Question on redfoot tortoises

[TheTortoise3829]

Hi all! Ok, i wanted to try something new, instead of hermann's tortoises i wanted to try redfoot torts, so i wanted to know: Can i keep them outside during the winter if I live in a zone 9? temps never go down -2 celsius. As I understood until now, they're omnivores, so am I supposed to give them meat like chicken or shrimp once a month? I know that they need a lot of plants and want damp substrate, so can i put spider plants, violets and wax begonias?
Thanks y'all!

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Hi all! Ok, i wanted to try something new, instead of hermann's tortoises i wanted to try redfoot torts, so i wanted to know: Can i keep them outside during the winter if I live in a zone 9? temps never go down -2 celsius. As I understood until now, they're omnivores, so am I supposed to give them meat like chicken or shrimp once a month? I know that they need a lot of plants and want damp substrate, so can i put spider plants, violets and wax begonias?
Thanks y'all!

Redfoots are a tropical species and don't brumate. They need warm temperatures year round. When you say -2 Celsius, if I'm correct that's close to 30F. A Redfoot would not survive that.

 

[TheTortoise3829]

Redfoots are a tropical species and don't brumate. They need warm temperatures year round. When you say -2 Celsius, if I'm correct that's close to 30F. A Redfoot would not survive that.

ok, what if i kept it inside during the winter? when temps get lower than 10 celcius at night

 

[Toddrickfl1]

ok, what if i kept it inside during the winter? when temps get lower than 10 celcius at night

You would need to keep a Redfoot around 27-29C year round.

 

[TheTortoise3829]

You would need to keep a Redfoot around 27-29C year round.

oh ok, so they can't survive even 20C? also 27c is 80F, that's a lot! do you know any tortoise that brumates or can withstand 10C by any chance? (apart from hermann's)

 

[Toddrickfl1]

oh ok, so they can't survive even 20C? also 27c is 80F, that's a lot! do you know any tortoise that brumates or can withstand 10C by any chance? (apart from hermann's)

85F is actually the optimum temperature. I have no experience with brumating species so somebody else would be better to answer your question. I'd guess one of the Mediterranean species.