Hello from Connecticut!

[LeroyLeft]

Hi my name's Scott I found your forum and thought it be cool to learn all I can about keeping tortoises.

I got my username in memory of my Leopard Tortoise named Leroy. I had him for about 8 years and he was a good foot or so in length. One day I came home to find that he managed to bulldoze his way out of his outside enclosure and walked away. We looked everywhere on our acers of land but were unable to find him.

Now years later I have two red footed tortoises. One was near death when I rescued it and now eats like a pig. I was wondering what the best indoor habitat is for them. I need to know what kind of lighting is best, humidity, etc. Right now they're both in a 70 gallon aquarium which I know isn't the best. One is about 7 inches and the other 6.

I was also wondering what their sexes are so I have included picture of both along with their enclosure. I think they're both girls^^

 

[coreyc]

Hi Scoot welcome to the forum

 

[Torty Mom]

Welcome to TFO Scott Nice torties you have there!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Scott:

Welcome to the forum!! Too bad about your leopard.

My first impression was girl on the left and boy on the right, but I'm not good at sexing the South American tortoises.

Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. Nice-looking tortoises!

 

[N2TORTS]

Hello Scott ......
" Welcome to your new addiction " ......
Lots of great folks and a wealth of info ... to be found here!

JD~

 

[Mao Senpai]

Welcome fellow CT member
On a different note, is the substrate dry? If I'm not mistaken... they need to be pretty humid or moist even? I'm sure.. someone who knows more will chip in.

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum there are a lot of red foot keepers here, I am sure they will answer all your questions! Your 2 rfs are beautiful

 

[coreyc]

Hi Scoot welcome to the forum

Let me try this again


Hi Scott welcome to the forum

 

[jeffbens0n]

Welcome to the forum Scott! I am no redfoot expert but my guess would be the same as Yvonne's, female on the left, male on the right. As for your enclosure, its actually not bad, alot of people keep redfoots in terrariums to keep the humidity up, and your 70 gallon seems to be a pretty decent size for the two of them. You could maybe increase your humidity with some more plants and things to hold humidity and spray it down more often. Also redfoots dont like a ton of light, so more plants and hides would probably make them more comfortable as well.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Hi from CT. I think if you have acres of land you must live in northern CT like me. Welcome.

 

[JohnathanO]

Welcome to the Forum

Your tortoises look great

 

[LeroyLeft]

Thanks too everyone for making me feel welcomed. I'm new to this whole forum thing an don't type very fast so I was a little nervous, my daughter is helping me type this. Taking care of my tortoises is like therapy to me. Thanks again to everyone^^

@coreyc, no worries about the typo I completely understand. Scoot was actually one of my nicknames when I was younger XD
@jeffbens0n, thanks for all the info. and @emysemys for helping me determine their genders, now I can get around to naming them.

 

[terryo]

Welcome Scott! I keep my Cherry Head RF in a glass vivarium. Right now she's in a 75 gal, but I have a 125 gal and am just waiting for the snow to clear up a little so I can get to work on it. Mine go outside in the Summer, which is the best for them. But since they have to come in for the Winter I really like the glass vivariums the best. They are great for keeping in humidity, which your tort needs. I also have a little one who's in a 40 gal. breeder tank.
Plenty of plants will keep in the humidity, but for bigger torts like you have it's hard, so I'm planing to use some hanging plants so they can't get trampled on for my big girl.

 

[LeroyLeft]

Hi Terry,do you have pictures of your RF set up ? is there a cover that keeps moisture in? I do plan to keep mine outdoors this summer . Its great to see pictures. Just trying to learn what works .

 

[zoogrl]

Welcome to TFO You have a couple of beautiful torts! Thanks for sharing the pics

 

[LeroyLeft]

Glad to share pics.Thanks ,going to look for better lights for my torts today. trying to give my freinds the best enviroment the more learn from folks with experience maybe the life for my guys will be better.Nice to here from you!

 

[terryo]

Hi Terry,do you have pictures of your RF set up ? is there a cover that keeps moisture in? I do plan to keep mine outdoors this summer . Its great to see pictures. Just trying to learn what works .

This is the top of the 40 gal. I have a screen top with a heat emitter going through a hole and a long tube 5.0 UVB on the other side. I cover any openings with clear wrapping tape.

the heat emitter...you can see the clear wrapping tape. I like it because I can change it and just throw it away. Cheap too.

I have a natural wood hide..

She likes to sit on top of her hide during the day

This is a little boxie set up...40 gal ....I had to take him in for the Winter because he was a little under weight. I use the same concept

This is my big girl inside...not much in there as I'm trying to finish her new indoor set up....125 gal.
Same set up...heat emitter on one side...sometimes two, one on each side, if it's cold in my house, long tube 10.0 UVB on the other side (or sometimes in the middile)... only a few plants right now...75 gal tank

Pio outside this Summer

I never cover the front of the vivariums, because I see them all day, and like to interact with them. None of mine are stressed from being in a glass tank, and they all come right up to the front when they see me to get a treat....and they always get a treat when they do that.
This is just what works for me, and there are lots of other good set up's on this forum to help you. Nothing is written in stone. Hope this helps you.

 

[Tom]

You are an inspiration TerryO!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!