SUN!!! NOOOO!!!!!

[un-loco]

So the weather in El Paso TX is getting warm enough in the sunny areas to be 80'ish... So I bring my yearling... +4months out in the sun... first reaction is... OMG!! RUN to the shade!!! at a turtle pace. So the question arises... young redfoots dont like sun, so obviously dont want UVB? Id this noticed in the wild? I know they are shy when young, but some say to use UVB bulbs in the tank, when obviously mine runs like a vampire lol. This is not the first time he has done this either.. Just when I decided to share the experience

I have also never seen him bask or soak.

On a totally different note... he is infatuated with my dogs' feces... if there is greens or fruit anywhere near the log, he goes for the log like flies on ! =) sorry I had to

 

[Redfoot NERD]

NORMAL.. STANDARD.. TYPICAL.. THAT'S-THE-WAY-THEY-SHOULD-ACT.. redfoot tortoises!!!

Beware of anyone who tries to tell you that they are suvanna tortoises.. especially the Northern locales. Just because someone saw one [ stop to rest probly ] out in the sun.. then wrote a book including that observation and calls them savanna tortoises.. does in no way make it true! - ESPECIALLY a youngster like you are talking about.

Take a look at the caresheet that has started and raised [ with growth pics no less than yearly ] and you will have the happiest redfoot tortoise you ever thought possible.

Yes there are a multitude of other ways it can be done.. wonder what results they get?????

From here - One of my mid-May '06 hatchlings -

To 5 years later -

http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm

 

[ripper7777777]

Yea they tend to like filtered sun, I have an old kiddie pool right now for warm days and it's under a tree and they love it, walk all over and the sun coming through is very broken up.


and yes torts really like poo, I'd imagine they eat a lot of it in the wild, good easy source of nutrients, berries, grass and other things, but they are in captivity and it's gross so do your best to keep them out of it.

 

[Jacqui]

While my redfoots and cherryheads do tend to stay out of the sun, they also do often bask in the full sun (even on a fairly hot summer midday). Are they stopping to rest?? Well isn't basking actually sorta a rest? They did not just sit there basking, they will also stop and eat at the food dish or graze on some choice nibble of a plant as they go by. To me that does not qualify as "resting".

I notice of course the younger ones, stay out in it less. Keep in mind that they are younger and being out in the open is waving a huge flag and saying, "Hey predators nice juicy young tortoise out here in the open, come and get it!". Another factor is that younger tortoises have less body mass, so they get hot faster and it would be not only foolish, but deadly for them to stay too long out in a full sun. So younger ones, for survival, tend to not stay in the open areas. Is it also because they really want to avoid the sunshine as some claim? Sorry, I am not going to claim being able to read their minds on this one. I can only go by what I see with my own animals.

A side note, I have also had them bask inside under a light. May not be the same strong strength UVB bulb as I use for my leopards, still it's a UVB bulb. Also, I seem to be raising some pretty smooth carapace animals, if that is the only result that matters to you.

 

[cmosuna]

Redfoots live in the shades of trees and bushes. Even in shade they are still receiving the Uvbs that they need. The book I read about it explained a meter being used in their shady areas to test this and UVB still registered. They are just not direct sun kinda guys

 

[un-loco]

Just for clarification, I do clean my yard and immediately remove him from the dogs mess if he finds some, but he can find the littlest pieces, i get closer to see what hes messing with and dang-it... every time! Never thought I would have to defend the dog dung from consumption lol So, some are saying that even in shade from the house there is UVB? or just filtered sun from plants or thatch type cover?

RedFoot NERD: I use your care sheet extensively. I trust your observations and that of my own observations but if I took the advice of one person for every decision I made and did not experiment and make judgments for myself, I would probably be living in a box. With that being said; re-read first sentence after Redfoot NERD: and apply. I still continue to listen to and LOVE data from other Redfooted owners, always listen to their experiences, and have a lot to learn. My boy(i call him boy) will be outdoors a lot more often now that winter is making its way out, good times!

 

[cdmay]

OK, beware...Red-footed tortoises are savanna (not 'suvanna') tortoises, especially in most of the northern localities. The tortoises found in these savannas do indeed actually live there. And as impossible as this seems to some people, the baby red-footed tortoises that the adult animals produce, actually live in the savanna too. They not take school buses into the rainforest to grow up so they can return to the savannas when they are big. Nope, the populations of red-footed tortoises that live in savanna habitats are comprised of all sizes and ages of tortoises. Amazing.
In other parts of their range they are found along rainforest edges, thornscrub, mixed hardwoods and so forth. Sometimes they are found in the rainforest itself but this is not typical.

As for your little ones behavior there are two important facts to keep in mind. First is that all small turtles and tortoises are instinctively geared to go hide so that they can avoid being eaten. That freak out and run for cover behavior you are seeing is most likely your tortoise feeling very exposed to predators (especially birds in the bright sunlight) and so he is thinking that he needs to hide right now!-- before his little tush gets eaten.
Second, if you take any reptile out into the bright sunlight after it has been in low light or in its normal environment, it is very likely going to panic. Think about it...he is nice and comfortable in his hiding place or terrarium and suddenly he gets picked up and plunked down out in the middle of the bright sun. You can imagine how unsettling this is--I mean, he doesn't know that you are going to protect him from getting overheated (or eaten) and so he does what comes natural which is run for cover.
Now take that same tortoise and provide a nice, easy to access basking location that he can go to himself when he wants to, and you will find him happily basking all the time. I have neonate tortoises that are only a few weeks old that seek out basking locations every single morning and even during the midday, but they are going to these places themselves. I also make sure there is plenty of cover for them as well so that they are comfortable and are not stressed out.

 

[Madkins007]

NORMAL.. STANDARD.. TYPICAL.. THAT'S-THE-WAY-THEY-SHOULD-ACT.. redfoot tortoises!!!

Beware of anyone who tries to tell you that they are suvanna tortoises.. especially the Northern locales. Just because someone saw one [ stop to rest probly ] out in the sun.. then wrote a book including that observation and calls them savanna tortoises.. does in no way make it true! - ESPECIALLY a youngster like you are talking about.

Beware of people who study these animals?
- Dr. Peter Pritchard, Turtles of Venezuela, p.212- "In Venezuela, the species is of widespread occurrence, principally in the more arid northern areas."
- Frank Bonin, etc., Turtles of the World, p. 210- "The territory of C. carbonaria includes savannas and dry forests as well as humid forests to some degree."
- Fritz Jurgen Obst, Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins, p. 88- "[speaking of the South American tortoises] In the case of these land tortoises as well, there are populations that inhabit low-lying, hot, damp, tropical forests, drier grassland river forests, and savanna-like arid regions.
- Ernst and Barbour, Turtles of the World, p. 253- "Where it is sympatric with Geochelone denticulata, G. carbonaria is more prevelant in the moist savanna"
- Carl J. Frankins, 'Turtles, An Extraordinary Natural History 245 Million Years in the Making', p. 133- "Adult red-footed tortoises may reach 2o inches (51cm) in shell length and are inhabitants of humid forests and savannas."

How about the fact that the Amazon rainforest does not reach north into the range of the northern groups of red-footed tortoises? Or, for that matter, south into the southern groups ranges?

How about the recorded observations of field herpetologists? People like the Vinkes and Vetters have seen and documented red- and yellow-footed torts in the wild, and taken photos of the areas in their book 'South American Tortoises' showing savannas, open woods, etc. (pp. 107 to 126)?

Take a look at the caresheet that has started and raised [ with growth pics no less than yearly ] and you will have the happiest redfoot tortoise you ever thought possible.

Yes there are a multitude of other ways it can be done.. wonder what results they get????? [\quote]

Actually, lots of other keepers get really good results on other care plans. To even HINT that other plans do not work as well as yours does is arrogant, rude, and just plain wrong- morally and factually.

---

So the weather in El Paso TX is getting warm enough in the sunny areas to be 80'ish... So I bring my yearling... +4months out in the sun... first reaction is... OMG!! RUN to the shade!!! at a turtle pace. So the question arises... young redfoots dont like sun, so obviously dont want UVB? Id this noticed in the wild? I know they are shy when young, but some say to use UVB bulbs in the tank, when obviously mine runs like a vampire lol. This is not the first time he has done this either.. Just when I decided to share the experience

I have also never seen him bask or soak.

On a totally different note... he is infatuated with my dogs' feces... if there is greens or fruit anywhere near the log, he goes for the log like flies on ! =) sorry I had to

Baby tortoises generally avoid the sun and being exposed, and they only need an hour or so of UVB in a week. You'll generally only see basking if they feel a need to raise their internal temps or satisfy a need for sun on their skin- most often after a cooler snap or cloudy or rainy day.

Otherwise, they are getting UVB exposure just walking around, eating, etc. even when in shade.

And yeah... they do love dog poo!

---

 

[ripper7777777]

Oh sorry I forgot to clarify, my tree currently has no leafs, otherwise I would put them out somewhere else, so it really is broken sunlight which they seem to really enjoy moving around. But both of mine are 4-5"s and I'm sure the direct sunlight is a key warning that predators can see them. Gotta love Texas Winters.

 

[Redstrike]

Oh sorry I forgot to clarify, my tree currently has no leafs, otherwise I would put them out somewhere else, so it really is broken sunlight which they seem to really enjoy moving around. But both of mine are 4-5"s and I'm sure the direct sunlight is a key warning that predators can see them. Gotta love Texas Winters.

The natural sunlight is great for your hatchling, but as RedfootNerd, Jacqui, Madkins, and Cdmay have all asserted, they tend to dash for cover shortly after they've been exposed to outdoor conditions.

I think the reasoning for their behavior was explained well, I just wanted to add, it's great that you're bringing your little bugger outside! Nothing beats natural sunlight for D3 production, endocrine function, and a smorgasbord of biological processes we currently don't understand.

These animals are diurnal, denying sunlight goes against their biology and just doesn't make sense to me. I think RedfootNerd, Jacqui, Madkins, and cdmay (all of which have a tremendous amount of experience and/or research backing their statements) expose their torts to natural sunlight, no? Despite the disagreements on habitat, I still see this unifying theme among all of you. I will say, however, that they are a savanna tortoise