Help ?

[viking1989]

Hi all ! Ive had my young tort about 5 month now ! Im not sure if hes a red foot or red cherry head as the shop i got him from didnt have a clue about torts tey told me all wrong info on caring for him and if i hadnt of use some common sense and checked with an expert he would have been very unhappy ! He is now living happily an i just need some more advice so i can make sure he gets the best and lives as happy as can be ! 1st it says all over the internet i should feed him bugs or cat meat is this true ? And 2nd can i get a mate to live with him or would red foots prefer to be on theyre own ? Any advice would be much appreciated as i only want  the best for him ! Thanks !

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi viking1989:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

...and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

I'll let others who know more about the redfoot tortoise answer your questions...I just wanted to welcome you to the forum.

 

[viking1989]

Hi thanks ive been looking for A forum place like this for ages so glad i found it ! Ive wanted a tortoise since i was a child and only just got my first one a few months back so im learning from mistakes but im really trying ! I want more now they are such beautiful creatures so any advice or tips you could give me would be great ! My location is south east england !

 

[Redstrike]

Hi,
What's your daily diet consist of? Generally speaking, growing hatchlings and subadult tortoises need a bit more protein than adults. I usually give my hatchlings 6-7 waxworms/pheonix worms/butterworms during one feeding per week. Our captive diets are much richer than a wild diet would be, so if you were to provide animal protein (cat food, hardboiled eggs, Mazuri/Zoo Med or other commercial tortoise food, insects, etc.) once per couple weeks, you'd probably still be fine.

As for groups, I'd go for either one tortoise or more than 2. If you get more than one tortoise, just be sure you can house them separately if problems arise. I'm going to refer you to a recent post by one of our forum members that you may want to have a good read through that includes previous discussions on keeping pairs of tortoises. I have two and can tell you that they really don't crave each others attention, rather they seem to tolerate each other.

Here's the thread:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1s8S3roPY

I'm still learning too, and found this thread particularly helpful. Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new tortoise!

 

[viking1989]

Hi well his diet consists of soft leaf lettuces cucumber fruits tomatos with calcium powder on that ! I also have tried man different pellets but he just doesnt seem interested on them ! When i spoke to a reptile specialist he told me no to bother with meal worms etc as the tortoise would digest or consume much of the protein hense why i havent been feeding him protein ! What would you advise to start him on and how often ? Would dead meal worms be ok or not ? Thanks for the link to the thread ive been reading that been really helpful ! Dont think im going to get him a mate now might just get a different breed and jus house them seperatly ! Thanks

 

[Redstrike]

I wouldn't do the mealworms for a hatchling, they have a good amount of chitin to them. Go for something softer-bodied, like butterworms, phoenix worms, earth worms, etc. Insects are a good thing for young ones. You may consider some wild weeds in the feeding rotation. Dandelion, plantain (not the fruit), mallow species, clovers, etc. This is a good site for checking into certain species:
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

I'd also recommend fruits no more than once/week, though this is a personal preference. I'd also stick to fruits that are low in sugar as these tortoises are hind-gut fermenters (i.e. the food stays in their system for a while). If you give them lots of sugary fruits multiple times per week, it could increase their chances for some protozoan parasite blooms. This site has some really good feeding recommendations:
https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/nutrition/diet-plans

 

[Zergy]

Welcome to the forums.

If you post a picture, someone may be able to help you out on figuring out if your tort is a red foot or cherry head.

As for bugs/protein, I would go with what Redstrike suggested. And I don't think cat meat is a good idea, although I have seen sites mention cat kibble soaked in water. And I wouldn't do mealworms either.

If you want to get your little one to eat some tortoise pellet foods, wet a little of it and mix it in with the food he will eat. That is what I am starting to do for mine. Just a little since I want them to eat mainly fresh greens and fruits.

My guys eat 2 days of greens then a day of fruit. And repeat. So every week they have at least 2 fruit days. Thus far I have only fed strawberries and mango.

As far as your torts diet goes, I suggest going with some dark leafy green and safe weeds. Things like hibiscus leaves, collard greens, spring mix, dandelion, plantain (weed), etc. I don't know much about giving them cucumbers and tomatoes. Those would be fruits also and they need more greens than fruits.

Post some pictures.

 

[viking1989]

Wow massie thanks to both threads so much helpful info there ! Im deinstly going to try that sounds great ! This is an old picture of when i first got my tort ( mojo ) hope its s good enough picture if not let me know and ill take a new one

 

[ascott]

I can't see a pic

 

[viking1989]

 

[N2TORTS]

View attachment 19519



View attachment 19518

ya need to upload your pics to server such as *photo bucket* ( its free) ... works well and user friendly .. then pics are a breeze... BTW .. welcome to the forum. ...and can't wait to see your new RF buddy!

JD~

 

[viking1989]

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p542/viking1989/8707be09.jpg

Try these guys not sure which one will work lol

---