Anyone have an adult Redfoot inside?

[Shalon]

I'm looking for ideas for how to keep the humidity up on her tortoise table. It's not totally finished yet but I would love to see if anyone else has an adult Redfoot in a tortoise table. I don't have enough space to give her a room of her own but we built her a 8'x3' table. I'm thinking a combo of a plexi-glass and mesh screen lid so it will hold some humidity but still have air flow.

 

[fishtanker]

A wet cloth cover will help. If you email me I will try to send an idea on how to suspend it.

 

[terryo]

Mine in two years old and inside. I put plenty of plants in the viv and the humidity always stays up in the high 70's...sometimes 80.

 

[Madkins007]

My thread about the large indoor Red-foot habitat is under Enclosures.

 

[llamas55]

Mine in two years old and inside. I put plenty of plants in the viv and the humidity always stays up in the high 70's...sometimes 80.

Could you post a photo of your indoor set up? Consesus of my RF one runny eye seems to be :humidity, and I think I need to upgrade her digs. I'm in MN- but too many predator critters to keep her anywhere but inside.
Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a shed divided in half with Aldabrans on one side and Yellofoots on the other side. They can go outside if they want to, but on cold days they mostly stay inside. I have a window screen suspended over the area where the Yellowfoots sleep, and I placed a towel on the screen. Every morning I wet the towel down. There is no substrate on the floor, just a rubber horse stall mat.

Yvonne

 

[Shalon]

I have a shed divided in half with Aldabrans on one side and Yellofoots on the other side. They can go outside if they want to, but on cold days they mostly stay inside. I have a window screen suspended over the area where the Yellowfoots sleep, and I placed a towel on the screen. Every morning I wet the towel down. There is no substrate on the floor, just a rubber horse stall mat.

Yvonne

And that keeps the humidity high enough? Do you have a light or anything shining on it? I would love to be able to do something a little more simple (and cheaper) then the plexi-glass idea I had so if that will work I'll do it!

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, there are lights...a regular 75 watt incandescent bulb for days and a black light bulb for nights. I never see any eye problems with the adults, so I'm assuming the wet towel is providing enough humidity for them. The babies are in a tort table above the adults (like a shelf), and they have plants in their substrate that keep their humidity up.

Yvonne

 

[Madkins007]

Instead of plexi, you can use clear plastic- either the heavier gauge vynal you can get at a lot of hardware stores, etc., or just heavy duty plastic dropcloth. Make a simple frame, possibly from PVC, and drape it over.

Focus on a very humid hide (90%ish), and a 'normally humid (50-70%ish)' bigger space.

In Vinke's "South American Tortoises', they talk about having tanks of warm water in habitats to help with heat and humidity- and that many of the keepers go ahead and do tropical fish in the tanks (any fish that jumps out becomes a snack). It makes a decent moderately low maintenance and moderately low-cost humidifier- but you will need to contain it to some extent.

I don't know what you are using for a substrate, but if you gently warm (no more than 85F) soil with greenhouse cables, etc., then they will warm the water in soil to transmit heat upwards, taking moisture with it- which means more humidity right down at the soil level. Put a tub or box open-side down over this sort of thing, and you have a high-humidity hide in a more humid habitat.

 

[llamas55]

I used a heavy clear Target shower curtain. But I lost so much joy SEEING my RF, however now her eyes are runny and yesterday folks rightly said I need more humidity. I'm trying to figure a thick but out of reach plant system so I can still see into the black stock tank I am using.

 

[llamas55]

Terry I love the habitat photos you sent me today (are they public somewhere I hope? they are fabulous) but HOW do you keep your tort from eating them? I know you said you are down to a few plants now that he is older, but mine would eat, for instance, the johnny jump up and the plaintain but hopefully not the philodendron (mildly poisonous, right?) and any other too, she eats none stop if let to (and she is the one who now is mildly pyramiding).

Mine in two years old and inside. I put plenty of plants in the viv and the humidity always stays up in the high 70's...sometimes 80.

 

[terryo]

Terry I love the habitat photos you sent me today (are they public somewhere I hope? they are fabulous) but HOW do you keep your tort from eating them? I know you said you are down to a few plants now that he is older, but mine would eat, for instance, the johnny jump up and the plaintain but hopefully not the philodendron (mildly poisonous, right?) and any other too, she eats none stop if let to (and she is the one who now is mildly pyramiding).

Mine in two years old and inside. I put plenty of plants in the viv and the humidity always stays up in the high 70's...sometimes 80.

I'm sure there are pictures all over here...just look up my name...I think that's how you do it. I'm always taking pictures. They are not the greatest, but I post them anyway. lol I have trouble with these plant lists myself because everyone is different, but I usuall go with this one:
http://www.africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

I keep the plants in their little pots and just bury the pot. The plants aren't too low to the ground and he likes to sit under them. The only one he really eats and loves...pansies. When I put them in they are gone by the next day. He is my first tortoise and I've only had him for two years but so far he is doing good.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

After a few years of advocating "Keep the moss/mulch in the main enclosure damp.".. [ NOT their 'HIDE'.. it should be "moist" ] we've seen that fungus leading to a mild shell-rot will develop if/when the substrate it too 'WET'! Soooooo the idea of creating "rain/humidity" from ABOVE is the way to go. It's O.K. if the heat emitter dries the substrate out.. simply mist it.

Maybe even something like a chameleon "drip"? Of course I have a designated 'room' for mine inside in the winter.. and run a "WARM-AIR" humidifier when the heaters are cranked up!

Terry K

 

[terryo]

After a few years of advocating "Keep the moss/mulch in the main enclosure damp.".. [ NOT their 'HIDE'.. it should be "moist" ] we've seen that fungus leading to a mild shell-rot will develop if/when the substrate it too 'WET'! Soooooo the idea of creating "rain/humidity" from ABOVE is the way to go. It's O.K. if the heat emitter dries the substrate out.. simply mist it.

Maybe even something like a chameleon "drip"? Of course I have a designated 'room' for mine inside in the winter.. and run a "WARM-AIR" humidifier when the heaters are cranked up!

Terry K

Here's my cheap way of doing it....Every AM when I get up I boil a big pot of water until there's nothing left in the pot. My windows are dripping after that.....and my hair looks like a very large, red, Autumn, birds nest....and it does wonders for your skin too...for an old broad I have hardly any wrinkles, and Pio loves it...comes right out to get his breakfast....and...you should see my plants. Of course I only do this in the winter....it's always like this in the summer here.