DakotaRae
New Member
Hi all, I've had my Redfoot since about 2014 or so. He was small, but not a 'baby'. Here he is the day he came home.It's hard to get a sense of scale but let's say...A bit bigger than a typical computer mouse. Or, a comfortable fit for the average human hand.
Anywho, I've been upping and upping enclosure sizes as he grows, but our apartment isn't growing - and we're New Englanders and I don't think Columbia makes a ski jacket that small. I just moved him into the biggest, most sensible (easy to clean and move) enclosure we could agree on for our small space. When I say small, I mean we can't have any furniture that doesn't come in a small box because the hallway will not allow it, and the space will not contain it. On top of being a third floor unit. But I digress..
Foreward -
I know full well this enclosure is too small. We have been looking for a house, at which time Tortoise will probably have a summer house and a large indoor roaming space. Here is the barebones stock tank (Rubbermaid 50G. Stock Tank from Tractor Supply if anyone's wondering.) It's got organic natural ground soil as substrate. Tortoise has never shown much interest in digging despite being offered various substrates and conditions. I know he needs a hide, it's in the mail! I would like some POSITIVE criticisms regarding how I should move forward with this temporary enclosure, even if it has to last a year or so. I would like to provide enrichment objects without robbing him of more valuable real estate. He wakes up in the morning and does laps all day, stopping occasionally to bask. I mist him and the tub multiple times a day. I've never seen him soak by himself but I let him walk around the shower basin with luke warm sprinkles coming down for 20 minutes or so a couple times a week. His shell looks pretty to me, so I must not be doing a terrible job?
I have had him in all kinds of enclosures and he destroys EVERYTHING. Very very dirty piggy tort. The water is always trashed. He spills the food everywhere. He 'rearranges'. I had him in a raised planter with a heavy liner, he made himself a hole in the liner, and would go underneath it..I would correct the issue, cover it up heavily..the next day he's in the hole again. I want to give him some enjoyable plants that he won't steamroll but not sure how to implement.
Enclosure aside, appearance wise - how is he?
His nostrils are clear, I can hear him huff and puff everyday but i'd liken it to a dog smelling something interesting, noise wise. He eats and drinks regularly. Basks with all his little leggies hanging out. His eyes seem clear to me. I feed Mazuri LS Tortoise Diet. To be honest - He won't consistently eat anything else. I always offer veggies, fruits, etc. while I'm cooking and he will maybe take a bite, fail an attempted bite, and then lose interest. He will accept, seldomly: asparagus, strawberry, tomato, banana. He likes hard boiled egg, tuna, and canned chicken. Small amounts of high quality cat kibbles. He won't eat anything remotely leafy or green.
Sorry for my ramble, I'm probably leaving something out. Thanks for your kind advice! I may not be doing it right, but I am trying to improve my husbandry and that's what counts.
Anywho, I've been upping and upping enclosure sizes as he grows, but our apartment isn't growing - and we're New Englanders and I don't think Columbia makes a ski jacket that small. I just moved him into the biggest, most sensible (easy to clean and move) enclosure we could agree on for our small space. When I say small, I mean we can't have any furniture that doesn't come in a small box because the hallway will not allow it, and the space will not contain it. On top of being a third floor unit. But I digress..
Foreward -
I know full well this enclosure is too small. We have been looking for a house, at which time Tortoise will probably have a summer house and a large indoor roaming space. Here is the barebones stock tank (Rubbermaid 50G. Stock Tank from Tractor Supply if anyone's wondering.) It's got organic natural ground soil as substrate. Tortoise has never shown much interest in digging despite being offered various substrates and conditions. I know he needs a hide, it's in the mail! I would like some POSITIVE criticisms regarding how I should move forward with this temporary enclosure, even if it has to last a year or so. I would like to provide enrichment objects without robbing him of more valuable real estate. He wakes up in the morning and does laps all day, stopping occasionally to bask. I mist him and the tub multiple times a day. I've never seen him soak by himself but I let him walk around the shower basin with luke warm sprinkles coming down for 20 minutes or so a couple times a week. His shell looks pretty to me, so I must not be doing a terrible job?
I have had him in all kinds of enclosures and he destroys EVERYTHING. Very very dirty piggy tort. The water is always trashed. He spills the food everywhere. He 'rearranges'. I had him in a raised planter with a heavy liner, he made himself a hole in the liner, and would go underneath it..I would correct the issue, cover it up heavily..the next day he's in the hole again. I want to give him some enjoyable plants that he won't steamroll but not sure how to implement.
Enclosure aside, appearance wise - how is he?
His nostrils are clear, I can hear him huff and puff everyday but i'd liken it to a dog smelling something interesting, noise wise. He eats and drinks regularly. Basks with all his little leggies hanging out. His eyes seem clear to me. I feed Mazuri LS Tortoise Diet. To be honest - He won't consistently eat anything else. I always offer veggies, fruits, etc. while I'm cooking and he will maybe take a bite, fail an attempted bite, and then lose interest. He will accept, seldomly: asparagus, strawberry, tomato, banana. He likes hard boiled egg, tuna, and canned chicken. Small amounts of high quality cat kibbles. He won't eat anything remotely leafy or green.
Sorry for my ramble, I'm probably leaving something out. Thanks for your kind advice! I may not be doing it right, but I am trying to improve my husbandry and that's what counts.