Tortise needs UV

[Aaron hinckley]

Hi im new to tortise keeping. I just got a red foot tortoise. Hes in a greenhouse and ive taken care of his food, water and heat. The greenhouse material filters out UV. Any suggestions on how to get him to stay under a UV lamp. He has 160 sqft of space. How much time does he need to be under it? He has a little house with a heater under it.

 

[Markw84]

Hi im new to tortise keeping. I just got a red foot tortoise. Hes in a greenhouse and ive taken care of his food, water and heat. The greenhouse material filters out UV. Any suggestions on how to get him to stay under a UV lamp. He has 160 sqft of space. How much time does he need to be under it? He has a little house with a heater under it.

Red foot tortoises are indirect baskers for the most part. They rely on both diet and reflected UVB for their D3 needs. Often, no need for direct basking like many tortoises do. Do you have a panel on the top of the greenhouse you could open to get direct sun at least one day a week? Or some outside time. You could also put a Mercury vapor bulb on a few hours that is near where they eat.

With dietary help for D3, once they are past the yearling stage, UVB would only be needed a few hours a week. With the choices above perhaps one of those could work.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Aaron

 

[Aaron hinckley]

Red foot tortoises are indirect baskers for the most part. They rely on both diet and reflected UVB for their D3 needs. Often, no need for direct basking like many tortoises do. Do you have a panel on the top of the greenhouse you could open to get direct sun at least one day a week? Or some outside time. You could also put a Mercury vapor bulb on a few hours that is near where they eat.

With dietary help for D3, once they are past the yearling stage, UVB would only be needed a few hours a week. With the choices above perhaps one of those could work.

T

 

[Aaron hinckley]

Thank you very much. Ill do the bulb for now. You seem very knowledgeable. Is there anyway the tortise would know to stay away from a pond he couldnt get out of? I know he sinks like a rock. There is a pond inside the greenhouse and he could have access to a much bigger area if he wouldn't drown. Thanks again.

 

[Markw84]

I would not put a tortoise in an enclosure with a pond it could drown in. Most tortoises can and do swim to cross streams and flooded areas. I don't keep redfoots and have heard others say they sink. But I wouldn't risk the potential for drowning and keep tortoise pools no deeper than about half the tortoises height

@Anyfoot how deep did you make your pool in your enclosure?

 

[Anyfoot]

I would not put a tortoise in an enclosure with a pond it could drown in. Most tortoises can and do swim to cross streams and flooded areas. I don't keep redfoots and have heard others say they sink. But I wouldn't risk the potential for drowning and keep tortoise pools no deeper than about half the tortoises height

@Anyfoot how deep did you make your pool in your enclosure?

It ended up at 3" to 3.5" deep. This is plenty deep enough for them to get the nostrils in to vacuum water up, and also not too deep that if they flip they will drown. I reckon a redfoot tortoise of 6" SCL and above is OK in this depth. I've never had a flipping issue yet.

 

[Markw84]

It ended up at 3" to 3.5" deep. This is plenty deep enough for them to get the nostrils in to vacuum water up, and also not too deep that if they flip they will drown. I reckon a redfoot tortoise of 6" SCL and above is OK in this depth. I've never had a flipping issue yet.

Out of curiosity... do your red foot float? All the tortoises I've had can float and swim but I've heard red foot will sink. Inquiring minds want to know!!

 

[Anyfoot]

Out of curiosity... do your red foot float? All the tortoises I've had can float and swim but I've heard red foot will sink. Inquiring minds want to know!!

My hatchlings do but not sure about the adults. I'll find out though. I remember reading a book that showed one swimming from floods, can't remember if it was a yellow or redfoot. I would have thought they can swim though.
Dawn is going to go nuts when she sees I have adult torts in our bath tonight.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Four floaters and three sinkers here.
I had to make a maximum water fill line on my ponds to accommodate the sinkers.
It seems as though they are not all born swimmers.

 

[Markw84]

Four floaters and three sinkers here.
I had to make a maximum water fill line on my ponds to accommodate the sinkers.
It seems as though they are not all born swimmers.

Interesting... I would have thought with seasonal flooding it would be a necessity for tortoises to swim at times.

 

[Yvonne G]

Interesting... I would have thought with seasonal flooding it would be a necessity for tortoises to swim at times.

Here's my not scientific or learned idea on this subject. Tortoises can hold their breath for a very, very long time. If they should find themselves in a flood situation, they probably could orient themselves to the uphill side of the flood and walk to higher ground, holding their breath until they reach air?????????

 

[Anyfoot]

Interesting... I would have thought with seasonal flooding it would be a necessity for tortoises to swim at times.

Are yours all naturally boyant Mark, or is it because they have inhaled to aid with floating. I wonder if the same tort can sink and float depending on the amount of air they are holding.

 

[Anyfoot]

 

[theguy67]

I'm not sure how you all test whether your tortoise is a "floater or sinker", but when you place them in the water, make sure they are extended from their shell to ensure their lungs are full. ALL of my tortoises can float (thats 9 total). Its kinda hard to believe some can and some can't. If they are retracted, they will sink. I believe they require the air in their lungs to stay afloat.

Here's my not scientific or learned idea on this subject. Tortoises can hold their breath for a very, very long time. If they should find themselves in a flood situation, they probably could orient themselves to the uphill side of the flood and walk to higher ground, holding their breath until they reach air?????????

Can tortoises see underwater? I'd think this would be important for them to navigate under there. I guess we'd have to see the shape of their lens.

 

[Markw84]

Are yours all naturally boyant Mark, or is it because they have inhaled to aid with floating. I wonder if the same tort can sink and float depending on the amount of air they are holding.

I never went about testing them all, but any I did happen to try did float and swim acceptably. I haven't tried any platynota, but @kingsley recently posted a picture of a Sri Lankan star he found swimming across a small lake.

It makes sense it would be affected by the amount of air in their lungs. I know my aquatic turtles use the amount of air in their lungs to control their buoyancy. They can let out a bunch of air and sink to walk on the bottom better. Then swim aggressively to the surface and take in more air to float there and surface bask. I'd bet the tortoises are also pretty neutral buoyant like the aquatics and need air in the lungs to float.

 

[Aaron hinckley]

There is a large deep pond inside a greenhouse. The tortise has a corner of that greenhouse. In the summer i was planning on putting him outside. Ive got a great place he cant escape from. Untill then he'll just have to stay in his corner. Thanks again. Ive only had him a week. Hes still very shy and hides all the time. I hope he loosens up soon.

It ended up at 3" to 3.5" deep. This is plenty deep enough for them to get the nostrils in to vacuum water up, and also not too deep that if they flip they will drown. I reckon a redfoot tortoise of 6" SCL and above is OK in this depth. I've never had a flipping issue yet.

 

[Anyfoot]

There is a large deep pond inside a greenhouse. The tortise has a corner of that greenhouse. In the summer i was planning on putting him outside. Ive got a great place he cant escape from. Untill then he'll just have to stay in his corner. Thanks again. Ive only had him a week. Hes still very shy and hides all the time. I hope he loosens up soon.

Is there pond life in the pond or is it just a pond that's been filled up for your tort, you can put rocks/stones in the pond to make it shallower.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I have some that are always floating and paddling around.
And a few that walk along the bottom and just poke the tips of their noses out.
But the same tortoises are seen doing the same thing over and over.
I do not know if these that I've called sinkers would just walk into the water, fall into a deep area and drown. I can't say. No areas are that deep.
I think that they all can swim. However, some don't seem to have that instinct hard wired.

 

[TammyJ]

This is so very interesting- I have often wondered about it and thought that turtles are designed to swim, but tortoises are not. I would never presume my tortoise can swim, or even crawl under the water, if I was not going to be on the spot to observe and possibly rescue!