Hello,
I am a new member and a first time red footed tortoise owner (having previously owned a russian tort). Last week we welcomed two baby red foots and have some questions about logistics. I did weeks of research before we got them, but things that seem easy on paper don't always work the way you want them to. Here's the current set up for the 14 week old babies:
- currently they are in an 15 gallon aquarium (we had it in storage) while we build their more permanent enclosure. The plan is to have it 46 inches long, by 18 wide and 12 tall, made of wood and plexi glass. There will be a hide at one end with a hinged top (so we can get them out if need be) with moss. The other side will be the basking temp with water dish for soaking. The area with the heat lamp will be a screen. We plan to plant the terrarium with some live tort safe plants. Substrate - combo of repti bark (fir bark for humidity), some spanghum moss, and coconut fiber.
- UVB is provided with an 18 inch florescent tube at one end of the tank.
- heat: ceramic 150w in cage dome. However, I am not sure if they are warm enough, even in the small tank and worry that when we make the big enclosure they'll be even colder. Currently, in the hide (where they spend 95% of the time right now) the temp reads 78 and humidity 82. The temp in the basking are is 88 or 89 and the humidity between 40-50 depending on if it's been misted recently or not.
- Others: I have a cuttlebone in there for calcium (though they haven't chewed it yet), feed spring mix with a veg (try different ones: squash, carrot, mushroom) and once a week a fruit (strawberry, blueberry, mango), with a bit of the store food soaked in water and sprinkled on top since that came from the breeder we got them from so I didn't want to completely change diet right away; they have a dish and soak in it when placed by it.
Behavior: they sleep most of the day and hide. When we first got them last week they explored their set up, but since have been elusive. I know they're babies and need rest and I'm sure they're stressed from the move, so I'm leaving them alone except for feeding and soak. But, is this normal? They don't come out at all on their own.
One is very active when I wake him up for food and will munch (though neither eat a lot and skipped food altogether yesterday - kept walking back to hide every time I placed them by it). The other one is more sluggish and for the first two days didn't even open his eyes. I read that he might be dehydrated and once I physically placed him in water (instead of letting him go on his own) he opened them and drank for a while. So I hope he gets better.
Any advice would be appreciated, even suggestions of food variety. I'm familiar with a lot of animal behavior, but never had these torts and it worries me when I can't read signs.
I live in New Jersey, by the way and hope to take them outside in the summers for a bit when they're older.
Thank you,
Lina
I've added a picture from their first day. Their names are (Anomander) Rake (the more yellow one on floor) and (Silchas) Ruin (the more orange one in hand) from a favorite book series of mine and husband's.
I am a new member and a first time red footed tortoise owner (having previously owned a russian tort). Last week we welcomed two baby red foots and have some questions about logistics. I did weeks of research before we got them, but things that seem easy on paper don't always work the way you want them to. Here's the current set up for the 14 week old babies:
- currently they are in an 15 gallon aquarium (we had it in storage) while we build their more permanent enclosure. The plan is to have it 46 inches long, by 18 wide and 12 tall, made of wood and plexi glass. There will be a hide at one end with a hinged top (so we can get them out if need be) with moss. The other side will be the basking temp with water dish for soaking. The area with the heat lamp will be a screen. We plan to plant the terrarium with some live tort safe plants. Substrate - combo of repti bark (fir bark for humidity), some spanghum moss, and coconut fiber.
- UVB is provided with an 18 inch florescent tube at one end of the tank.
- heat: ceramic 150w in cage dome. However, I am not sure if they are warm enough, even in the small tank and worry that when we make the big enclosure they'll be even colder. Currently, in the hide (where they spend 95% of the time right now) the temp reads 78 and humidity 82. The temp in the basking are is 88 or 89 and the humidity between 40-50 depending on if it's been misted recently or not.
- Others: I have a cuttlebone in there for calcium (though they haven't chewed it yet), feed spring mix with a veg (try different ones: squash, carrot, mushroom) and once a week a fruit (strawberry, blueberry, mango), with a bit of the store food soaked in water and sprinkled on top since that came from the breeder we got them from so I didn't want to completely change diet right away; they have a dish and soak in it when placed by it.
Behavior: they sleep most of the day and hide. When we first got them last week they explored their set up, but since have been elusive. I know they're babies and need rest and I'm sure they're stressed from the move, so I'm leaving them alone except for feeding and soak. But, is this normal? They don't come out at all on their own.
One is very active when I wake him up for food and will munch (though neither eat a lot and skipped food altogether yesterday - kept walking back to hide every time I placed them by it). The other one is more sluggish and for the first two days didn't even open his eyes. I read that he might be dehydrated and once I physically placed him in water (instead of letting him go on his own) he opened them and drank for a while. So I hope he gets better.
Any advice would be appreciated, even suggestions of food variety. I'm familiar with a lot of animal behavior, but never had these torts and it worries me when I can't read signs.
I live in New Jersey, by the way and hope to take them outside in the summers for a bit when they're older.
Thank you,
Lina
I've added a picture from their first day. Their names are (Anomander) Rake (the more yellow one on floor) and (Silchas) Ruin (the more orange one in hand) from a favorite book series of mine and husband's.