Portland, OR Metro Reptile Expo!

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Shalon

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DoctorCosmonaut said:
But most UVB lights don't put out heat!

He said they sell the CHE's but they don't use them. Maybe there is a UVB that has heat too? I have no idea. I kinda stopped listening to what he said when he told me that I could unplug the light (that is supposed to be keeping the heat up) at night because they don't need heat at night.

I went and got their care sheet out from under the front seat of the truck.
This is what it says:
Indoor enclosures of Red-Foot Tortoises should provide two square feet of space per inch of shell. Large Rubbermaid containers and homemade melamine enclosures are sometimes the best options for providing adequate space and ventilation for juveniles and subadults indoors. Outdoor housing for full grown adults is probably best. Create the land area in the enclosure by using three to four inches of Jungle Mix or a premium quality plain, sterile potting soil (that does not contain perlite) that much substrate allows the tortoise to burrow, which is something they frequently do in the wild. Cypress mulch can be added to the substrate to help increase the water retention - increased humidity levels are important in the care of these tortoises. A water area must be provided by placing a dish or pan in the enclosure that is large enough for the turtle to lay in and shallow enough for it to easily climb in and out of.

The temperatures need to be 85 to 90 F on the warm end and 70 to 75 F (room temperature) on the cool end. The basking area can be provided using an overhead heat source such as a ceramic heater, or red or blue heat lamps. The heat source(s) should be left on 24 hours per day.

Additionally, Red-Footed Tortoises require full-spectrum lighting which helps them metabolize vitamin D3. Full-spectrum bulbs, which emit ultraviolet-B light, come in incandescent and fluorescent options and they should be left on for 12 to 14 hours per day. (Note: UV-B bulbs should be replaced every six months) Some keepers prefer to combine heat and UV-B light in the same bulb by using one of the commercially available mercury vapor bulbs.

Young tortoises should be fed daily and adults can be fed every other day. Their diet should consist primarily of greens (dandelion leaves and flowers, clovers, endive, romaine lettuce, green and red leaf lettuce, kale, cactus pods), fruits (strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries, cherries, plums, and cantaloupe-with the rind), and vegetables (grated carrots, corn, green beans, peas). Occasionally (once every week or two) they can also be fed animal protein such as baked chicken, earthworms, mealworms, crickets, or even low-fat dog food. There are also commercially produced foods that can be used to supplement feedings, though it should not be the sole source of food. Dust all foods with a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement as directed by the manufacturer (we recommend Miner-All)

So what he told us to use was probably the mercury vapor bulb..but then his care sheet contradicts what he said because it says you need to leave the heat on 24/7 and he said you can unplug it at night.

I'm just going to go with the care that I've learned from here. :)
 

Tim/Robin

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tortoisenerd said:
Do you ever go to the NW Captive Breeders Expo? Is it worth it? Puyallup is pretty near me so we're thinking of going. It's October 17/18 this year. Any info on it?

We went last year. It was pretty good. They had a fair amount of vendors and lots of reptiles. They had a fair number of torts, but by far most were geckos, snakes, etc. We did have a good time. Robin posted some pictures here last year. http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-4746.html

We are considering going again, but haven't made plans for sure.
 

DoctorCosmonaut

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I use a mix of moss with mulch.. Is that advised against? It works great for me.

Argghhh sometimes pet stores are so frustrating... This place near where I live keeps Redfoots and Sulcatas together! They don't kill each other, but their environments and diets just don't jive like these people think...
 
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Maggie Cummings

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DoctorCosmonaut...Have you gone to Reptile Kingdom in Eugene? I just went there and had the guy tell me some stuff that caused me to blow a fuse...he has a 100 pound Yellowfoot. Sulcata and Redfoots do fine together and he sends 3000 Sulcata hatchlings a month to China and Japan. I was amazed at that 'corral' that he keeps the tortoises in. The day I was there he had Redfoots, Yellowfoots, Golden Greeks, Sulcata, leopards and 2 other species that I have forgotten all there together. He says his Redfoots were raised without humidity and so they didn't need it anymore...he was in the act of selling a Sulcata hatchling and telling the person that he just needed to be soaked once a week.
Guess all the stuff my sister taught me about chelonia care is wrong...
 

DoctorCosmonaut

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I sometime think that pet store people are just about the most unknowledgable of people as far as it goes to correct care... not saying thats true for everyone... just for most of those I have encountered
 
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