# Help sexing about 8 years old red foot



## Carlos-NL (Feb 8, 2021)

Hi Guys, 

Somebody wants to sell me this red foot, he says it’s a female. I am new to red foot tortoises but I have some doubt I think it’s a male. What do you think?

Thanks a lot!

Greetings,
Carlos


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## ZenHerper (Feb 8, 2021)

Wow. That is a really underweight animal. Makes it hard to tell when they have not developed properly.

@Toddrickfl1 
@ZEROPILOT


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## ZEROPILOT (Feb 8, 2021)

At this size, they all look female. But that wide vent says male to me.
And he's not at all healthy looking.
What has he been eating?


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## Zoeclare (Feb 8, 2021)

ZenHerper said:


> Wow. That is a really underweight animal. Makes it hard to tell when they have not developed properly.
> 
> @Toddrickfl1
> @ZEROPILOT


Was just to comment how skinny the poor thing looks!


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## Carlos-NL (Feb 8, 2021)

ZEROPILOT said:


> At this size, they all look female. But that wide vent says male to me.
> And he's not at all healthy looking.
> What has he been eating?


Not sure of what was he eating. What is the average weight for a healthy RF of around 8 years old?


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## Toddrickfl1 (Feb 8, 2021)

carlosg said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Somebody wants to sell me this red foot, he says it’s a female. I am new to red foot tortoises but I have some doubt I think it’s a male. What do you think?
> 
> ...


I seriously doubt that tortoise is 8. Looks more like a juvenile to me. I'd guess female if it was 8 years old but I'd be really concerned with how small it is.


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## Carlos-NL (Feb 8, 2021)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> I seriously doubt that tortoise is 8. Looks more like a juvenile to me. I'd guess female if it was 8 years old but I'd be really concerned with how small it is.


Maybe the seller is mistaking about the age of it, since he also doesn’t have a document for it. I also don’t care about the age much as long as it’s a healthy tortoise. This is another picture he sent me. Do you think he/she is healthy?


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## ZenHerper (Feb 8, 2021)

carlosg said:


> ...Do you think he/she is healthy?


Without a husbandry history it is really not possible to say.

From the carapace, it does look like some things have been done well enough.

But the legs and neck are far too thin. Redfoots are muscular omnivores...they eat meat in addition to vegetation, and exercise a great deal. They require ambient temperature not lower than 80*F day and night (with higher daytime and basking temps). They require high ambient humidity.

If s/he is being fed, housed, and exercised properly, then there is most likely a medical reason for the poor body condition. Intestinal parasites, metabolic disease, etc..


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## ZenHerper (Feb 8, 2021)

An important note:

If s/he has been maintained more like, say, a Russian tortoise...on green vegetation only...one would have to be extremely careful when starting a proper food regimen.

The kidneys and other organs that have been denied adequate protein-and-calorie levels can fail if suddenly made to process even the "usual" amounts of meat and fruits for a given species.

In order to avoid "refeeding sydrome", introduce new appropriate foods slowly slowly slowly.

For example:

1 dubia roach and 1 inch of banana with a serving of the previous owner's diet once on Week 1, then twice during Week 2, etc..

Add another protein and fruit during Month 2.

Be sure to employ a daily warm water soak to make sure hydration levels are supplemented, even though fresh water is available all day, every day.

Weigh every morning to chart progress. Once you get a history of progress, a more natural feeding schedule can be started with a natural variety.


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## Carlos-NL (Feb 8, 2021)

ZenHerper said:


> Without a husbandry history it is really not possible to say.
> 
> From the carapace, it does look like some things have been done well enough.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for the detailed answer !I am curious why do you really think (s)he has a poor body condition? Because the feet are a little thin? Maybe that’s just in the picture?!


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## ZenHerper (Feb 8, 2021)

carlosg said:


> Thank you very much for the detailed answer !I am curious why do you really think (s)he has a poor body condition? Because the feet are a little thin? Maybe that’s just in the picture?!



Redfoots are muscular tanks.

At 8 years, I just expect...more. Longer shell length; meatier legs, shoulder, neck.

S/he also seems a bit under-hydrated. Easy to fix with soaking and more ambient humidity.

ETA:

The Media - Redfoot section has some great photos. For a "handful" size RF, I'd expect the appearance to be more like:








73460555_10158026471741844_6276696456556445696_o.jpg







www.tortoiseforum.org


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## ZEROPILOT (Feb 8, 2021)

carlosg said:


> Not sure of what was he eating. What is the average weight for a healthy RF of around 8 years old?


There's no "correct weight.
But those boney, saggy skinny legs and legs are most unusual and not normal.


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## ZEROPILOT (Feb 8, 2021)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> I seriously doubt that tortoise is 8. Looks more like a juvenile to me. I'd guess female if it was 8 years old but I'd be really concerned with how small it is.


Yeah. I agree.
It's the size of a 3 year old.
It might be stunted because of the diet


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## ZEROPILOT (Feb 8, 2021)

carlosg said:


> Thank you very much for the detailed answer !I am curious why do you really think (s)he has a poor body condition? Because the feet are a little thin? Maybe that’s just in the picture?!


You've asked our opinions.
But are trying hard to dismiss most of it.


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## ZEROPILOT (Feb 8, 2021)

This is a healthy 8 year old Redfoot.
One of mine


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## ZenHerper (Feb 8, 2021)

ZEROPILOT said:


> This is a healthy 8 year old Redfoot. ...
> One of mine



More like 4 handfuls, eh? lol


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## Carlos-NL (Feb 8, 2021)

ZEROPILOT said:


> This is a healthy 8 year old Redfoot.
> One of mine
> View attachment 317698


Very healthy bad beautiful ?. I appreciate very much all your help, I am just not that experienced so I am trying to understand your reasoning. I have also learned that this RF cannot be an 8 years old otherwise a very unhealthy one!


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## Carlos-NL (Feb 8, 2021)

Thank you all very much, this has been really helpful! ?


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## ZenHerper (Feb 8, 2021)

carlosg said:


> Thank you all very much, this has been really helpful! ?



If s/he has been advertised or promised to you as a breeding subject, I would be very cautious about that coming true (at least any time soon).

If you are just adopting/rescuing to add to your pets, then try to find out as much as you can about what the first care was like. Organize a proper enclosure and start slowly feeding the right variety of foods.

Some more details about all that:





Redfoot Tortoise Caresheet


REDFOOT TORTOISE CARESHEET ALL Tortoises on the planet require that 4 parameters be "IN BALANCE". How this is accomplished ( or required ) is as varied as there are regions and keepers on the planet. Temperature - Humidity - Lighting - Diet Redfoot tortoises require the same parameters -...




www.tortoiseforum.org


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## lightningrob (Feb 10, 2021)

From the size of the shell, I'd estimate it's about 5 years old (which is too young to know the sex) and as others have mentioned has not been fed enough protein. (My redfoot will eat an entire bowl of cat food if I let him.) If you don't adopt it, please tell the owner it needs a better diet mix. On the plus side, it has no pyramiding, so likely has been kept in a humid enclosure.


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## Canadian Mojo (Feb 10, 2021)

lightningrob said:


> My redfoot will eat an entire bowl of cat food if I let him


The RF and the dog would happily trade kibble if I let them.


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## Carlos-NL (Feb 10, 2021)

lightningrob said:


> From the size of the shell, I'd estimate it's about 5 years old (which is too young to know the sex) and as others have mentioned has not been fed enough protein. (My redfoot will eat an entire bowl of cat food if I let him.) If you don't adopt it, please tell the owner it needs a better diet mix. On the plus side, it has no pyramiding, so likely has been kept in a humid enclosure.


I decided to not adopt it since I already have 1.0.5 tortoises. How much protein do you feed your tortoise and what kind of food is it?


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