RF spending more time at the cool end of his enclosure

[jsheffield]

94, 90, 82, 78 ... 99% humidity.

Lately Darwin, a 105g redfoot I'm told is 4 months old, had been spending much more time in the cool end of his enclosure than he used to do.

Since I've had him, he's generally split his time between the hot hide (90) and the cool hide (82) ... He's never done much basking or cooking in the cool spot, but does wander a bit every day, to grab some food and seemingly patrol his borders.

I'm not worried, but just wanted to check that I shouldn't drop the warm end temps a bit ... if I'm chasing him out with a too warm hot hide.

Thanks,

Jamie

 

[Yvonne G]

I like to keep the whole RF enclosure 80-85F degrees, with no cool side. If the tortoise wants to be cooler than 80-85F he goes into the shelter. I doubt it gets very cool in South America where the tortoises live.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

What @Yvonne G said. I keep my whole enclosure around 85f

 

[jsheffield]

Thanks Yvonne and Toddrick ... do you provide a basking spot that's warmer, or just the 80-85 range?

Jamie

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Thanks Yvonne and Toddrick ... do you provide a basking spot that's warmer, or just the 80-85 range?

Jamie

No basking spot needed for Redfoots.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I also use no basking spot. But I'm in Florida.
Craig aka @Anyfoot I believe does use a basking area. And your climate would more resemble his than mine. I trust and respect the way he keeps his animals.
I have noticed that whenever it is over 88ish degrees. My Redfoot either vanish into the bushes or sleep houses. Out of the heat. Or go swimming until it gets cooler/later in the day or if it rains. And it rains a lot here.
They really are most active. Most comfortable when it's in the lower to upper 70s and up to about 84.
I've always said it was my opinion that 84 is the perfect Redfoot temperature. But 75 also works. I just don't mention that very often because it's not a temperature that works for every species and it also doesn't work easily if you are keeping tortoises in a high humidity artificial environment.
I often take my near ideal RF parameters outdoors for granted.
But universally, I would say that over 88 is in the lower "uncomfortable" temperature range for a Redfoot. Much over 95 can be deadly. Nothing like a Sulcatas 100 degree basking area should be in the enclosure.
Redfoot overheat very easily.
They really do like a temperature range that us humans would find comfortable. Day and night. That is how I'd best sum up what would make for the best RF temps.
I've spent many hundreds. Maybe thousands of hours observing their behavior.
It's my opinion that your 4 month old is just starting to figure things out. Going from an age that is 100 instinct. To an age that it has actually learned something. And has figured out the spot that he likes the best.
So if that area is about 82-84 degrees. There you go.

 

[jsheffield]

Thanks ... I might dial down the temps by a couple of degrees, and see how that goes.

Jamie

 

[Anyfoot]

Thanks ... I might dial down the temps by a couple of degrees, and see how that goes.

Jamie

I don’t use a basking spot of any sort. When I have I get bumpy tortoises. 80/86f throughout the enclosure. Humidity above 90%.
This time of year mine slow down and bunker up, they’ve not eaten much over the last few days because the weather has changed(15 adults and 30 juveniles) they always go throw a dormant period when the weather cools off. Even when indoors. High and low pressure I believe!!! So I’m not surprised yours is bunkering up at the cool end. I’d drop the warm end to 88f max though.