i just read on a site that red-footed tortoises do not need a basking area.. is this true?
basking area?
- Thread starter heyprettyrave
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OK....everyone has a different opinion on how to keep their tortoise. I have followed these care sheets for two years now, since my Cherry Head was a month old, with great success. So far he is nice and smooth. Go to the top of the page and click on the age appropriate care sheet. http://www.redfoots.com/redfoot.htm
I don't use a basking light. I have mine in a 75 gal. glass tank. On the top I have a screen with a hole on one side for a 100 wt. heat emitter. On the other side I have a long tube 10.0 tube light in a fixture for a 20 gal tank. Sor substrate I have a mix of soil, peat moss and on top Forest Floor by Zoo med. (100 % cypruss mulch) His hide is on the side under the heat emitter. and his water dish is on the other side. I have a flat piece of slate for feeding him. To hold in the humidity I have a lot of plants all along the front of his enclosure. It also helps prevent him from looking out....I plant the plants right in the substrate in their little pots, and the screen top is covered with clear wrapping tape, except for the hole with the heat emitter and the part where the long tube light is. I only water the plants and mist them, but do not keep the substrate wet. The humidity stays in the high 70's to 80. The whole enclosure is about 85 degrees. I don' have a cool side or a hot side. When he comes out to eat, I mist him until he drips...wet. This is what works for me....not saying it's right or wrong. In the summer he's outside in a 6' x 7' pen.
I don't use a basking light. I have mine in a 75 gal. glass tank. On the top I have a screen with a hole on one side for a 100 wt. heat emitter. On the other side I have a long tube 10.0 tube light in a fixture for a 20 gal tank. Sor substrate I have a mix of soil, peat moss and on top Forest Floor by Zoo med. (100 % cypruss mulch) His hide is on the side under the heat emitter. and his water dish is on the other side. I have a flat piece of slate for feeding him. To hold in the humidity I have a lot of plants all along the front of his enclosure. It also helps prevent him from looking out....I plant the plants right in the substrate in their little pots, and the screen top is covered with clear wrapping tape, except for the hole with the heat emitter and the part where the long tube light is. I only water the plants and mist them, but do not keep the substrate wet. The humidity stays in the high 70's to 80. The whole enclosure is about 85 degrees. I don' have a cool side or a hot side. When he comes out to eat, I mist him until he drips...wet. This is what works for me....not saying it's right or wrong. In the summer he's outside in a 6' x 7' pen.
so would you suggest getting more plants? i have two already.
and i do have a 100 watt heat emitter light bulb, works great. she lays underneath it sometimes, would you suggest maybe getting like a rock to set underneath it for more warmth for her?
and i am alittle curious why you dont want him looking outside of the tank, you said you plant them in front so he cant see out.. i am just wondering why you dont want him looking out i guess.
thank you btw
and i do have a 100 watt heat emitter light bulb, works great. she lays underneath it sometimes, would you suggest maybe getting like a rock to set underneath it for more warmth for her?
and i am alittle curious why you dont want him looking outside of the tank, you said you plant them in front so he cant see out.. i am just wondering why you dont want him looking out i guess.
thank you btw
I don't even have a tortoise yet (getting closer to finding one though...) but I may have the answer to your question. I've come across a few care sheets that mention tortoises and glass don't get along well. They can rub against the glass and hurt their faces trying to escape this invisible forcefield. One of them suggested putting a thin strip of picture backing all along the bottom edge of the tank, about head-high so it looks like a short wall to your tort.
I could very well be wrong though, I have literally zero experience!
I could very well be wrong though, I have literally zero experience!
TerryO put the "VIV" touches together and has been using the parameters [ temps.. humidity, etc. ] that ( I ) Turtletary have used for the past 5 years. You can see how hers looks.
A cdmay hatchling from early '05 raised by the above ( pic taken 1/10 ) -
One of my '05 hatchlings ( pic taken spring '09 ) -
They were "misted-til-they-dripped" everyday from virtually day one!
Also TerryO should take credit for the great job she has done! She HAS created a "perfect" 'glass viv' system!!!
NERD
A cdmay hatchling from early '05 raised by the above ( pic taken 1/10 ) -
One of my '05 hatchlings ( pic taken spring '09 ) -
They were "misted-til-they-dripped" everyday from virtually day one!
Also TerryO should take credit for the great job she has done! She HAS created a "perfect" 'glass viv' system!!!
NERD
Heyprettyrave. Yes, you do need a basking area to some degree. Red-foots (although some will disagree) will pick a sunny spot and bask.
In my experience from watching the actions of my own group of red-foots I see this on a daily basis. They will find a sunny spot and bask. What I have noticed is that they will keep their head in the shade and stick the rest of their bodies into full sunlight. Has anyone else noticed this with their red-foots?
Hatchlings, however, will spend a lot of time buried, or in shaded areas. I know this is where a lot of debate comes into play. I would offer a basking area for hatchlings and adults. They will choose whether or not they want to use it. Don't use a bright bulb though. They aren't a fan of bright scattered white light. You can find softer, colored lights to use as a basking source, and you've mentioned that you use a heat emitter which is good.
If you're worried about not using a UVB bulb as the basking source, just sprinkle a bit of vitamin D3 powder on the food once a week or so.
Here are two of my red-foots basking. I snapped these around 1:00 pm during my lunch hour. Notice how the male is stretching his rear legs out to optimize his sun exposure. The female was doing the same thing until I startled her with a camera in her face. Ha!
Also, notice how both of their heads are in the shade and the shell and legs are in full sun. I'm really just starting to notice that.
Female
Male
Rear legs stretched out.
-Matt
In my experience from watching the actions of my own group of red-foots I see this on a daily basis. They will find a sunny spot and bask. What I have noticed is that they will keep their head in the shade and stick the rest of their bodies into full sunlight. Has anyone else noticed this with their red-foots?
Hatchlings, however, will spend a lot of time buried, or in shaded areas. I know this is where a lot of debate comes into play. I would offer a basking area for hatchlings and adults. They will choose whether or not they want to use it. Don't use a bright bulb though. They aren't a fan of bright scattered white light. You can find softer, colored lights to use as a basking source, and you've mentioned that you use a heat emitter which is good.
If you're worried about not using a UVB bulb as the basking source, just sprinkle a bit of vitamin D3 powder on the food once a week or so.
Here are two of my red-foots basking. I snapped these around 1:00 pm during my lunch hour. Notice how the male is stretching his rear legs out to optimize his sun exposure. The female was doing the same thing until I startled her with a camera in her face. Ha!
Also, notice how both of their heads are in the shade and the shell and legs are in full sun. I'm really just starting to notice that.
Female
Male
Rear legs stretched out.
-Matt
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