Greetings! New Redfoot owner...

[Beelzebub7]

howdy all.

i bought my redfoot at a petstore here in SD after much net research on the breed. he/she is 4 inches (about 2 years?) and a voracious eater. HOWEVER, he already has pyramiding... (i will post pics soon)
i have him in a large storage bin, with a water dish and plenty of shredded coconut husk that i mist twice a day. he has a red heat lamp, and a "normal" light as well. i feed him mostly spring mix which i dust with calcium supp every other day, as well as a couple large earthworms a week. he stays under his log most of the time, only coming out to eat. is that normal?

so my questions:
A - is his diet and enclosure seem ok? any recommendations?
B - does pyramiding go away? will his shell even out as he grows?



thanks for the help, again i will be posting pics in the next couple of days.

 

[terryo]

http://www.redfoots.com/redfoot.htm
Go to this site and to the top of the page and click on the appropriate age group for his care. I've raised mine, using this care sheet, for three years since I got him at 1 month old, and he's very smooth and doing fine.
Welcome to the forum, and post some pictures.
I have mine outside now, but when he's inside I keep him in a planted vivarium. Plenty of plants, provide great humidity. I keep my substrate dry, and just provide a very humid hide.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Beelzebub7 (may we know your name?):

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[Beelzebub7]

^^^
thank you ma'am.

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Hi Beelzebub7 (may we know your name?):

Welcome to the forum!!

hi. sure, my name is danny.
btw, i used to spend quite a bit of time in clovis!

 

[Madkins007]

howdy all.

i bought my redfoot at a petstore here in SD after much net research on the breed. he/she is 4 inches (about 2 years?) and a voracious eater. HOWEVER, he already has pyramiding... (i will post pics soon)
i have him in a large storage bin, with a water dish and plenty of shredded coconut husk that i mist twice a day. he has a red heat lamp, and a "normal" light as well. i feed him mostly spring mix which i dust with calcium supp every other day, as well as a couple large earthworms a week. he stays under his log most of the time, only coming out to eat. is that normal?

so my questions:
A - is his diet and enclosure seem ok? any recommendations?
B - does pyramiding go away? will his shell even out as he grows?



thanks for the help, again i will be posting pics in the next couple of days.

Well...

1. Pyramiding does not go away, so we aim for smoother new growth. It may often sound like pyramiding is the worst thing that can happen to some tortoises, but Red-foots do pyramid in nature (mostly on some island habitats) and as long as the shell shape is otherwise correct and strong, it is mostly cosmetic. The PROBLEM with pyramiding is that it may point to an underlying care or habitat issue, like dehydration.

2. Housing. You do not say the size of the bin. The European standard minimum is 8 shell lengths by 4 shell lengths, so if it is about 32"x16" it should be OK for now. While others may disagree, I like that standard.

3. Hiding. Hiding is pretty normal for smaller torts and for some individuals, but it may also signal that something is not right. It may be too warm or cold or bright in your habitat. Grab a thermometer and measure the real temps at tortoise level. Aim for 85ish overall and not quite 90 at the hottest. Also make sure there is a lot of shade and hides.

4. Your diet is an OK start, but we can make it a lot better by adding variety. There are a lot of lists of good Red-foot food and a lot of 'programs'. This is my plan. (The starred foods are debated- some strongly say to never use them. I think they are OK in moderation as part of a rotation.)
- Greens. Every week, buy two different kinds of greenery: spring mix or other prepared lettuce (I look for mixes with a lot of color and variety in shape and texture), turnip or collard greens, dandelion greens, cactus pads, kale*, cabbage*, spinach*, Escarole lettuce, Endive lettuce, Arugula/Rocket lettuce, any curly or unusual textured lettuce, edible flowers (sold in my local store by the greens), etc. The next week, I buy two different things and so on.
- Fruit. I feed less fruit than others do, so I just get a piece of something interesting- this can be pretty much any fruit other than citrus and hot peppers. It is often a vegetable with seeds (technically fruits) like squash or bell peppers. I usually feed with the skin, even bananas* (which I offer only occasionally). Sometimes I hit the salad bar in the store and get a variety pack- melon, strawberry, pineapple, etc.
- Meat. I also offer meat more rarely than some others- usually only once or twice a month. Again, I vary it- worms, bugs (not mealworms), pinkies, cooked chicken, hard-boiled egg, etc. Some use various forms of low-fat cat or dog food, which I think is fine as a small part of a diet plan.
- Other. I offer mushrooms about every other week or so, and when my bigger guys are outside, I toss in an ear of corn* a couple times over the summer (but I do not generally recommend corn). Try to include other things, like 'cat grass' (live grass grown for cats), safe and untreated plants from your yard, hays and grasses for horses and rabbits, etc.
- Supplements. I add a pinch of plain calcium powder every week- more often if I know I am feeding low-calcium foods, like spinach or most lettuces. Every couple weeks, I also crush up a human multivitamin tablet and add a pinch of that to the food just as insurance.

Just don't overdo the serving portions- small portions, or skip some days to make up for bigger meals, etc.

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum Danny

 

[Candy]

Welcome to the forum Danny. Madkins has posted a very good post for your Redfoot so I don't have much to add except welcome to the forum. Why did you spend a lot of time in Clovis and now where are you living?

 

[Beelzebub7]

thanks for the greetings and kind words all. pics of my little guy/gal. (Bowser btw, points to anyone that gets the mario bros reference)

---

howdy all.

i bought my redfoot at a petstore here in SD after much net research on the breed. he/she is 4 inches (about 2 years?) and a voracious eater. HOWEVER, he already has pyramiding... (i will post pics soon)
i have him in a large storage bin, with a water dish and plenty of shredded coconut husk that i mist twice a day. he has a red heat lamp, and a "normal" light as well. i feed him mostly spring mix which i dust with calcium supp every other day, as well as a couple large earthworms a week. he stays under his log most of the time, only coming out to eat. is that normal?

so my questions:
A - is his diet and enclosure seem ok? any recommendations?
B - does pyramiding go away? will his shell even out as he grows?



thanks for the help, again i will be posting pics in the next couple of days.

Well...

1. Pyramiding does not go away, so we aim for smoother new growth. It may often sound like pyramiding is the worst thing that can happen to some tortoises, but Red-foots do pyramid in nature (mostly on some island habitats) and as long as the shell shape is otherwise correct and strong, it is mostly cosmetic. The PROBLEM with pyramiding is that it may point to an underlying care or habitat issue, like dehydration.

2. Housing. You do not say the size of the bin. The European standard minimum is 8 shell lengths by 4 shell lengths, so if it is about 32"x16" it should be OK for now. While others may disagree, I like that standard.

3. Hiding. Hiding is pretty normal for smaller torts and for some individuals, but it may also signal that something is not right. It may be too warm or cold or bright in your habitat. Grab a thermometer and measure the real temps at tortoise level. Aim for 85ish overall and not quite 90 at the hottest. Also make sure there is a lot of shade and hides.

4. Your diet is an OK start, but we can make it a lot better by adding variety. There are a lot of lists of good Red-foot food and a lot of 'programs'. This is my plan. (The starred foods are debated- some strongly say to never use them. I think they are OK in moderation as part of a rotation.)
- Greens. Every week, buy two different kinds of greenery: spring mix or other prepared lettuce (I look for mixes with a lot of color and variety in shape and texture), turnip or collard greens, dandelion greens, cactus pads, kale*, cabbage*, spinach*, Escarole lettuce, Endive lettuce, Arugula/Rocket lettuce, any curly or unusual textured lettuce, edible flowers (sold in my local store by the greens), etc. The next week, I buy two different things and so on.
- Fruit. I feed less fruit than others do, so I just get a piece of something interesting- this can be pretty much any fruit other than citrus and hot peppers. It is often a vegetable with seeds (technically fruits) like squash or bell peppers. I usually feed with the skin, even bananas* (which I offer only occasionally). Sometimes I hit the salad bar in the store and get a variety pack- melon, strawberry, pineapple, etc.
- Meat. I also offer meat more rarely than some others- usually only once or twice a month. Again, I vary it- worms, bugs (not mealworms), pinkies, cooked chicken, hard-boiled egg, etc. Some use various forms of low-fat cat or dog food, which I think is fine as a small part of a diet plan.
- Other. I offer mushrooms about every other week or so, and when my bigger guys are outside, I toss in an ear of corn* a couple times over the summer (but I do not generally recommend corn). Try to include other things, like 'cat grass' (live grass grown for cats), safe and untreated plants from your yard, hays and grasses for horses and rabbits, etc.
- Supplements. I add a pinch of plain calcium powder every week- more often if I know I am feeding low-calcium foods, like spinach or most lettuces. Every couple weeks, I also crush up a human multivitamin tablet and add a pinch of that to the food just as insurance.

Just don't overdo the serving portions- small portions, or skip some days to make up for bigger meals, etc.

cool, all good tips. any specific type of thermometer you recommend?

also, exactly HOW important is soaking him? i probably average once a week, but keep his enclosure misted twice daily and thanks to reading the stuff on here, will also spray him down daily as well.

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Welcome to the forum Danny. Madkins has posted a very good post for your Redfoot so I don't have much to add except welcome to the forum. Why did you spend a lot of time in Clovis and now where are you living?

gracias!
lol, the girl i was dating lived there, so as you can imagine i spent a good deal of time in c-town.
i live in san diego now.

 

[[email protected]]

cute welcome to the forum!

 

[Madkins007]

cool, all good tips. any specific type of thermometer you recommend?

also, exactly HOW important is soaking him? i probably average once a week, but keep his enclosure misted twice daily and thanks to reading the stuff on here, will also spray him down daily as well.

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Thermometers- I don't think it makes a lot of difference. I like those that are easy to read. Perfect accuracy is not really a big deal.

Soakings. There is no perfect, easy answer to this. Is she dehydrated? If so, I would soak more often. If there is no sign of dehydration, I generally don't soak.

 

[Beelzebub7]

cool, all good tips. any specific type of thermometer you recommend?

also, exactly HOW important is soaking him? i probably average once a week, but keep his enclosure misted twice daily and thanks to reading the stuff on here, will also spray him down daily as well.

---

---

Thermometers- I don't think it makes a lot of difference. I like those that are easy to read. Perfect accuracy is not really a big deal.

Soakings. There is no perfect, easy answer to this. Is she dehydrated? If so, I would soak more often. If there is no sign of dehydration, I generally don't soak.

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cool. no, i dont see him as being dehydrated. he does drink out of his dish pretty often.
i took your advice and varied his diet a bit. he got mushrooms for the first time today and loved them! come to think of it, i cant recall a food that he hasnt loved yet

 

[Madkins007]

i took your advice and varied his diet a bit. he got mushrooms for the first time today and loved them! come to think of it, i cant recall a food that he hasnt loved yet

LOL! Mine are not big on mustard greens, so-so on kiwi and cactus pads (but usually destroy the fruits!), and they get tired of collards and turnip greens quickly.

Just another reason for variety. If they don't like something I bought this week, they'll get something else next week.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Mine LOVES kiwi...that's why I went ahead and named her Kiwi. Everyone has different tastes.

 

[Beelzebub7]

i took your advice and varied his diet a bit. he got mushrooms for the first time today and loved them! come to think of it, i cant recall a food that he hasnt loved yet

LOL! Mine are not big on mustard greens, so-so on kiwi and cactus pads (but usually destroy the fruits!), and they get tired of collards and turnip greens quickly.

Just another reason for variety. If they don't like something I bought this week, they'll get something else next week.

so as it seems you are an expert among experts here, judging by the pics above how severe do you think the pyramiding is? also what type of redfoot do you think he is?

 

[Madkins007]

so as it seems you are an expert among experts here, judging by the pics above how severe do you think the pyramiding is? also what type of redfoot do you think he is?

There are at least a half a dozen people here I would rank WAY above me, and a lot more that have a lot more experience than I do, but in my opinion:

Pyramiding: It is not bad. Something about it looks odd to me, though. I cannot tell if it is just the lighting or something, but the shell seems small to me compared to the rest of the body. This is where one of the guys with more experience could help you more.

Type: The mostly pale plastron suggests it is a Northern group, from north of the Amazon. The dark shell suggests that it is from Venezuela to the East. Red-foots from Venezuela and the west supposedly have more coffee-colored carapaces.

The strongly yellow color suggests something, but right off-hand, I cannot recall what countries.

Again, someone with more experience can probably help more.

 

[Beelzebub7]

so as it seems you are an expert among experts here, judging by the pics above how severe do you think the pyramiding is? also what type of redfoot do you think he is?

There are at least a half a dozen people here I would rank WAY above me, and a lot more that have a lot more experience than I do, but in my opinion:

Pyramiding: It is not bad. Something about it looks odd to me, though. I cannot tell if it is just the lighting or something, but the shell seems small to me compared to the rest of the body. This is where one of the guys with more experience could help you more.

Type: The mostly pale plastron suggests it is a Northern group, from north of the Amazon. The dark shell suggests that it is from Venezuela to the East. Red-foots from Venezuela and the west supposedly have more coffee-colored carapaces.

The strongly yellow color suggests something, but right off-hand, I cannot recall what countries.

Again, someone with more experience can probably help more.

since joining this forum i have taken what seems to be the common consensus and varied his diet much more. still getting a couple of earthworms a week,, but instead of mainly spring mix hes getting an assortment of stuff. strawberries seem to be the favorite at this point! also sprinkling his food every other day with calcium. hopefully his pyramiding doesnt get any worse. he is also getting sprayed down twice daily.
nice! thanks for the info on his background.
i think it might just be the pics, his shell looks exactly the same size as his brothers and sisters at the store.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Welcome to the show Danny...

 

[laura13617]

welcome danny what part of sd are u from (east or west river)? what a little beauty u have there!

 

[Beelzebub7]

Welcome to the show Danny...

hola! thanks

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welcome danny what part of sd are u from (east or west river)? what a little beauty u have there!

im in mission valley, san diego. and thanks!