RedFoot Enclosure

Janelle Green

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building a new enclosure for my red foot tortoise because we just bought 2 more that will be here next week! They are yearlings about 4.5-5inches so 3 redfoots. Will a 7 1/2ftX 7ft enclosure be enough for the winter ? I can go longer not more in width though.and any ideas for plants to add to their enclosure ? Thank you
 

KevinGG

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That sounds plenty big for yearlings, but I can't see any harm in going as big as possible. You might have a hard time finding them but use your judgement. @pfara has a great planted enclosure. Search for the thread "My Redfoot Family". She lists some plants she uses. I think some good choices would be pothos, certain ferns, bromeliads and spider plants. Good luck
 

MPRC

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Don't forget to quarantine! I do 90 days separate with a clean fecal test. Most people recommend 6 months or more though.

The bigger the better, but it sounds like you probably have enough room for the winter.

Redfoots are like potato chips, you can't have just one!
 

Janelle Green

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That sounds plenty big for yearlings, but I can't see any harm in going as big as possible. You might have a hard time finding them but use your judgement. @pfara has a great planted enclosure. Search for the thread "My Redfoot Family". She lists some plants she uses. I think some good choices would be pothos, certain ferns, bromeliads and spider plants. Good luck
I want to have a lot of plants to helps with the humidity as well
 

Janelle Green

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Don't forget to quarantine! I do 90 days separate with a clean fecal test. Most people recommend 6 months or more though.

The bigger the better, but it sounds like you probably have enough room for the winter.

Redfoots are like potato chips, you can't have just one!
Always quarantine , I quarantined my Russians for about 4 months i like your idea with the fecal test :) should have the enclosure done this weekend and they arrive next week :)
 

Janelle Green

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That's a stunning looking redfoot you have there.
Isn't she Foxy fits her(him) perfectly lol and we just ordered 2 more from Az Sulcata naming them Casper and Wendy since we ordered them on Halloween lol and their so pretty to no pyramiding. Can they pyramid anytime or is it only when their babies? I got Foxys humidity at 83 -85
 

Anyfoot

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Isn't she Foxy fits her(him) perfectly lol and we just ordered 2 more from Az Sulcata naming them Casper and Wendy since we ordered them on Halloween lol and their so pretty to no pyramiding. Can they pyramid anytime or is it only when their babies? I got Foxys humidity at 83 -85
She's foxy.
I've asked before if a tort can pyramid later in life after a smooth start and got no answer. I've never seen it, but I'm not sure.
 

Janelle Green

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She's foxy.
I've asked before if a tort can pyramid later in life after a smooth start and got no answer. I've never seen it, but I'm not sure.
Thanx I hope not I would feel so terrible If they pyramided after having smooth shells . I already feel horrible they have to live inside during the winter so hoping a nice size enclosure they won't be to mad at me lol
 

Anyfoot

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Thanx I hope not I would feel so terrible If they pyramided after having smooth shells . I already feel horrible they have to live inside during the winter so hoping a nice size enclosure they won't be to mad at me lol
That size enclosure is fine for 3 juveniles. Bigger is better, but keeping temperature and humidity correct is more important. Why don't you have the 7 1/2 x 7ft as a closed enclosure with a door going out to another enclosure that is a mini indoor garden.
 

Janelle Green

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That size enclosure is fine for 3 juveniles. Bigger is better, but keeping temperature and humidity correct is more important. Why don't you have the 7 1/2 x 7ft as a closed enclosure with a door going out to another enclosure that is a mini indoor garden.
Great idea!! I was thinking in the spring to even add a tortoise door so they can go inside outside . I'm making this in my inclosed porch it's all insulated for winter stays really warm and has heat. I saw on google someone turn their whole glassed in porch into a red foot enclosure so that's our goal we don't use it so why not and than we can add a tortoise door and they'll be able to go right out into their outdoor enclosure
 

Janelle Green

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Humidity is very important for these guys and living in Colorado were so dry the foggers don't work so my husband made ours out of a humidifier and we have it on timers it's working perfect I might have to add another to keep the big enclosure perfect. It's going to be hard outside keeping humidity for them in their outdoor enclosure . Any ideas I can do for that in the spring ? I was going to plant a lot and I hear they love having a sprinkler on rain setting and it barely rains here so I was going to hook one up in their outdoor and turn it on once in awhile
 

Anyfoot

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This is an enclosure I used to have for hingebacks just to give you an idea of what I meant. Hingebacks climb so that's why the indoor garden area has a lipped fence around it. But you get the idea. Yours sounds like it would be much bigger, just make sure you have plenty of light for the plants and some sort of flap in the doorway to keep the heat in but they can come and go.
photo 1 (3).JPG
 

Janelle Green

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Don't forget to quarantine! I do 90 days separate with a clean fecal test. Most people recommend 6 months or more though.

The bigger the better, but it sounds like you probably have enough room for the winter.

Redfoots are like potato chips, you can't have just one!
All tortoises are like potato chips lol wish I could have them all I really want a leopard tortoise but don't have the room now with my other tortoises .the giant tortoises are so cool I love seeing people's pictures of theirs and I just dream lol. I like seeing their different personalities , my Russians are so different from my red foot , their fast and wild and my red foot walks like a giant all slow she's just calm.im just starting to learn about red foots and I really like this tortoise the size is going to be perfect not small not giant I'm very excited to watch them grow
 

Janelle Green

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This is an enclosure I used to have for hingebacks just to give you an idea of what I meant. Hingebacks climb so that's why the indoor garden area has a lipped fence around it. But you get the idea. Yours sounds like it would be much bigger, just make sure you have plenty of light for the plants and some sort of flap in the doorway to keep the heat in but they can come and go.
View attachment 191133
Love it ! I need to make my Russians something like that they need a bigger enclosure soon. I could plant stuff they like to eat I really like your idea cuz I want it heavily planted very natural looking
 

Anyfoot

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Humidity is very important for these guys and living in Colorado were so dry the foggers don't work so my husband made ours out of a humidifier and we have it on timers it's working perfect I might have to add another to keep the big enclosure perfect. It's going to be hard outside keeping humidity for them in their outdoor enclosure . Any ideas I can do for that in the spring ? I was going to plant a lot and I hear they love having a sprinkler on rain setting and it barely rains here so I was going to hook one up in their outdoor and turn it on once in awhile
@Redfoot NERD has his outdoor enclosures imitating the rainforest, so he as foliage on the ground and then some magnificent hibiscus trees along with other trees, this keeps things wet and humid. If your climate is dry then sprinklers mixed in with the trees should work I would have though, BUT I don't have problems with a dry climate.
 

Janelle Green

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@Redfoot NERD has his outdoor enclosures imitating the rainforest, so he as foliage on the ground and then some magnificent hibiscus trees along with other trees, this keeps things wet and humid. If your climate is dry then sprinklers mixed in with the trees should work I would have though, BUT I don't have problems with a dry climate.
Thank you I will ask him for pictures ! That's exactly what I want and was wondering if I could do hibiscus , I ordered a cactus spineless plant for them the one they eat and have the grass to grow in their for them but that's it for my ideas so far they do have an apple tree in their outdoor enclosure I would really like to grow stuff they can eat . My fault they have to live in this dry cold state so I need to make it the best for them I can
 

Anyfoot

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Thank you I will ask him for pictures ! That's exactly what I want and was wondering if I could do hibiscus , I ordered a cactus spineless plant for them the one they eat and have the grass to grow in their for them but that's it for my ideas so far they do have an apple tree in their outdoor enclosure I would really like to grow stuff they can eat . My fault they have to live in this dry cold state so I need to make it the best for them I can
Plum and cherry trees grow in my cold climate.
 

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