ISSUE!!! My totoise is crazy

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Jillietoyo1345

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Ello

Im new here and this is my first post and its very important one and I need advice or help.
I have an almost one year old red footd tortoise named Fredric. I love her to death she is awesome crazy adventurous little tortoise. We call her the suicide tortoise cause she likes to jump off high places that can hurt her we have to watch her a lot.

:tort:({Oh the name i know shes a girl but at the time we didn't know her sex till we went to the vet for a check up a month after having her so it kinda stuck since we had been calling her that for a month lol}:tort:

So here is my problem
When i first got her I let her out in the back yard when the weather was nice so she could get out of her inside inclosure. It was kinda a bad idea but I made it work. She would go missing i would search for a while but i always would find her or she would be eating dog poop. Which i read a little isnt bad for her but all she wanted to do was eat poop.It started to become a problem.

SO recently i have built Fredric a pen outside near my garden for the summer months. Since its the right temperature for her and I felt bad shes always inside in her tank. ^^ So I built her a really nice pen that is two bricks high rectangle that is 5 1/2 feet in width and 8 feet in length plenty of room for my little guy. I put all the shabam in there food coverage all the need the tortoise could want and desire. Even little rocks to climb on and hide away to sleep or rest.

When i put her in there all she trys to do is escape to get to the dog poop. The brick is high but she trys to climb over it to where she flips over. Ill be in the backyard with her doing yard work Ill go over to check on her and she will be on her back not trying to flip over at all. Last time was two days ago I was in the yard for 2 hrs and i had to flip her over 3 times. Im so beyond worried that one day I wont be there or check on her to late and the worst will happen............


thanks

Jill

I try to let my tortoise to her thing but I'm worried she is depressed or unhappy cause when I bring her inside to her inside inclosure I have to watch her cause she is so pumped up from being outside she beings to pace and jump off objects in her tanks to where she flips over. I watch her till she gets worn out and goes into her log.

Im concerned and im not sure what to do?
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Jill:

Little tortoises are prey, so they like to stay hidden all the time. You've put your tortoise into a new habitat and its trying to get out and go find a safe place to be. Can you put a board around the top of the bricks to form a lip so the tortoise can't try to climb out? And do you have some nice, safe hiding places in the outside habitat? Tortoises are creatures of habit. They don't like change. Let her get used to her new outside habitat and she'll settle down.

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know appx. where in the world you are?
 

Jillietoyo1345

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I have put on a top to the pen Im trying to find a better one at the moment . I have most of it covered except at the end where maybe 3 inches isn't covered and that's were I find her flipped over. I let her out of the pen into the back yard and she doesn't try and go hide she just runs around the yard trying to eat all the dog poop she can find. Yes I have alot of place outside of it where she can hide that were I lose her sometimes and cant find her shes great at hide and go seek lol

And thank you so much I live in Texas ^^
 

dmarcus

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Hello and welcome to the forum...

If you can get pictures of your enclosure posted, we can assist you in finding a way to stop the rollovers.
 

DesertGrandma

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you may need to take out anything that can be climbed on for awhile and just leave a flat surface. One of my newest little ones wanted to climb on a mound of bark I had made but always fell off, so I just flattened it out and now everything is fine. No more flipping over.
 

wellington

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I agree, a picture would be easier for us to help. By the way, unless the vet actually did a procedure ( surgical, etc)to sex your tort, it is too young to tell what the sex is.
 

Jillietoyo1345

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Sorry it took so long here is some pictures of the inclosure I built for my tortoise this is my first one I plan to have a better one in the future.
Most of the items i put in there with her aren't there cause I mowed today ^^ and I built the wall higher instead of two high bricks i made it three today ive been a very busy bee as of late. I hope that will fix the problem. Plus i plan to get some new plants as well since I found the dog had gotten into the pen and dug them all up grrr the dog is a pest. So its kinda empty at the moment.
IF the links dont work please let me know

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/...87_100001385512178_1086792_1037859440_n-1.jpg

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/...759_100001385512178_1086790_478549162_n-1.jpg
 

Mgridgaway

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The size is great, but it's completely barren and really needs to have a lot more hiding spots. My redfoots spend 85% of their time under fake ferns or in their hide. The only time they really come out is when I come around, and that's only because they know I bring food :p

Redfoots naturally live along forest edges and are used to having lots of things to sit under to avoid the eyes of predator. Your tort is most likely just scared and trying to find someplace to hide.

You have a lot of options, but the best involve planting lots of nice foliage for them to hide under. You can also build fake caves out of wood, and even turn a plastic tub upside down and cut out a hole to make a little house. The methods are limitless, but I would make sure that at least 50% of that pen is covered with hiding spots.

I would also get a Terracotta planter basin and fill it with water for Tort soaking. You should always have a water source available for your little buddy :)
 

Jillietoyo1345

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image-3148510154.png

Making more improvement all the time today I added a bathing pool in her outside pen. She seems happy. Around it I put kunzite crystals to promote good vibes in he pen plus to help her get out as well lol something to grip on. I have a house for her as well just working on new plants anyone have any suggestions?
 

jareeed2

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Big green plants she can hide under, hosta, hibiscus, tiger lilly, wild ferns
 

Jillietoyo1345

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Thank you I plan to get some this weekend again thank you do much I've researching alot on what plants are good for her .
 

Mgridgaway

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From what I've read Hosta's are poisonous to dogs and cats and but torts can eat them in moderation. I say this because we have a hosta in our back yard and my torts LOVE to eat it. My little one ate half a leaf in 5 minutes.

We also have azaleas... keep them away from these.
 

clare n

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Correct me someone, but does poo eating mean they are craving fibre? I read that on here im certain. Maybe clear the copious amount of poo up, that may solve one problem, not a nice thing for a tortoise to b eating or milling about in. Also can be very dangerous if the animal has been recently wormed.
 
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