mazurri pellets one day. The Mazurri pellets came from the lady I purchased him from. I've read some mixed opinions about those. I have tortoise food seeds that I have started growing. Tonight he will have hibiscus leaves. I've also purchased collard greens and Kale. I was also going to let him try a few tiny bites of strawberry, and hard boiled egg later this week.

The plexi glass top will definitely help, just be sure that the lights aren't sitting on top of the glass, so holes for them to sit in may work best. If you could post some pictures of the enclosure, that would go a long way in spotting anything else that might new to change. Lettuce is mostly water so that is fine for hydration but it has very little nutritional value. I highly recommend reviewing the care sheet found here:

Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet

NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...

tortoiseforum.org

RF are a pretty forgiving species when it comes to diet as they can process sugars that others can't. It's also suggested to have a "plate" for your tort to eat off of, usually a chunk of slate as it helps wear down the beak and nails. Some also provide their torts with a cuttlebone to naw on for calcium, some like it while others don't.

 

[Mrs.Jennifer]

I just got a new red footed hatchling last week, and have a few questions. I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction!

I live in Houston, TX, which is already a naturally humid area. However, I am struggling to keep the humidity above 50% in my enclosure (details below). I am looking for suggestions on how to increase humidity. I am currently misting 4-5 times a day to keep the humidity above 50%, but that is not sustainable.

Enclosure: Zoo Med Terrarium with the double doors in the front and mesh top. The walls are wrapped with a forest theme, so there is not glass at the tortoise's height. I covered half the mesh top with foil to try to maintain humidity.
Heat: 100w CHE
Light: UVB tube lighting
Temp: 88-89*
Humidity: struggling to keep it at 50%
Substrate: coco coir covered with forest floor. I put sphagnum moss around his hide.

My little guy hides all day. I bring him out once a day to have a good soak and eat. Then he goes back to his hide. I understand the babies like to hide, and that is fine. I just want to make sure I'm doing things right to give him the best life

Congratulations on your new addition! I know nothing about redfoots, but @ZEROPILOT is a moderator and our redfoot guru.

Goof luck!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My husband has offered to make a plexi glass cover for the top, so that is still an option before I buy a new enclosure.

I've only had him since Friday, so he's had romaine lettuce for two days and 2 large mazurri pellets one day. The Mazurri pellets came from the lady I purchased him from. I've read some mixed opinions about those. I have tortoise food seeds that I have started growing. Tonight he will have hibiscus leaves. I've also purchased collard greens and Kale. I was also going to let him try a few tiny bites of strawberry, and hard boiled egg later this week.

You've been given great advice already. But I'd like to ad that Redfoot are very special in that they can eat things that would make some other species very sick.
For example, your diet can be as much as 60% fruit. And it should be an assorted, varied diet.
Mazuri pellets are fine. But I'll bet you there are half a dozen items in your refrigerator or growing outside that are also on the menu.
Your humidity can get a good increase by using Orchid Bark. Pouring a little water into the corners and letting it evaporate naturally. As it does, it'll produce humidity.
I also agree about moss being a bad idea. It does everything we need it to do, but has its own complications. Better to leave it out of the enclosure.

Also your temperatures are on the high side of normal. Aim for 82 to 85 if possible.

 

[Thomas tortoise]

Hi and like @ZEROPILOT has said you got a lot of good advise and a viv. Will make holding humidity way easier you cause/should mist his enclosure to rise humidity as well. You should mist your tortoise some too! And you should find all you need in the care sheet that @Cherryshell showed you! If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. I may not be able to answer all of them but there are many other people who can! Btw welcome to the forum!

 

[txturtle13]

I appreciate everyone's feedback! The sphagnum moss has been removed. The humidity is now above 70% consistently after my husband installed the plexi glass on top, cut outs for the UVB light and CHE. We dropped the thermostat for the CHE to 83, and it's maintaining well. He has not eaten the same meal twice yet, so I've been able to keep it pretty varied. I have access to hibiscus flowers and leaves (being in TX), and he's had kale, collard greens romaine... he loves sliced mushrooms and I add some strawberry tops. I'm growing him some food, but it will be a while before that's ready. He's getting more active for our evening routine of soaks and dinner. He lets me pet his head and will eat from my hand. He roams around and investigates his enclosure before going back to his hide.

I do have a few other questions for @ZEROPILOT :
-How often can I give him mushrooms? Mushrooms seem to be his favorite.. I usually only offer one to two thin slices with other things and he inhales them.
-Is there a good list of foods for hatchlings, or is it the same as adults?
-He walks in the corners of his soak container a lot. Is this stress or normal?
-His skin on the top of his head seems a little dry, but he is getting soaks daily and the humidity is much more stable in his enclosure. Is this normal, or do I need to do something?