Is this a cherry head?
- Thread starter TBK
- Start date
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum! Maybe @Alex and the Redfoot or @Littleredfootbigredheart can help you.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Hello! Definitely a cherry head yes, I will say she looks very dry and dehydrated, hopefully the links below will help you getting her set up properly
For the indoor side of things, Hopefully this thread might be be helpful, I primarily made it for folks that I’d seen with adult red foots in already very small open set ups as a means of instant improvement, not every average new member can modify entire rooms or sheds. That said, I go over a greenhouse set up here with ceramic bulbs, but a modified room/shed with RHP(s) and oil heating would be much more optimal for an adult red foot, however if you’re needing an indoor set up, perhaps follow these steps and start saving for a better future set up. This housing thread covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for red foots(only way to maintain the humidity you need indoors), appropriately maintaining the humidity(they are prone to shell rot so this is important! No misters or humidifiers), safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, a diet list and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers
Housing older red foot/cherryhead
Hello there! In this thread I’m going to go over an example of an appropriate indoor red foot/cherryhead enclosure. As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure(especially the size these guys get!) I understand being from the uk myself, that some climate’s make it...
tortoiseforum.org
This includes different closed chambers, some work better than others, melamine or pvc viv is going to be best in our climate, a place called Southdown aquatics makes custom sized vivs in the uk, go as big as you can go! This species need A LOT of room!
Visual inspiration
Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...
tortoiseforum.org
This includes lots of inspiration for an adult set up both indoors and out! The indoor bit has some good ideas to tackle indoor space whilst still providing the needed roaming room! Check comments too, I’m always adding to it, anything indoors will need to be a closed chamber style
Enclosure inspiration
Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...
tortoiseforum.org
Lastly, this one here is good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
Common keeping errors
Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...
tortoiseforum.org
Really hope they help! Sorry it’s a lot to go over lol, but feel free to ask any further questions! Happy to break things down bit by bit and help step by step, Welcome to the forum
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Oooo and I’m just noticing you’re from the uk! Please hit up my inbox if you need links to products! I’m not going to lie to you, this species isn’t easy to house in this climate on the scale they need, this is going to be a long educational journey with your new friend, housing and advice for these guys is absolutely dire here unfortunately
TBK
New Member
Thank you, I don’t think she was cared for very well tbh, I cleaned her Viv out and it seemed like it hadn’t been cleaned for months and there’s no water bowl that she can get into either just a little drinking bowl, I will be doing everything I can to sort everything out for her. Thank you for all the adviceHello! Definitely a cherry head yes, I will say she looks very dry and dehydrated, hopefully the links below will help you getting her set up properly
For the indoor side of things, Hopefully this thread might be be helpful, I primarily made it for folks that I’d seen with adult red foots in already very small open set ups as a means of instant improvement, not every average new member can modify entire rooms or sheds. That said, I go over a greenhouse set up here with ceramic bulbs, but a modified room/shed with RHP(s) and oil heating would be much more optimal for an adult red foot, however if you’re needing an indoor set up, perhaps follow these steps and start saving for a better future set up. This housing thread covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for red foots(only way to maintain the humidity you need indoors), appropriately maintaining the humidity(they are prone to shell rot so this is important! No misters or humidifiers), safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, a diet list and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers
Housing older red foot/cherryhead
Hello there! In this thread I’m going to go over an example of an appropriate indoor red foot/cherryhead enclosure. As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure(especially the size these guys get!) I understand being from the uk myself, that some climate’s make it...
This includes different closed chambers, some work better than others
Visual inspiration
Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...
This includes lots of inspiration for an adult set up both indoors and out! The indoor bit has some good ideas to tackle indoor space whilst still providing the needed roaming room! Check comments too, I’m always adding to it, anything indoors will need to be a closed chamber style
Enclosure inspiration
Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...
Lastly, this one here is good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
Common keeping errors
Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...
Really hope they help! Sorry it’s a lot to go over lol, but feel free to ask any further questions! Happy to break things down bit by bit and help step by step, Welcome to the forum
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Bless her, she sounds like she’s had very typical housing for the red foot’s and cherry heads I see here in the uk, it’s genuinely heartbreaking, the more you learn, the more you’ll see
but at least you can use that knowledge to better her lifeThe more I learnt over the years, the more I realised this species absolutely doesn’t belong in the uk, very few can actually provide the space they need that maintain their environmental levels, I’m glad this tortoise has made their way to a caring individual like yourself! I’m always here to advise wherever you need, this can all feel very overwhelming in the beginning stages, so please do reach out whenever
TBK
New Member
I have sent you a message, I really want to make sure I do everything right so that she is happy and comfortableBless her, she sounds like she’s had very typical housing for the red foot’s and cherry heads I see here in the uk, it’s genuinely heartbreaking, the more you learn, the more you’ll see
The more I learnt over the years, the more I realised this species absolutely doesn’t belong in the uk, very few can actually provide the space they need that maintain their environmental levels, I’m glad this tortoise has made their way to a caring individual like yourself! I’m always here to advise wherever you need, this can all feel very overwhelming in the beginning stages, so please do reach out whenever
TBK
New Member
Bless her, she sounds like she’s had very typical housing for the red foot’s and cherry heads I see here in the uk, it’s genuinely heartbreaking, the more you learn, the more you’ll see
The more I learnt over the years, the more I realised this species absolutely doesn’t belong in the uk, very few can actually provide the space they need that maintain their environmental levels, I’m glad this tortoise has made their way to a caring individual like yourself! I’m always here to advise wherever you need, this can all feel very overwhelming in the beginning stages, so please do reach out whenever
Attachments
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
This is an all too common sad reality here, poor thing, I’m so glad she’s with someone who cares to learn betteryou’re indeed right that her housing isn’t correct.
What’s interesting is her shell doesn’t tell the story of being raised in this kind of set up, her current skin condition definitely looks like she’s been kept like this with him for a while, but looking at her lack of pyramiding, someone(maybe him and then he changed things up for whatever reason), raised her under more suitable conditions, probably not perfect, but certainly better than how she’s housed now. It would be interesting to learn more of her history.
I’ll go over the basics with some added bits of information specifically for your current situation, then I’ll go ahead and message you with some links to specific products that can help getting you set up better until you can figure out her permanent housing situation
So first enclosure type, a viv isn’t a bad choice at all for this species, when sealed and maintained correctly, melamine vivs can last many years(melamine isn’t necessarily going to last her lifetime, they have very high humidity requirements, meaning water damage can eventually set in with this material), there is also pvc and polypropylene vivs, much more expensive, but they can last indefinitely. There then is of course more extravagant builds, there’s an amazing keeper of this species in the uk called @Anyfoot the enclosure he came up with was insane, obviously you don’t need a whole at home zoo exhibit for one cherry head lol, but he might be able to help advise on building a larger space in a shed/outbuilding situation.
Obviously the problem with this current viv is the sizing, it’s far too small for her species, these tortoises need room sized areas to roam, which I know is no easy feat for most people here(this is where I get mad at the pet industry lol), ultimately I tell people go as big as you can absolutely go, make adjustments where necessary, for example, for us that comes in the form of a large closed chamber, temperatures ranging 82-86, humidity high 80’s at all times, but in order to give her a larger area to roam, she has access to a more open spaced section via a ramp, this is a sectioned off, adapted area on our floor, we do have a large heater at her level to keep floor temps in a 75-78 range, is that range an ideal temperature for a red foot? Absolutely not, but an adult red foot with access to an area they can warm up in properly, can definitely make use of space within that slightly below ideal range, for example that keeper anyfoot in the uk, his red foots have access to the outdoors from their outbuilding, they come out on days when the temperatures are in that range, with no ill effects, they don’t necessarily choose to stay out long, but they periodically come out do get some laps in, same with our Squirt(our tortoise lol). I wouldn’t do it for a young red foot though, seeing as yours is currently presenting with respiratory symptoms, I’d start looking into larger closed chambers(perhaps the sounthdown aquatics place? We’ve used them, they’re great) and keep her in that for a while until she adjusts.
BUT before we even get there, you could certainly make tweaks to this one to get her more comfortable until you can get her upgrade sorted. Keeping her temps stable in this current one is important if she has a potential RI. For your temperature and humidity monitors, go digital
So first up, heating and lighting, as already touched on in pm’s, red foots and cherry heads don’t really need basking bulbs, ceramics and radiant heat panels are much more suited for 24/7 heating, I can link you to both heating types, both will run on a thermostat, the number of ceramics/panels can sometimes mean two thermostats instead of one.
For this specific set up, it’ll be much cheaper to get yourself a ceramic bulb(I’ll link you) and get a on/off thermostat(again I’ll link you) looking at the size one ceramic should be ok, but obviously only your monitoring will tell us for sure, I’d maybe try a 100w ceramic in the middle(you definitely won’t need more than one thermostat for this set up) or alternatively you could potentially switch out the current basking bulb for a 50w ceramic and get another fitting for a 50w ceramic on the other side, placing the thermostat probe in the middle. Maybe @Alex and the Redfoot or @mojo_1 can weigh in with placement suggestions, they’re quite good at explaining the technical stuff
For uvb the t8’s are considered quite outdated, and he hasn’t placed the current one correctly. The most recommended up to date models are the Arcadia prot5 kits 12%, or zoo med reptisun t5 10.0, personally I’d recommend the Arcadia, it comes with the reflector hood fitting, now I’m not sure what the height of the current enclosure is? So I’m reluctant in suggesting to switch that out just yet, you want it mounted around 18-20 inches.
You’ll also want some ambient LED lighting, this can be a screw in led or strip lighting, we personally use strip lighting, I’ll link the ones we use, your LED’s will be on a 12hr timer for your night and day cycle. She’ll want hidey spots and shady areas as they’re forest floor dwellers.
With the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity, especially for this species, being floor dwellers they have much lower uv needs than most species. Whilst 12hrs is not necessarily dangerous, it’s potentially annoying to the tortoise to have 12hours on uv in the enclosure.
The right uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Then some cheaper led lighting for your ambient 12 hour light cycle, your ceramic(s)/panels run 24/7 on a thermostat, hope that all makes sense
For substrate, definitely ditch that stuff, not suitable at all, she’ll thrive on fine grade orchid bark, you can add a coco coir base, but I’d personally just stick with the bark as it’s easier to maintain.
For the current set up, I don’t know how well it’s sealed, so you could get some cheap lining in the form of a mould proof shower curtain, or you can get pond lining quite cheap on Amazon, if you can get super strong waterproof tape(there’s some specifically for pool use) you can use that to adhere it down, this is to prevent the viv from leaking, I doubt this guy has sealed it properly.
The damp substrate layer(it’ll be the lower layers that remain damp, the top layer will dry under the heat) in the closed chamber with overhead heating will be what creates your humidity, it can take some practice to gauge how much moisture to add, when you first get the substrate, you won’t need to do anything to it, it’ll come pretty damp, but keep an eye on your monitor, once it starts to drop, pour some lukewarm water into the corners and give everything a mix, be sure to mix the substrate every 7 to 10 days to avoid any standing moisture at the bottom, you’re aiming for a damp under layer, not soaking, so add a little at a time, you’ll figure it out the more you do it. Be sure to wipe down the walls once a week or so too, to avoid a slimly build up(common with high humidity set ups) one of those rubber window wipers can be handy lol!
Make sure temperatures are staying stable, you don’t want higher humidity with lower temperatures. It can take a few hours for the readings to level out though, so don’t panic if that aren’t correct straight away with the new equipment put in.
For a water dish, I’d get her a terracotta saucer big enough for her to self soak in
For foods, variety is key, red foots have a huge range of foods they can eat compared to most species, they eat different fruits, mushrooms and require a small portion of protein every 7-10 days.
For greens, if heavily relying on store bought foods, amendments need to be made, A product we personally really like is the Arcadia optimized, it’s such a great way for getting more variety in, especially during the winter months when things are harder to grow, you soak each cube in water(quantities on packet) until it’s a mushy grassy texture, and add it on top of the fresh stuff, any left over can be stored in the fridge. Most tortoises love it, but it could take a while for her to get used to, they’re very stubborn by nature, so don’t worry if it takes weeks/months of attempts for her to eat it.
In terms of fruits, here’s some we personally rotate;
Mango
Papaya
Pineapple
Raspberries
Melon
Strawberries
Watermelon(not super nutritional but a good hydration boost)
Plum
Peach
Nectarines
Cherries
Apricot
Blueberries
Figs
Guava
Prickly pear
Ones we feel less regularly:
Appel
Banana
Blackberries
Grapes
Pear
Those last ones are more of a treat basis. You can also try cherry tomatoes on occasion but not often.
We also sometimes grate a bit of carrot on our red foots food(not a lot) or some courgette, you can also add bell peppers on occasion, and they’ll also enjoy some mushroom once a week or so!
There’s honestly so much more, but they gives a good starter point
For protein there’s boiled chicken or quail eggs, mealworms, earthworms (not red wigglers!), boiled chicken breast, occasional pinky mice, cooked shrimps or low-fat fish, superworms, dried black fly soldier larva (as topping for greens), dubia roach nymphs, Hikari Dragon Delite pellets, boiled beef, immobilized locusts, tiny softer snails.
I’m thinking this girl hasn’t be used to much variety at all, so take all this is tiny steps, introduce new foods a little bit at a time, it’ll be a journey and there’s no rush!
Have you checked out the tortoise table app? there’s multiple categories to check out, I’d definitely have a look at the ‘wildflower’ section, there’s SO many weed varieties that grow perfectly in our climate! All the different plants also have rough guidelines for how often to feed.
The tortoise hut sell seed mixes, plug plants and lots of plants for indoor/outdoor enclosures
www.tortoisehut.co.uk
This is another good one;
www.tortoise-den.co.uk
Phew! That was A LOT I know, I’m so sorry
whilst you digest all that, allow me to go gather some links for you
you’re indeed right that her housing isn’t correct.What’s interesting is her shell doesn’t tell the story of being raised in this kind of set up, her current skin condition definitely looks like she’s been kept like this with him for a while, but looking at her lack of pyramiding, someone(maybe him and then he changed things up for whatever reason), raised her under more suitable conditions, probably not perfect, but certainly better than how she’s housed now. It would be interesting to learn more of her history.
I’ll go over the basics with some added bits of information specifically for your current situation, then I’ll go ahead and message you with some links to specific products that can help getting you set up better until you can figure out her permanent housing situation
So first enclosure type, a viv isn’t a bad choice at all for this species, when sealed and maintained correctly, melamine vivs can last many years(melamine isn’t necessarily going to last her lifetime, they have very high humidity requirements, meaning water damage can eventually set in with this material), there is also pvc and polypropylene vivs, much more expensive, but they can last indefinitely. There then is of course more extravagant builds, there’s an amazing keeper of this species in the uk called @Anyfoot the enclosure he came up with was insane, obviously you don’t need a whole at home zoo exhibit for one cherry head lol, but he might be able to help advise on building a larger space in a shed/outbuilding situation.
Obviously the problem with this current viv is the sizing, it’s far too small for her species, these tortoises need room sized areas to roam, which I know is no easy feat for most people here(this is where I get mad at the pet industry lol), ultimately I tell people go as big as you can absolutely go, make adjustments where necessary, for example, for us that comes in the form of a large closed chamber, temperatures ranging 82-86, humidity high 80’s at all times, but in order to give her a larger area to roam, she has access to a more open spaced section via a ramp, this is a sectioned off, adapted area on our floor, we do have a large heater at her level to keep floor temps in a 75-78 range, is that range an ideal temperature for a red foot? Absolutely not, but an adult red foot with access to an area they can warm up in properly, can definitely make use of space within that slightly below ideal range, for example that keeper anyfoot in the uk, his red foots have access to the outdoors from their outbuilding, they come out on days when the temperatures are in that range, with no ill effects, they don’t necessarily choose to stay out long, but they periodically come out do get some laps in, same with our Squirt(our tortoise lol). I wouldn’t do it for a young red foot though, seeing as yours is currently presenting with respiratory symptoms, I’d start looking into larger closed chambers(perhaps the sounthdown aquatics place? We’ve used them, they’re great) and keep her in that for a while until she adjusts.
BUT before we even get there, you could certainly make tweaks to this one to get her more comfortable until you can get her upgrade sorted. Keeping her temps stable in this current one is important if she has a potential RI. For your temperature and humidity monitors, go digital
So first up, heating and lighting, as already touched on in pm’s, red foots and cherry heads don’t really need basking bulbs, ceramics and radiant heat panels are much more suited for 24/7 heating, I can link you to both heating types, both will run on a thermostat, the number of ceramics/panels can sometimes mean two thermostats instead of one.
For this specific set up, it’ll be much cheaper to get yourself a ceramic bulb(I’ll link you) and get a on/off thermostat(again I’ll link you) looking at the size one ceramic should be ok, but obviously only your monitoring will tell us for sure, I’d maybe try a 100w ceramic in the middle(you definitely won’t need more than one thermostat for this set up) or alternatively you could potentially switch out the current basking bulb for a 50w ceramic and get another fitting for a 50w ceramic on the other side, placing the thermostat probe in the middle. Maybe @Alex and the Redfoot or @mojo_1 can weigh in with placement suggestions, they’re quite good at explaining the technical stuff
For uvb the t8’s are considered quite outdated, and he hasn’t placed the current one correctly. The most recommended up to date models are the Arcadia prot5 kits 12%, or zoo med reptisun t5 10.0, personally I’d recommend the Arcadia, it comes with the reflector hood fitting, now I’m not sure what the height of the current enclosure is? So I’m reluctant in suggesting to switch that out just yet, you want it mounted around 18-20 inches.
You’ll also want some ambient LED lighting, this can be a screw in led or strip lighting, we personally use strip lighting, I’ll link the ones we use, your LED’s will be on a 12hr timer for your night and day cycle. She’ll want hidey spots and shady areas as they’re forest floor dwellers.
With the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity, especially for this species, being floor dwellers they have much lower uv needs than most species. Whilst 12hrs is not necessarily dangerous, it’s potentially annoying to the tortoise to have 12hours on uv in the enclosure.
The right uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Then some cheaper led lighting for your ambient 12 hour light cycle, your ceramic(s)/panels run 24/7 on a thermostat, hope that all makes sense
For substrate, definitely ditch that stuff, not suitable at all, she’ll thrive on fine grade orchid bark, you can add a coco coir base, but I’d personally just stick with the bark as it’s easier to maintain.
For the current set up, I don’t know how well it’s sealed, so you could get some cheap lining in the form of a mould proof shower curtain, or you can get pond lining quite cheap on Amazon, if you can get super strong waterproof tape(there’s some specifically for pool use) you can use that to adhere it down, this is to prevent the viv from leaking, I doubt this guy has sealed it properly.
The damp substrate layer(it’ll be the lower layers that remain damp, the top layer will dry under the heat) in the closed chamber with overhead heating will be what creates your humidity, it can take some practice to gauge how much moisture to add, when you first get the substrate, you won’t need to do anything to it, it’ll come pretty damp, but keep an eye on your monitor, once it starts to drop, pour some lukewarm water into the corners and give everything a mix, be sure to mix the substrate every 7 to 10 days to avoid any standing moisture at the bottom, you’re aiming for a damp under layer, not soaking, so add a little at a time, you’ll figure it out the more you do it. Be sure to wipe down the walls once a week or so too, to avoid a slimly build up(common with high humidity set ups) one of those rubber window wipers can be handy lol!
Make sure temperatures are staying stable, you don’t want higher humidity with lower temperatures. It can take a few hours for the readings to level out though, so don’t panic if that aren’t correct straight away with the new equipment put in.
For a water dish, I’d get her a terracotta saucer big enough for her to self soak in
For foods, variety is key, red foots have a huge range of foods they can eat compared to most species, they eat different fruits, mushrooms and require a small portion of protein every 7-10 days.
For greens, if heavily relying on store bought foods, amendments need to be made, A product we personally really like is the Arcadia optimized, it’s such a great way for getting more variety in, especially during the winter months when things are harder to grow, you soak each cube in water(quantities on packet) until it’s a mushy grassy texture, and add it on top of the fresh stuff, any left over can be stored in the fridge. Most tortoises love it, but it could take a while for her to get used to, they’re very stubborn by nature, so don’t worry if it takes weeks/months of attempts for her to eat it.
In terms of fruits, here’s some we personally rotate;
Mango
Papaya
Pineapple
Raspberries
Melon
Strawberries
Watermelon(not super nutritional but a good hydration boost)
Plum
Peach
Nectarines
Cherries
Apricot
Blueberries
Figs
Guava
Prickly pear
Ones we feel less regularly:
Appel
Banana
Blackberries
Grapes
Pear
Those last ones are more of a treat basis. You can also try cherry tomatoes on occasion but not often.
We also sometimes grate a bit of carrot on our red foots food(not a lot) or some courgette, you can also add bell peppers on occasion, and they’ll also enjoy some mushroom once a week or so!
There’s honestly so much more, but they gives a good starter point
For protein there’s boiled chicken or quail eggs, mealworms, earthworms (not red wigglers!), boiled chicken breast, occasional pinky mice, cooked shrimps or low-fat fish, superworms, dried black fly soldier larva (as topping for greens), dubia roach nymphs, Hikari Dragon Delite pellets, boiled beef, immobilized locusts, tiny softer snails.
I’m thinking this girl hasn’t be used to much variety at all, so take all this is tiny steps, introduce new foods a little bit at a time, it’ll be a journey and there’s no rush!
Have you checked out the tortoise table app? there’s multiple categories to check out, I’d definitely have a look at the ‘wildflower’ section, there’s SO many weed varieties that grow perfectly in our climate! All the different plants also have rough guidelines for how often to feed.
The Tortoise Table - Home
The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk
The tortoise hut sell seed mixes, plug plants and lots of plants for indoor/outdoor enclosures
Tortoise Products | The Tortoise Hut | England
The Tortoise Hut is the leading online specialist tortoise shop supplying a range of products & supplies for the care of all species of tortoises. We have baby tortoises for sale which can be collected from us in Devon or couriered by our specialist Reptile courier service. We offer a nationwide...
www.tortoisehut.co.uk
This is another good one;
Live Plants & Seeds | Tortoise Den
www.tortoise-den.co.uk
Phew! That was A LOT I know, I’m so sorry
whilst you digest all that, allow me to go gather some links for you
mojo_1
Well-Known Member
Temperature probe placement is really dependent on the user. Some people like to place the probe away from the heat source. Giving the thermostat more of a ambient temperature control. Others like to have them directly under the heat source. When using a ceramic heat emitter, you may want the temperature probe close by.
But not directly under. In my current enclosure, for Mojo, I'm using radiant heat panels in a 3 foot tall enclosure.
And the temperature probes are on the back wall, sticking out At top of shell height. as you can see my thermostat controller is set to a lower temperature then what the actual enclosure is. So it is important to use a handheld temp gun to get your temperatures set correctly. The thermostat almost always never reads the same as what the enclosure actual temperature is. Also the lower temperature readings are from when the enclosure is opened. To take care of Mojo or to rotate his bark. It consistently maintains the 82 to 85°
But not directly under. In my current enclosure, for Mojo, I'm using radiant heat panels in a 3 foot tall enclosure.
And the temperature probes are on the back wall, sticking out At top of shell height. as you can see my thermostat controller is set to a lower temperature then what the actual enclosure is. So it is important to use a handheld temp gun to get your temperatures set correctly. The thermostat almost always never reads the same as what the enclosure actual temperature is. Also the lower temperature readings are from when the enclosure is opened. To take care of Mojo or to rotate his bark. It consistently maintains the 82 to 85°
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