Red Foot

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Connie

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Hi:
I just got a red foot tortoise(Dec 24th). Her name is Ruby and she is 5 inches and weighes 15 oz. SOLID! Well I know that they are suppose to eat alot of greens, but I think I spoiled her for I mixed some store bought mixed vegetables and cherry tomatoes in with the greens. I read that is okay to feed them. Yesterday and today she didn't touch the greens, but gobbled the mixed veggies and cherry tomatoe. I am worried that she is not touching her greens. She turns her nose up to the greens (Dandalion leaves, red and green curly leaf lettuce). She gobbled up the greens before I introduced the mixed veggies and tomatoes. Now if I just put just Greens in front of her, she WAITS for those veggies and tomatoes,and eats ONLY THAT. She picks out those yummy veggies and tomatoes from the greens. Is that okay that she just eats thoses veggies and tomatoes and NO GREENS??? I plan on introducing her to other NEW STUFF , but shouldn't a tortoise eat their greens??? Worried....
Also I read to give her protein about one a week. How much for a tortoise her size???? Any help here would be appreciated....I am new to this.... Thanks
4 parrots
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pdrobber

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welcome. greens are a main part of the diet. you may need to hold off on the vegetables and other things. She may not eat for a day or even longer but she will eat her greens if you are persistent and don't give in.
 

Jacqui

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Connie Hi! *waves* Sounds like your little tortoise is already wrapping you around her shell. :D Like was said, sometimes you have to go for the tuff love and no give in to her apparent wants. :D Usually a healthy tortoise will choose to eat rather then starve itself to death. :cool: What made you choose a Redfoot? (this is a question I ask most folks, so nothing negative is implied) :tort:
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Connie:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!! May we know where you are?
 

81SHOVELHEAD

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Hello Connie
Welcome to the TFO Family .
As previous post stated Just try the tuff love & only offer Greens .
Not sure where you're from but Collards,turnip & mustard greens are a much better choice due to high calcium content ,
As for as protein You can offer a health weight cat food soaked inwater to soften .
Lots of people use the Purina Pro Plan weight management cat food or a better choice in my opinion would be the Mazuri Tortoise Diet .Most feed stores now carry the Mazuri ,
1 Have 4 redfoots & they get Greens for 2 days .Fruit salad (peaches,blueberries,strawberries,pears ,rasberries ) Next day, 2 more days of greens & on 7 th day protein (I feed protien on Sundays because it easier to remember ,


Hopes this help & welcome to TFO,
Mike D.
 

Madkins007

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Not eating greens- she's just like a kid eating the tasty stuff. Just like you would for a kid, you withhold the tasty stuff until she eats the good for her stuff.

The tomatoes are not bad, but you want to limit the 'wet, sweet' fruits a bit (this includes tomato, melon, banana, etc.) and try other things. Look for vegetables with seeds in them- these are technically 'fruits' and more like the fruit they get in the wild. Pumpkin, squash, bell pepper, etc. I personally recommend offering 'wet, sweet' fruits about once a week and other fruits once or twice a week.

Proteins can be a wide variety of things. 81Shovelhead suggested a program popularized by another member on his website that uses cat foods as protein. Many other keepers find that other 'meats' work better but different things work better for different people in different situations. Other proteins you can try include, in roughly the order of my personal preferences- worms, soft-body larvae, bugs in general, baby mice or rats, chicken/poultry, organ meats, 'oily' fish (sardines, mackerel, catfish, etc.), eggs, shrimp, etc.

They don't need much 'meat'- a decent meal once a month or so is all, or about 5-10% of the total diet.

The site linked in my signature below has a lot of info on diet, links to other sites and other diet plans, and more that may help.
 

Redstrike

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Welcome Connie! The previous advice by the others on this forum is spot-on and should provide you and your new RF a happy co-existence.
 

Connie

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Jacqui said:
Connie Hi! *waves* Sounds like your little tortoise is already wrapping you around her shell. :D Like was said, sometimes you have to go for the tuff love and no give in to her apparent wants. :D Usually a healthy tortoise will choose to eat rather then starve itself to death. :cool: What made you choose a Redfoot? (this is a question I ask most folks, so nothing negative is implied) :tort:
I saw her in the local pet shopt. She was in a small tank(Too small). She has beautiful, head markings(of all the pictures I have seen, I have never seen such nice head markings), slightly pyamided, not a perfect shell (A few ragged splitsin the center on 2 top scutes,I guess from rapid growth?) Her shell to me at least looks vey old an ancient looking, like an old treasuer map. She is very "unique" looking and sweet. I just had to get her out of that situation and I am glad I did because I fell in love with her! I just bought a "Iris Holiday tree box" (they as a rule ,only sell it this time of year). A plastic tub that I read on line that people have used to house tortoises (14HX52LX20 D. Inside dimensions 12X48x16. It is good enough for now. Should come Tuesday.Right now she is in Zoo Med terrarium 18X18--> bigger than what she was in at the pet store. I never had a tortoise before, and I am reading and trying to leans as much as possible.
.
 

Connie

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emysemys said:
Hi Connie:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!! May we know where you are?

Hi Yvonne,
Well I live in New York an love animals and I just got a Red foort to add to my "family". I saw Ruby ( my newly purchased Red foot)in a pet store and fell in love with her.I had turtles before. but never a tortoise. She was in the pet store for almost 6 months,No one bough her, they reduced the price and I decided to get her. I let her run around the house and she enjoys that. She does try to hide alot , but I want her to exercise!! Excercise! Excercise!
I know how great I feel after going for long walks with my Yorkie and such. I think that is very important, besides a good diet, uvb light and moisture. BTW I read that red foots inhabit not only forests, but grasslands(dry)... I find that a bit confusing because I hear how important humidity are so important...........
 

Connie

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pdrobber said:
welcome. greens are a main part of the diet. you may need to hold off on the vegetables and other things. She may not eat for a day or even longer but she will eat her greens if you are persistent and don't give in.
Thanks-you! I just also found that out for myself!!
 
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