Greetings from Newfoundland, Pennsylvania (Yellow-foot: Lucky)

[MyLuckyGirl]

Good Afternoon Forum: We are from North Eastern Pennsylvania. Lucky is my 18 yr-old yellow footed tortoise. Vet visually sexed "her" & said she was a female, so I roll with that. I've had her since she was a hatchling. The Summers here are very short & Winters very long. She only gets to play in her outdoor pen but for a few weeks out of the year. She is predominantly in her indoor terrarium that measures 7' x 4' (28 sq feet). Due to lighting & humidity issues over the years, she has pyramiding. We're ready to upgrade her terrarium and are open for any recommendations on a suitable substrate materials that is non-toxic and will not cause compaction if ingested. I've struggled with this for years because she loves to eat "everything," so her ground cover has always been commercial grade carpeting which gives her the traction she needs to lift herself and walk around without sliding. When out during the summer, she always manages to injest small rocks that she then poops out "MONTHS" later in the wintertime when I give her twice a week bath (that's the only place she poops - in a bath of warm water, which is great for keeping the terrarium clean). Also, what plants can I put in the enclosure that she will not eat or would be toxic to her? I plan to install a mister once I've encased her terrarium to raise the humidity level and hopefully slow down or stop the "pyramiding."

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome
Coconut coir and orchid bark are the most highly recommended substrate.
Usually when torts eat stuff like rocks, they are missing something in their diet.
What's the diet and do you give any vitamins or calcium.
An adult should have a very large enclosure, room size.
Post a pic of her tail area and we can confirm if its male or female. Most vets seem to get it wrong or think they can sex them when they are too young to sex. All torts look female when very young.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have noticed that YF tortoises do eat a lot of rocks. To help them with their "need" to do this, you can feed them fruits containing seeds. I feed my YF tortoises a lot of papaya and cantaloupe with the seeds.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Hello and welcome, from the pic the pyramiding looks relatively low for being 18 years old. You must be doing something right. Pics of your enclosure will help us. I am not sure about yellow foots,, but misters can cause respiratory infection in some torts. Hopefully someone can give you more guidance on that. If your enclosure has a solid top, then 3 to 4 inches of coco coir mixed with water so when you grab a handful and squeeze. The clump will stay together with no water dripping from your hand. Pack it in the bottom and cover with 2" of repti bark or cypress mulch. That should help bringing your humidity up. Keep moist by pouring water directly into the enclosure. Instead of just trying to mist with a sprayer. But misting now and then will help also. I use a small watering pot so the water rains on the substrate. Instead of just pouring water in.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
A vet told me I had a female but it soon became apparent she was he, but I'm sure you would have definitely noticed by now if you had a male - they aren't shy of flashing their genitals!?
Adults of the smaller species need at least 4 x 8 feet so yours would need much more space - do you have a room you can convert? My leopard has his own room because he is too big for a viv or table.
I believe lack of humidity is the cause of pyramiding as well as lamps which can dry and damage shells.
You may find a caresheet which will help you set up his new home in this section

Redfoot and yellowfoot tortoises

tortoiseforum.org

 

[wellington]

Hi and welcome,
A vet told me I had a female but it soon became apparent she was he, but I'm sure you would have definitely noticed by now if you had a male - they aren't shy of flashing their genitals!?
Adults of the smaller species need at least 4 x 8 feet so yours would need much more space - do you have a room you can convert? My leopard has his own room because he is too big for a viv or table.
I believe lack of humidity is the cause of pyramiding as well as lamps which can dry and damage shells.
You may find a caresheet which will help you set up his new home in this section

Redfoot and yellowfoot tortoises

tortoiseforum.org

I have a rescued Male leopard that has never flashed me and his plastron is not as concaved as it should be. My other male did way back when he was 2 or 3 and never has since.
I'm guessing by the vet visibly sexing this one female, and the OP going with it, this one has never flashed, if it were a Male. It is something you never forget lol. Likely it is female unless the vet sexed it long ago when it was little.

 

[MyLuckyGirl]

Hello and welcome, from the pic the pyramiding looks relatively low for being 18 years old. You must be doing something right. Pics of your enclosure will help us. I am not sure about yellow foots,, but misters can cause respiratory infection in some torts. Hopefully someone can give you more guidance on that. If your enclosure has a solid top, then 3 to 4 inches of coco coir mixed with water so when you grab a handful and squeeze. The clump will stay together with no water dripping from your hand. Pack it in the bottom and cover with 2" of repti bark or cypress mulch. That should help bringing your humidity up. Keep moist by pouring water directly into the enclosure. Instead of just trying to mist with a sprayer. But misting now and then will help also. I use a small watering pot so the water rains on the substrate. Instead of just pouring water in.

 

[MyLuckyGirl]

The pyramiding is more prominent when viewed from the side. Here is a picture of Lucky's bottom. Can someone help identify if Lucky is a male or female? Also, where can you purchase coco coir in bulk? Is that something you can mail order?

 

[Ray--Opo]

I purchase the coco coir on Amazon. If you do purchase from them. Time to time after that while you are on Amazon. Watch for ads that appear when you can purchase the coir for a reduced price. It happened to me and the coir was 50% off. I didn't need any at that time but I knew I would at a later date. Is purchasing from Amazon possible where you live?

 

[MyLuckyGirl]

I purchase the coco coir on Amazon. If you do purchase from them. Time to time after that while you are on Amazon. Watch for ads that appear when you can purchase the coir for a reduced price. It happened to me and the coir was 50% off. I didn't need any at that time but I knew I would at a later date. Is purchasing from Amazon possible where you live?

Yes, I purchase from Amazon routinely as I live in a very rural part of Pennsylvania, USA

 

[Ray--Opo]

Yes, I purchase from Amazon routinely as I live in a very rural part of Pennsylvania, USA

Oh ok, I was going by Newfoundland on your profile. ?

 

[MyLuckyGirl]

Yes, I purchase from Amazon routinely as I live in a very rural part of Pennsylvania, USA

Oh ok, I was going by Newfoundland on your profile. ?

No, not Newfoundland in Canada, but in Pennsylvania, USA (still cold, and in the Apalachian mountains). Only 2 months of good weather, if we're lucky.

 

[MyLuckyGirl]

No, not Newfoundland in Canada, but in Pennsylvania, USA (still cold, and in the Apalachian mountains). Only 2 months of good weather, if we're lucky.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Good Afternoon Forum: We are from North Eastern Pennsylvania. Lucky is my 18 yr-old yellow footed tortoise. Vet visually sexed "her" & said she was a female, so I roll with that. I've had her since she was a hatchling. The Summers here are very short & Winters very long. She only gets to play in her outdoor pen but for a few weeks out of the year. She is predominantly in her indoor terrarium that measures 7' x 4' (28 sq feet). Due to lighting & humidity issues over the years, she has pyramiding. We're ready to upgrade her terrarium and are open for any recommendations on a suitable substrate materials that is non-toxic and will not cause compaction if ingested. I've struggled with this for years because she loves to eat "everything," so her ground cover has always been commercial grade carpeting which gives her the traction she needs to lift herself and walk around without sliding. When out during the summer, she always manages to injest small rocks that she then poops out "MONTHS" later in the wintertime when I give her twice a week bath (that's the only place she poops - in a bath of warm water, which is great for keeping the terrarium clean). Also, what plants can I put in the enclosure that she will not eat or would be toxic to her? I plan to install a mister once I've encased her terrarium to raise the humidity level and hopefully slow down or stop the "pyramiding."

Your tortoise looks more like a redfoot than Yellowfoot to me.

 

[Ray--Opo]

No, not Newfoundland in Canada, but in Pennsylvania, USA (still cold, and in the Apalachian mountains). Only 2 months of good weather, if we're lucky.

The color change must be beautiful.