Hello from Brazil

[jrguerreiro]

Hi everybody,

I live in southeastern area of Brazil, and I'm new to this forum.
I am the owner of a two-years-old red footed tortoise, and I hope to learn how to take the best care of it, and also contribute with my (although short) experience.

All the best,

Antonio

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Antonio, and welcome to the Forum!

We have many redfoot keepers here, and I'm sure they'd love to hear about your climate and flora and fauna to better understand how to care for their tortoises.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome Antonio

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Antonio

 

[jrguerreiro]

Hi everybody,

Red footed tortoises occur naturally in my region. When I was a kid it was common to find RF on people’s houses, but nowadays, however, they’re very difficult to find.

I keep my RF (Leo; still don’t know if it’s a male or female) outdoors, in an enclosure of 1,3m x 1,3m (1,69 square meters). The soil is earth and grass, and it has two hides, one more open and the other one more “private”. It also has some vegetation to provide shadow and food. I grow some cress for him/her to eat, and I also used to have some “Erva-de-Jabuti” (“Redfoot’s Herb”, I don’t know if you guys know this plant; it’s Peperomia pellucida) and “Maria-Gorda” (“Fat Mary”; Talinum paniculatum). He loves these two plants so much that he ate them all; I’m planning to plant them again. I also have some branches of “Ora pro nobis” (Pereskia aculeta) hanging inside the enclosure, so he/she can also eat it. The ora pro nobis is an amazing plant, very nutritious (including for humans). I feed him/her with hibiscus flowers and leaves, manacá-de-cheiro’s leaves (Brunfelsia uniflora), blackberry’s leaves, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes, grapes, papaya, apple, Mexican sunflower, pear, corn, mango, eggs and some meat (once a month). During summer he/she eats every day, but in the winter Leo can spend a whole week sleeping in his hiding.

Even though the RF occurs here, I also have problems with humidity. During spring and summer, the climate is very very humid, but it gets really dry in the winter. I try to compensate it by pouring water all over the soil one or two times a day, and keeping sphagnus moss inside the hides.

I’m posting some photos below. I would really appreciate any ideas on how I could improve Leo’s enclosure!


This is the enclosure. The grass was a bit high, and it's a little hard to see the top right corner hide, as well as the water dish (now it has two dishes). On the top left is the ora pro nobis.


Walking around


Going for his meal


Enjoying some corn

 

[Ray--Opo]

Great looking RTs and enclosure.
Welcome also!

 

[Vince]

Hi everybody,

Red footed tortoises occur naturally in my region. When I was a kid it was common to find RF on people’s houses, but nowadays, however, they’re very difficult to find.

I keep my RF (Leo; still don’t know if it’s a male or female) outdoors, in an enclosure of 1,3m x 1,3m (1,69 square meters). The soil is earth and grass, and it has two hides, one more open and the other one more “private”. It also has some vegetation to provide shadow and food. I grow some cress for him/her to eat, and I also used to have some “Erva-de-Jabuti” (“Redfoot’s Herb”, I don’t know if you guys know this plant; it’s Peperomia pellucida) and “Maria-Gorda” (“Fat Mary”; Talinum paniculatum). He loves these two plants so much that he ate them all; I’m planning to plant them again. I also have some branches of “Ora pro nobis” (Pereskia aculeta) hanging inside the enclosure, so he/she can also eat it. The ora pro nobis is an amazing plant, very nutritious (including for humans). I feed him/her with hibiscus flowers and leaves, manacá-de-cheiro’s leaves (Brunfelsia uniflora), blackberry’s leaves, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes, grapes, papaya, apple, Mexican sunflower, pear, corn, mango, eggs and some meat (once a month). During summer he/she eats every day, but in the winter Leo can spend a whole week sleeping in his hiding.

Even though the RF occurs here, I also have problems with humidity. During spring and summer, the climate is very very humid, but it gets really dry in the winter. I try to compensate it by pouring water all over the soil one or two times a day, and keeping sphagnus moss inside the hides.

I’m posting some photos below. I would really appreciate any ideas on how I could improve Leo’s enclosure!


This is the enclosure. The grass was a bit high, and it's a little hard to see the top right corner hide, as well as the water dish (now it has two dishes). On the top left is the ora pro nobis.
View attachment 264831

Walking around
View attachment 264832

Going for his meal
View attachment 264833 View attachment 264834

Enjoying some corn
View attachment 264835

Welcome to forum. I was asking previously about Mexican sunflower as a food source and just read you feed yours some, great news. Thanks. I would like to learn more about some of the other native plants you mentioned and try to see if available in the USA. Thanks for info.

 

[jrguerreiro]

I would like to learn more about some of the other native plants you mentioned and try to see if available in the USA. Thanks for info.

Hi, I did some research and found out that Peperomia pellucida can be found in North America, and is known in english as "pepper elder, shining bush plant, and man to man" (according to Wikipedia). In Brazil we call it "erva de jabuti" for a good reason: redfoot and yellow foot tortoises love them. Talinum paniculatum seems to exist in North America, known as "Pink baby-breath" and "jewels of Opar". Its leaves can be eaten by humans if properly cooked. Now, the "ora pro nobis" is a really amazing tropical plant. Its leaves can be eaten raw, as salad, but they can also be cooked alone, with rice or meat; they can also be toasted, grinded and used in breads, pasta etc. Its flowers are also very beautiful, and are useful to bees as source of both pollen and nectar (I keep stingless bees, and they love the ora pro nobis). Take a look at its flowers:

 

[Vince]

Hi, I did some research and found out that Peperomia pellucida can be found in North America, and is known in english as "pepper elder, shining bush plant, and man to man" (according to Wikipedia). In Brazil we call it "erva de jabuti" for a good reason: redfoot and yellow foot tortoises love them. Talinum paniculatum seems to exist in North America, known as "Pink baby-breath" and "jewels of Opar". Its leaves can be eaten by humans if properly cooked. Now, the "ora pro nobis" is a really amazing tropical plant. Its leaves can be eaten raw, as salad, but they can also be cooked alone, with rice or meat; they can also be toasted, grinded and used in breads, pasta etc. Its flowers are also very beautiful, and are useful to bees as source of both pollen and nectar (I keep stingless bees, and they love the ora pro nobis). Take a look at its flowers:

View attachment 264985

Hello thank you for the reply. I'm gonna take a close look at you post and reply when I can concentrate and do some research. I put a jobacaba in the enclosure, believe it is known as Brazilian grape. It's to young to fruit but soon and if its food value is poor maybe just a shade plant. I'm also wondering about firespike as food. Odontonema strictum. I believe it may be native in either Central American, South America, or Caribbean or maybe all the above. I have nectar plants around the house for hummingbirds, one day I put a couple leaves both firespike and M. Sunflower in with the redfoots and they immediately ate with no I'll affect later but have not been able to confirm safe food plant yet. Do you know firespike?

 

[jrguerreiro]

Did you plant the jaboticaba from the seed? It usually takes 5 to 7 years to start producing - but it's definitely a great tree, it produces sweet fruits in great quantity and for a long time. Some varieties can produce the whole year if it has plenty of water. I never offered them to my RF, though. As for the firespike, I've seen it (we have it here as an exotic decorative plant, I don't think its native), but never had it.

 

[Vince]

Did you plant the jaboticaba from the seed? It usually takes 5 to 7 years to start producing - but it's definitely a great tree, it produces sweet fruits in great quantity and for a long time. Some varieties can produce the whole year if it has plenty of water. I never offered them to my RF, though. As for the firespike, I've seen it (we have it here as an exotic decorative plant, I don't think its native), but never had it.

Jaboticaba was grown from a cutting before I got it. It's about knee high and I was told would take some time to fruit, but it seems to be growing well. Firespike is such a great plant for keeping hummingbirds around it would be awesome to be able to incorporate in the tortoise enclosure. If I was to plant of that was accessible to the tortoises I'm thinking they would eat it up. I may try some in small amounts or leave a piece in there and watch them react to it. Previously they just gobbled it up immediately. I can put a piece of pink porter weed in with them and they ignore it. It's another nectar plant. Thank you for all the help and response. Beautiful little one you have by the way.

 

[Carol S]

Welcome to the Forum.