Hey Friends,. Am about to get my redfoot tortoises, need help on food diet and enclosure substrate.

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Hello Friends,

Am about to get couple of redfoot tortoise, I would like get some expert help on enclosure and food diet (more importantly please daily routine diet chart)

Size if about 2 to 3 inches. And please note, Iam from India.

Please suggest based on Indian southern part climate and food diet.

Il be very much appreciated if I get a nice daily availabke food chart.

And when it comes to enclosure substrate many I have seen is using the coco husk chips which we have to moist them often, and Iam afraid that the molds cuased in it might infect the babies. So please suggest me if i can use the hay.

Great thanks in advance for your time and knowledge spending for me.!!

 

[wellington]

Tortoises can not live in pairs. So if you are getting two, they each need their own enclosure.
They also need a closed chamber enclosure if you are getting hatchlings up to about 2 or 3 years. They need high humidity but with top layer of substrate being dry so they don't get shell rot.
Coconut coir with orchid or fir bark on top would work best. Moisten the coir while leaving the bark dry.
@ZEROPILOT can fill you in on what you will need.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It would be almost impossible for an American to supply you with a food chart that you can follow in INDIA. I have very little information on the foods that are grown there.
But: A diet of 60% fruit is suitable for a Redfoot. Then provide green. Leafy vegetable leaves, mushrooms, edible flowers, high quality pellets. Such as Mazuri 5M21 and some animal protein including boiled eggs.
That should get you in the area where you need to be.
What is your climate like?
Temperature and humidity?
How large will your enclosure be? And will it be inside or outside (or both)
DO RESIST the urge to buy a pair of REDFOOT. They only do well as individuals or in larger groups with a lot of space.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Tortoises can not live in pairs. So if you are getting two, they each need their own enclosure.
They also need a closed chamber enclosure if you are getting hatchlings up to about 2 or 3 years. They need high humidity but with top layer of substrate being dry so they don't get shell rot.
Coconut coir with orchid or fir bark on top would work best. Moisten the coir while leaving the bark dry.
@ZEROPILOT can fill you in on what you will need.

Great thanks, that was an eye opening idea,. I have been seeing in many videos and articles, mentioning that substrate should be mosit enough but also i had thought what if the substrate gets molds and that stick as infection to babies.
Now your explanation was great eye opener.
I will follow the same, ill add coco husk chips at the bottom with mosit and top layer with dry bark or hay i will use as i dont use the coco peat as they ingest it.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

It would be almost impossible for an American to supply you with a food chart that you can follow in INDIA. I have very little information on the foods that are grown there.
But: A diet of 60% fruit is suitable for a Redfoot. Then provide green. Leafy vegetable leaves, mushrooms, edible flowers, high quality pellets. Such as Mazuri 5M21 and some animal protein including boiled eggs.
That should get you in the area where you need to be.
What is your climate like?
Temperature and humidity?
How large will your enclosure be? And will it be inside or outside (or both)
DO RESIST the urge to buy a pair of REDFOOT. They only do well as individuals or in larger groups with a lot of space.

Thanks for the suggestions,.
Im going to keep them in 2.5ft wooden rectangle box with height as 1.5 ft.
I will be keeping them inside close to the window as it get sunshine rays starting from 1pm till 5 pm,. I will keep half of the enclosure's top closed while the other half with open for sunrays.
Climate is similar to south florida, much heat with high humidity and good cold winter rains.
Till they grow about 6 inches i will workout along with them, two enclosures, one is near window for sunlight and other one is inside room during night and cold days with proper heats.
About the food,
I can get, romaine lettuce and bokchoy, moringa, amaranthus, methi, kale.
Fruits like apple, grapes, papaya, banana, watermelon, strawberries. Almost every fruits is possible to get from local organic shops.
Only the essential greens like dandelions are nowhere found.
Some traders import those Mazurrie LS diet pellets. But for redfoots is it okay? For special variant of mazuri is available please let me know.
About the a pair, I will have it close look enclosure untill they grow quite big and eventually they will graduated to nice big open enclosures.

 

[wellington]

Thanks for the suggestions,.
Im going to keep them in 2.5ft wooden rectangle box with height as 1.5 ft.
I will be keeping them inside close to the window as it get sunshine rays starting from 1pm till 5 pm,. I will keep half of the enclosure's top closed while the other half with open for sunrays.
Climate is similar to south florida, much heat with high humidity and good cold winter rains.
Till they grow about 6 inches i will workout along with them, two enclosures, one is near window for sunlight and other one is inside room during night and cold days with proper heats.
About the food,
I can get, romaine lettuce and bokchoy, moringa, amaranthus, methi, kale.
Fruits like apple, grapes, papaya, banana, watermelon, strawberries. Almost every fruits is possible to get from local organic shops.
Only the essential greens like dandelions are nowhere found.
Some traders import those Mazurrie LS diet pellets. But for redfoots is it okay? For special variant of mazuri is available please let me know.
About the a pair, I will have it close look enclosure untill they grow quite big and eventually they will graduated to nice big open enclosures.

Hay is not good for a substrate it's too drying but will also mold easily in the humid environment.
Also sun thru a window is good for light but not uvb. UV does not go thru glass or fine mesh screens.
The enclosure is too small if its 2.5 feet square. They need a hide, water dish, food dish and room to roam. A 2x4 for hatchlings gives them room. Bigger of course needed as they grow.
As for pairs, living together it's a no go. One will be bullied and will not grow as well as the bully. It also causes them to live in stress.
Get one, a group or two separate enclosures.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Hay is not good for a substrate it's too drying but will also mold easily in the humid environment.
Also sun thru a window is good for light but not uvb. UV does not go thru glass or fine mesh screens.
The enclosure is too small if its 2.5 feet square. They need a hide, water dish, food dish and room to roam. A 2x4 for hatchlings gives them room. Bigger of course needed as they grow.
As for pairs, living together it's a no go. One will be bullied and will not grow as well as the bully. It also causes them to live in stress.
Get one, a group or two separate enclosures.

Yeah forgot to mention its bare window without glass or mesh,..
If pair is going to be problem ill keep one and give another my friend no issues with that,.
Kindly share the diet chart if available,.
Thanks in advance !!

 

[Tom]

Yeah forgot to mention its bare window without glass or mesh,..
If pair is going to be problem ill keep one and give another my friend no issues with that,.
Kindly share the diet chart if available,.
Thanks in advance !!

Be very careful that they don't over heat and they don't dry out.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Yeah forgot to mention its bare window without glass or mesh,..
If pair is going to be problem ill keep one and give another my friend no issues with that,.
Kindly share the diet chart if available,.
Thanks in advance !!

Edit: I may have misread, if you are planning to give the other tortoise to your friend regardless, then disregard the next paragraph. The links are still good if you want to learn more about it, though. Excited for you to get them!

Unfortunately, with pairs, it will not be an "if". Aggression in tortoises can be very hard to spot, and even if they are not outright attacking each other, it puts a lot of stress on them. If you would like multiple, go with at least 3 with a much larger enclosure. Any bullying is usually spread out instead of focused on one individual, though it can go wrong, especially when they reach sexual maturity. Just getting one is the safest bet, at least 3 can work, but pairs are very, very risky, and not worth it.

More information on keeping tortoises in pairs:

Why not to keep 2 tortoises together - a lesson learned the hard way

This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a...

tortoiseforum.org

Another "why not" to keeping tortoises in pairs.

It suppresses sexual expression. Two Indian Star tortoises kept together since they were babies were at about a third to half grown. The "female" was a bit smaller and more pyramided, but not grossly so for say a leopard tortoise, so certainly not an Indian Star they were within a millimeters...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Edit: I may have misread, if you are planning to give the other tortoise to your friend regardless, then disregard the next paragraph. The links are still good if you want to learn more about it, though. Excited for you to get them!

Unfortunately, with pairs, it will not be an "if". Aggression in tortoises can be very hard to spot, and even if they are not outright attacking each other, it puts a lot of stress on them. If you would like multiple, go with at least 3 with a much larger enclosure. Any bullying is usually spread out instead of focused on one individual, though it can go wrong, especially when they reach sexual maturity. Just getting one is the safest bet, at least 3 can work, but pairs are very, very risky, and not worth it.

More information on keeping tortoises in pairs:

Why not to keep 2 tortoises together - a lesson learned the hard way

This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a...

tortoiseforum.org

Another "why not" to keeping tortoises in pairs.

It suppresses sexual expression. Two Indian Star tortoises kept together since they were babies were at about a third to half grown. The "female" was a bit smaller and more pyramided, but not grossly so for say a leopard tortoise, so certainly not an Indian Star they were within a millimeters...

tortoiseforum.org

How do i edit the post, cuz it has turned to be a question more about keeping a pair or not, but my main concerns and the help im looking is all about the food diet chart, can someone pleaseeeee help on that,.
I got the point
IM NOT KEEPING THEM AS A PAIR.
if i can get some experts to talk about the food diet it will be very help for me.

 

[TammyJ]

Some good diet items are raw gratered pumpkin, pumpkin vine leaves and flowers, Hibiscus leaves and flowers, clover, chocho vine leaves, spineless opuntia cactus, watercress, purslane, mango, raspberries, boiled eggs in the shell, plain sardines, cooked chicken meat. Cuttlefish bone available in pet shops, this is for calcium.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Hello Friends,

Am about to redfoot tortoise, I would like get some expert help on enclosure and food diet (more importantly please daily routine diet chart)

Size if about 2 to 3 inches. And please note, Iam from India.

Please suggest based on Indian southern part climate and food diet.

Il be very much appreciated if I get a nice daily availabke food chart.

And when it comes to enclosure substrate many I have seen is using the coco husk chips which we have to moist them often, and Iam afraid that the molds cuased in it might infect the babies. So please suggest me if i can use the hay.

Great thanks in advance for your time and knowledge spending for me.!!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Once you find out what is available to you or growing locally that your RF likes, it'd be very helpful if you could make your own list. So that it can be shared with other people in your part of the world that are also keeping Redfoot.
I do not have a specific list for you. But I can offer you a ratio of the foods you should offer:

40% to 60% FRUIT

20% to 30% green leaves and vegetable matter.

10% protein. Including meat and eggs.

10% other Including mushrooms and high quality pellets. Such as Mazuri.

10% edible flowers. Cactus pedals or cactus fruits.

Offer variety each day. Don't worry about a particular schedule. Just feed the variety that's easiest for you to obtain that day.
There must be dozens if not hundreds of items you will find to offer.
Almost anything that you or your family eats, they can eat. As long as it is not processed and not seasoned, etc.
Fresh foods only.
Keep the temperature above 80°f but never much above 90°f.
If the weather feels hot to you, it's too hot for them too. They overheat easily. And keeping them in a glass container near a window might magnify the heat.
Be very careful.
They also require high humidity. Over 75%.
Your best bet. And for the Redfoot to do best, consider letting them live outdoors. Especially as they grow larger.

 

[TammyJ]

Zeropilot is our ultimate Redfoot guy!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Zeropilot is our ultimate Redfoot guy!

That's very kind
(And also not true)
But I know NOTHING about what's available as easy food in INDIA.
So, I'm unable to provide him with an actual list. Although in all honesty one isn't required.
Redfoot can and do eat so many things!

 

[RosemaryDW]

I will be blunt here and point out that fruit and vegetables available in India can have germs on them that may bother a non native visitor. Residents of India have built up a tolerance to whatever is local but visitors have not. If your red foot has not been bred in India they will not yet have a tolerance either. If that is the case you needs to be sure whatever you are feeding has been well washed. Over time this will change but you may need to be careful right now.

Red Foots can eat seemingly anything but there is no reason to risk stomach trouble when they are new.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

I will be blunt here and point out that fruit and vegetables available in India can have germs on them that may bother a non native visitor. Residents of India have built up a tolerance to whatever is local but visitors have not. If your red foot has not been bred in India they will not yet have a tolerance either. If that is the case you needs to be sure whatever you are feeding has been well washed. Over time this will change but you may need to be careful right now.

Red Foots can eat seemingly anything but there is no reason to risk stomach trouble

I will be blunt here and point out that fruit and vegetables available in India can have germs on them that may bother a non native visitor. Residents of India have built up a tolerance to whatever is local but visitors have not. If your red foot has not been bred in India they will not yet have a tolerance either. If that is the case you needs to be sure whatever you are feeding has been well washed. Over time this will change but you may need to be careful right now.

Red Foots can eat seemingly anything but there is no reason to risk stomach trouble when they are new.

What do you mean by this ??
"fruit and vegetables available in India can have germs"
Are you speaking in conscious of what you have typed or just running thru the words??
Could you elaborate the line which you have mentioned in this comments !!

 

[RosemaryDW]

40% to 60% FRUIT

I'm not any kind of expert but I think there are some things commonly available we wouldn't include into the fruit category, namely avocado and coconut. They *are* fruits and I'm pretty sure a red foot would eat them. But I think the sugar content may be too low to qualify for the fruit portion of the diet.

Fortunately India has many, many other types of fruit available!

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

I'm not any kind of expert but I think there are some things commonly available we wouldn't include into the fruit category, namely avocado and coconut. They *are* fruits and I'm pretty sure a red foot would eat them. But I think the sugar content may be too low to qualify for the fruit portion of the diet.

Fortunately India has many, many other types of fruit available!

What do you mean by this ??
"fruit and vegetables available in India can have germs"
Are you speaking in conscious of what you have typed or just running thru the words??
Could you elaborate the line which you have mentioned in this comments !!

 

[RosemaryDW]

What do you mean by this ??
"fruit and vegetables available in India can have germs"
Are you speaking in conscious of what you have typed or just running thru the words??
Could you elaborate the line which you have mentioned in this comments !!

Hmm. I'm not sure of the best word to use here, I knew that when I typed "germs". Bacteria is probably better. Have you ever heard the term "travelers diarrhea"? People visiting a new country can get sick from eating raw foods that carry things their bodies aren't used to. This is common for Western visitors to many countries, not just India. When I visited, particularly when we first arrived, we were encouraged not to eat anything raw outside of places our hosts knew well and to drink bottled water. Getting sick wouldn't have been the worst thing normally but we traveled at such a fast pace anyone who got sick would have left behind and then later have to get themselves to the next city.

if you are in a big or medium city this may not be an issue. We were able to have whatever we wanted in our hotels and at some of the schools we visited. And anything we peeled ourselves was fine. We were traveling to schools in the middle of nowhere--always over an hour's drive from whatever city we were in. Some places it was better just not to take any risk. The one person who didn't listen got sick at an old hotel in Ooty. Given that travel up and down wasn't easy for a visitor to manage he had to leave with the rest of us and had a very rough trip.