New to Red-Foots ...

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VBgecko

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Hi there, I'm no stranger to the tort scene, but I am to the red-foots ...

Last week I was devastated when my baby boy Yoda (a greek) up and died on me ... He was fine and active the night before, but the following morning when I went to feed him, he had passed :( ... I've been racking my brain about the cause of death --was it bad food, should I have soaked him more than 3 times a week, did he pick up a strange parasite, did I not provide an adequate environment for him-- regardless, I was devastated :( ... So much, to the point that I didn't think I could get another tortoise (I felt I was the cold clammy hands of death for a being that should live past 50 years) ...

Well, today I was at the local pet store giant running errands, and I decided to make a pass by the tortoise enclosure ... I peeked in the hide and much to my surprise there was a pair of eyes staring back at me ... So interested, a little red-foot came out from its hide to size me up ... It was so adorable! It was yawning and everything ... We sat eye to eye for a full 10 minutes looking at each other ... I said "what the hell" and decided to take him home ... I think the employee was sad to see him go, she said he was an active and enjoyable little guy ...

So far, I've sexed him as a male, and he's waaaay more active than Yoda ... (I'll post pictures in a bit) ... Right now I need all the info I can get on Red-Foots ... I'm aware that they get bigger than Greeks and that they live in more tropical regions ... I have an outdoor enclosure and I would like to know about harmful plants and whatnot, as well as their diet (how is it different from greeks) ...

Any information is appreciated, Thank you :)
 

Josh

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congrats on your new redfoot!
if your little guy is a hatchling, Terry K (redfootNERD) has posted a nice guide for raising redfoots - raising redfoot hatchlings
if you have a yearling or older, check out terry's website Redfoots.com for great care info.
 

Redfootedboxturtles

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VBgecko, sorry for your loss. I have went threw the same kind of thing recently . It isnt fun. Glad you found a new pet.
 

Crazy1

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VBgecko, I too am sorry to hear off your loss of Yoda. Some hatchlings are just not ment to survive. However I would like to Congratulate on your new Redfoot. Terry K aka RedfootNerd is great when it comes to raising redfoots and his site Turtletary.com and Redfoot.com should give you all the info you will need to raise a healthy happy tort. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of other sites out there on Redfoot care but I have found, in my own personal experience, that Terry K. has found a great formula that has been tried and true, not only for him but to turn around a sickly RF for me. for raising great Redfoots.
Good luck and looking forward to pics soon and in the future.
 

VBgecko

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Okay, here are some pictures Click Here

We'll see how good my sexing abilities really are (see pictures) ... When I look at Scooter, he has a slight indent on his bottom, and his tail is more pointed than stubbed ... You tell me, is Scooter a girl or a boy :p ...

Thanks for all the info, some of the stuff, I'm happy to report that I have some common sense (yay me!) ... Like for instance, red-foots are more tropical than Greeks ... Before we left the store with scooter, I bought a spray bottle to help make the transition from arid to humid ... Quick question though ...

Is my current bedding of 1 prt playground sand and 1 prt Bed-a-beast going to be okay for him so long as I keep it a little moist? Or would just the moss be more satisfactory?

Thanks for all the help!
 

Crazy1

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IMHO Sphargum moss (Mosser Lee from lowes) is the best substrate for a RF it holds the moisture and does not mold. and is long stranded and fairly cheap.
Nice pics Emily. Scooter though looks like it could be a she to me. though I am frequently wrong. Unlike Greeks RF females do have a pointed tail. And in doing your research you know RF are omnivors and therefor eat meat and get most of their D-3 from meat right?
again check out http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm he gives you all the info you need to get you started.
and for RF over a year read http://redfoots.com
I found in keeping a RF for only 3 months they are a world of difference between Greeks and RFs.
 

Redfoot NERD

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Hi VBgecko..

How about a name?

Welcome to the wonderful world of the gregarious redfoot tortoise!

First of all.. the sand and b-a-b retains and HOLDS moisture which can lead to fungus and shell-rot [ regardless of the species ] if kept too wet. I've never ever seen fungus or any 'bugs' in the Mosser Lee 'long-fibre' spag. moss.. see here.. http://www.mosserlee.com/products/lfsm.html

What is the SCL [ straight carapace length ] of Scooter? Measure like this.. shown at 3 1/4".

ASCL-1.jpg


And post a pic of his anal scute so we can better guesstimate his sex. Keep in mind it is a guess at best if less than 6-7 inches. This is one of my young pairs.. male on the left..

ANALSCUTEID.jpg


Close-up of male..

ANALSCUTESEXING3.jpg


You and Robyn are right.. total different world.. literally! South Western/Equator for RF's vs North Eastern/Mediterranean for Greeks!

We'd all love to see your set-up.

Keep us posted...

NERD
 

VBgecko

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Okay, the more and more I compare I'm leaning towards Scooter being a girl :p ...

I've uploaded some pictures of Scooter's enclosure and measurements here ...
 

Yvonne G

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Redfoot NERD said:
Hi VBgecko..

How about a name?

(As an aside, Yvonne says, "I think its 'Emily', Nerd!!"
 

VBgecko

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I think Scooter and I bonded over TV and beer :p ... YES, she is actually sleeping on my arm!
 

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VBgecko

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Week one of the "Terry Method" is now complete!

It's amazing to see a tortoise "hoover" cat food ... lol

Thanks again for all the help, hopefully Scooter is well on her way to becoming a long-living, happy, healthy tort ...
 

Crazy1

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Emily, I'm sure under your watchful eye and loving care and the "Terry Method" she will be a healthy, happy, long-living tort.
 

Itort

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Emily, welcome to the wonderful world of Redfeet. You'll enjoy them.
 
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