Advice needed. Cherry head red foot

afurlong

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Help please. 3 days ago, I became a new proud owner of a tortoise. Long story short, i didn’t do enough research and i thought i could add “Tortellini” to my chicken run. I live in NW Illinois. Shortly after bringing her home I was informed she’s too small to last outdoors. i had to quickly build her a tortoise table. i repurposed s bookcase.

I’m very concerned because she has not eating at all, she only moves to go into the hide.

She’s adorable, and it’s important to me that she’s happy and healthy. There’s lots of advice on pet tortoises online but I can’t find anything for what to expect and what to do right after you bring them home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

Dankneepowpow

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Hi and congrats on your super cute tort! The redfoot tortoise caresheet (link attached) is a super helpful resource and a great guide for how to raise healthy redfoot tortoises. A cherry head tortoise from my understanding is a type of redfoot so all the information in the care sheet still applies.
As far as your tort not eating and being shy, that is a normal reaction for tortoises coming into a new environment. Give your tort some time and it should be all good!
Good luck!
 

millstortoise

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Hi and congrats on your super cute tort! The redfoot tortoise caresheet (link attached) is a super helpful resource and a great guide for how to raise healthy redfoot tortoises. A cherry head tortoise from my understanding is a type of redfoot so all the information in the care sheet still applies.
As far as your tort not eating and being shy, that is a normal reaction for tortoises coming into a new environment. Give your tort some time and it should be all good!
Good luck!
This here is 100 percent true , my tortoise was definitely like this when I got her ( a few years ago now lol) but after a short while she started eating and was fine :)
 

afurlong

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How long can this shy period last?

How many days can she go without eating?

Does my set up look okay? i don’t have a humidifier, i’ve just been misting the substrate.

Thanks again!
 

Golden Greek Tortoise 567

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That coiled bulb is a danger for tortoises, it burns their eyes. Turn off immediately and replace it with a T5 fluorescent tube. Your tortoise is pyramiding, you need to keep humidity above 85% and 90% in the humid hide to prevent this. These levels are easily achievable in a closed chamber. Make sure to soak your baby daily for 30-45 minutes.
 

method89

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Do not use either of those bulbs.

The curly one is known to bother tortoise's eyes. Use a t5 strip light

the nightime heat bulb screws up their day/night clock. use a ceramic heat emitter for night heat

You will never be able to keep in the necessary humidity with an open top enclosure. Plexiglass or plastic sheets can help
 

Dankneepowpow

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How long can this shy period last?

How many days can she go without eating?

Does my set up look okay? i don’t have a humidifier, i’ve just been misting the substrate.

Thanks again!
I think the “shy period” can vary greatly from tort to tort so it’s hard to say.

Somethings that may help your tort come out of his/her shell, figuratively speaking, is adding some enrichment to the enclosure. Some edible plants to play around with or some rocks and wood to look at. Also Redfoots can eat a wide range of fruits and veggies so try to entice your tort with some yummy treats like papaya or berries. Finally, as some of the other members have suggested, replace those bulbs with CHE. The bright light could be stressing out your tort.

Regular mistings should work to keep your humidity up, no need to buy a fogger. If you haven’t already you should invest in a good digital humidity gauge so you can accurately read your enclosures humidity. If you have trouble maintaining humidity at +80% then making your enclosure a closed chamber is highly recommended.
Overall I think your enclosure looks good and your tort is super cute!
 

Toddrickfl1

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Help please. 3 days ago, I became a new proud owner of a tortoise. Long story short, i didn’t do enough research and i thought i could add “Tortellini” to my chicken run. I live in NW Illinois. Shortly after bringing her home I was informed she’s too small to last outdoors. i had to quickly build her a tortoise table. i repurposed s bookcase.

I’m very concerned because she has not eating at all, she only moves to go into the hide.

She’s adorable, and it’s important to me that she’s happy and healthy. There’s lots of advice on pet tortoises online but I can’t find anything for what to expect and what to do right after you bring them home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Your tort is probably still adjusting. They don't like change and they will sulk. Also your enclosure is real bare and open. Bare open areas with no cover in the wild are what they avoid. Try adding some real or fake plants to diffuse the light and add a little cover to help your buddy feel more secure.
 

afurlong

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Ok, I made some progress... Per the great advice, i added some plants and made a plexiglass lid. I stopped using the coil light and ordered a t5 hood lamp. The ceramic heat bulb will arrive tomorrow and i’ll switch out then.

I soaked her in warm water, tried to feed her but she moved her fastest tortoise speed back to her hide.
 

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Dankneepowpow

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Ok, I made some progress... Per the great advice, i added some plants and made a plexiglass lid. I stopped using the coil light and ordered a t5 hood lamp. The ceramic heat bulb will arrive tomorrow and i’ll switch out then.

I soaked her in warm water, tried to feed her but she moved her fastest tortoise speed back to her hide.
Looks a lot better! I think your tort just needs time to adjust and get comfortable.

one thing I’d like to add about your new set up: I know that there is some debate as to whether pothos are a safe plant for Redfoots. I know a lot of keepers have had experience with their torts eating pothos and being 100% fine, but I also know there is a fair amount of scientific literature that suggests these plants are toxic. I personally have no experience with pothos and my redfoot. Of course up to you if you want to keep that plant in your enclosure, but I might suggest changing it to something you know is safe like spiderplants, air plants, dandelions, or bromeliads.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Unfortunately, just about everything you were sold is either dangerous to use. Or flat out inappropriate for a Redfoot/Cherry head.
The open topped enclosure cannot contain warmth or humidity. It needs to be a CLOSED CHAMBER. The spiral, coiled UVB bulb will blind your tortoise. You need a 5.0 T5 strip tube UVB.
The black heat bulb can be replaced with a CHE.
I'd also replace that water bowl with a terra cotta plant saucer that is lower and easier to climb in and out of.
You need an ambient temperature of 80 to 86.
You need humidity of over 70%. 24/7.
You need hide areas and no areas of super bright lighting.
 

afurlong

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Okay, I switched out the lights and plants and built a cover.

Do I have to worry about the humidity if i soak her in the morning?

Any other advice on my set up or for a new tortoise owner always appreciated.

Thanks again!
 

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Toddrickfl1

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Okay, I switched out the lights and plants and built a cover.

Do I have to worry about the humidity if i soak her in the morning?

Any other advice on my set up or for a new tortoise owner always appreciated.

Thanks again!
That looks great! Awesome job. You can take a couple cups of water and pour it into the substrate. Your humidity should go up soon after. You want to aim for 80%+ if you can.
 

zovick

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Okay, I switched out the lights and plants and built a cover.

Do I have to worry about the humidity if i soak her in the morning?

Any other advice on my set up or for a new tortoise owner always appreciated.

Thanks again!
Your set-up is looking a lot better. That is good work.

The substrate is still much too dry. You need to pour water into it as Toddrickfl1 mentioned above. I will go a step further and say that you should pour about a quart or more of water into either end and then mix it all together with your hands until it is thoroughly wet. Then flatten it out and pat it down. After doing that, you should only need to pour water into the enclosure every week or so as it dries. You do not want to see any dry dust on the top layer of the substrate and the deeper part should feel almost wet.

The bookcase may not be the best thing for a really damp substrate as it may not be watertight unless you line it with rubber or plastic (like a shower curtain or a pond liner).

Good luck.
 

afurlong

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I installed the liner and added the water. I hope others can learn from this post.

Thank you Zovick!
 

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