Question About Tortoise Behavior

[hammons]

I'm new on this forum. My husband has been wanting a tortoise for some time now and is bringing 2 red foot tortoises home tonight. They are about 4 years old. My question is about red foot tortoise behavior--what do they like to do? Do tortoises play/do they like toys, and if so what kind? I want them to be very happy, and want to give them the best care possible.

 

[Logan J]

Reds are very smart and as long as you had the proper enclosure and food for them they will thrive.

Temps for basking around 80-90
Shaded area for resting and sleep 70-75
Humidity around about 40-60%

Diet.
Dark leafy greens...
-romaine
-yellow/green squash
-DO NOT Feed protein can cause shell deformities.

And do not put in a glass aquarium always use something they can't see through.

 

[RedfootsRule]

Redfoots are VERY smart, and some seem to enjoy human interaction. For toys, make their food more interesting. Change it up everyday, preparation (chop it bigger one time, or leave it whole if you prefer), the amount of food, and even the time you feed them. Once early morning, once late afternoon...You get the idea. Leave a cuttlebone of calcium for them to chew on, some small edible plants would be the best. Make them the height so they can stretch up as high as they can and eat them; they really seem to like it. A big water bowl they can soak in would be greatly appreciated.

Logan, not to pick on you but red foots definitely DO need protein. To little can have just as bad of an effect as to much. Some feed protein up to 10% of their diet with no problems. Without protein, they eventually develop hind-leg paralysis. Nightcrawlers, earthworms, pill bugs, cooked chicken should be offered to red foots once a week.

 

[Logan J]

Well I mean as for the protein thing I've noticed my red does on occasion catch a bug so I guess that would be All she needs?

And I know your not picking on me that's why I joined I like hearing about people's ideas and ways of making my babies healthier so I'm all ears.

 

[ascott]

Congrats....have these two torts been successfully been living together for some time?

 

[RedfootsRule]

Well I mean as for the protein thing I've noticed my red does on occasion catch a bug so I guess that would be All she needs?

And I know your not picking on me that's why I joined I like hearing about people's ideas and ways of making my babies healthier so I'm all ears.

If you can, just throw her a few earth worms once a week. She'll love them. Get them from a bait shop though; only use ones you catch if your ABSOLOUTELY sure they couldn't have ingested fertilizer.

 

[Logan J]

 

[Geochelone_Carbonaria]

Reds are very smart and as long as you had the proper enclosure and food for them they will thrive.

Temps for basking around 80-90
Shaded area for resting and sleep 70-75
Humidity around about 40-60%

Diet.
Dark leafy greens...
-romaine
-yellow/green squash
-DO NOT Feed protein can cause shell deformities.

And do not put in a glass aquarium always use something they can't see through.

The humidity should be much higher than that for RF's, at least 80 % !

Please read Matt's page for further information :

http://www.TortoiseLibrary.com

 

[FLINTUS]

I would say humidity 70-80%+.
Protein wise I rarely give mine animal protein except for the odd bit of chicken or premium dried dog food and there are bugs ad earthworms in their enclosures. Mine mainly gets his protein from mushrooms. Diet should be about 1/3rd fruit(no citrus ones) and 2/3rds weeds with a bit of supermarket veg and salad in winter. Some favourite weeds are plantain, clover, dandelion and evening primrose and they love flowers such as hibiscus, pansies, and rose petals. Red foots should really have temps above 20 degrees celsius but can cope down to 15.

 

[Logan J]

Gave my red a worm today and she loved it! Thanks for the info!

Also I live in Louisiana so our humidity is extremly high like 90 so hopefully that's enough

 

[FLINTUS]

Gave my red a worm today and she loved it! Thanks for the info!

Also I live in Louisiana so our humidity is extremly high like 90 so hopefully that's enough

That sounds good. RF's are smart in terms of torts. The best thing to do is to add variation to their enclosure, rocks, levels and plants. Mine also has a little play tipping thing on wheels. They do benefit from human interaction-Kevin plays a game where he tries to push the cardboard sides of his transportation enclosure- but you should not hand feed as they are still wild animals.

 

[turtlelover2495]

I'm new on this forum. My husband has been wanting a tortoise for some time now and is bringing 2 red foot tortoises home tonight. They are about 4 years old. My question is about red foot tortoise behavior--what do they like to do? Do tortoises play/do they like toys, and if so what kind? I want them to be very happy, and want to give them the best care possible.

Don't ever give give your tortoise iceburg lettuce. and i would not recommend romaine simply because it lacks some of the nutrition needed for the tortoise.
I would recommend for greens
-springmix
-spinach
-or Kale
Atleast thats what i use for my mix of greens.

And you need a calcium supplement. I prefer calcium spray but you can get calcium powder or cuddle bone! Only use 1-2 times a weeks.Cuddle bone you can leave in the cafe and they will nibble on it when they need it. Mine never wanted it though! There is also pellets but mine never used it either.

and for temps:
Hot side you want 85-90'F (Make sure you keep your water bowl on the hot side)
Cool side no less than 70-75'F

NO acidic fruits and don't feed them bananas or tomatoes. Tomatoes only if you have absolutely nothing else and can't run to the store! I have given my tortoise tomatoes 3 times since i got it almost a year ago thats how much i don't recommend those.

and redfoots are omnivores!

Make your your enclosure is accident proof. Treat your tortoise as a newborn baby. AND ANOTHER BIG NO NO BEFORE I FORGET. NO DOGS AROUND TORTOISE THEY WILL KILL THEM ITS THEIR NATURAL INSTINCT IT DOESNT MATTER IF IT A MINITURE PINCHER ITS STILL A BIG NO NO!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
for cage setup
uvb-
heat bulb for basking
i would use coconut fiber for substrate
make sure humidity is 40-60% like the other guy said.

 

[mainey34]

I agree, i am currently fostering. I would say a 7 year old redfoot. He is very sociable. And very smart. It has been very difficult not to get attached to the guy.

 

[Rover15]

Sorry if im high jacking the thread but what is the issue with tomatoes?

As well someone mentioned changing the time they feed. My normal routine is feed in the morning (7-8amish) then at 6ish-7pm clean up the left over food and feed new fresh selections well I'm cleaning and changing food I'm soaing my tort a 4 month old yellow foot.

And lastly why not hand feed? I understand they are naural animals but would this not help "destress" the tort as the person/people who are walking by there enclosure are the same people the tort is getting the food from?

Just things I read hear that left me wondering again sorry if I've high jacked this in any way

 

[hammons]

Thanks for all the information, everyone. We have been trying to feed them at different times during the day, to see when they prefer to eat. They seem to eat more in the evening. They mostly spend time in their hide, but every now and then we see them out and about. I'm not sure if they have always been together, we adopted them from someone on craigslist. She wanted them to stay together. So as far as I know they have. We were kind of disappointed in how she had been keeping them--they were living in a cage with four sides and a top with chicken wire type lid, but there was no bottom on the cage, only a blanket, no substrate. I don't think they were kept humid enough, because they already were starting to look pyramided. but hopefully they are better off now. Right now we have a shower curtain underneath that cage and have coconut coir substrate and got some new lights for them and put some potted plants in there that they like to hide under. We built them a tortoise table but are waiting for the paint to cure for a few weeks before we start putting stuff in it.