Help! Red Foot tortoise need assistance

[abbyroselew]

Hello, all. I have a beautiful Red Foot tortoise named Luna. I love her very much. However, I have had a problem with her trying to 'escape' her tank, or doing this thing where she is constantly walking at the sides of her tank trying to get out and being very noisy, because she is in a glass tank and can see through.
So what I did was put paper along the back, and a half a box along another side where she could go and sit if she needed privacy and her water dish and food bowl on the other side. However, since I did that, she has been inactive. Sleeping mostly, but coming out of her shell occasionally just to peek.
I don't know why she won't go soak in her dish, it is a bit concerning to me because she loves doing that. She literally just sits in the middle of the tank. This all happened shortly after I papered the tank walls, however if I take off the paper, she will go back to trying to escape. She is just not being herself. What should I do?

 

[N2TORTS]

How big is your tank? ( I honestly hate saying that word) ...also one thing to consider, rectangle or square tanks are very easy for a tortoise to pace back and forth relentless to escape. ( why in my outdoor setups’ I always throw curves into the walls.) Covering up the back / sides is not a bad idea....you might even consider planting heavy around those edges as well.....
This time of year torts are becoming less active not only due to temps , but light as well ( of course this mostly applies to outdoor setups) . What type of lights are you using? .. are they on a regular timed basis?
Rf's ....do like to hide out most of the time ...with early mornings and evenings most active. I don't really house any torts inside full time except for hatchlings', so hopefully others might chime in as well ....

Keep her warm , happy and humid ...... she will soak when she wants to. ( use a spray bottle and mist couple times daily )

JD~

 

[ascott]

What size of tank enclosure are you housing your tort in at present? I find it funny that in the start of your thread post you mention how noisy and busy your tort is trying to escape ....then to move onto now how relaxed your tort is since you have taken the steps to alleviate the stressful constant escape behavior.....is this not what you were trying to achieve? For Luna to chill out and be able to relax without the stressful clawing at the sides and such.....

I believe if your temps are right, your humidity is good and you offer enough space for Luna to exercise then likely you have simply given her a break from the OCD glass climbing....I would suggest you keep an eye on her to assure she is eating, keeping warm and acting as a tort usually does...and if so, then yay, you achieved what you were striving for, right?

 

[jlittlefield]

Hello
I have a 6 month old red foot named Steve. He lives inside in a 90 gallon tank. It's totally pimp! We take him out daily to play. He's very sweet. I use a mister, have UVB lighting, heat lamp and pad. Temp is 80 with humidity at 60. He seems quite happy. He has large water dish, flat rock, log, food dish and fake plants. We use cypress mulch so he can dig. He has lots of room. I think he enjoys the large space. We initially had a smaller tank, but I wanted to spoil him. I think a nice big tank keeps him happy!

 

[Madkins007]

Big spaces are very helpful with all species of tortoises.

Jlittlefield- why are you taking it out to play? If the habitat is set up right, it should meet all the tortoise's needs.

 

[jlittlefield]

Take him out to play cause kids like to interact with him. He comes to my nine year old daughter, who is the "owner", when she calls to him or when she plays her viola for him. Very cute! Whole family loves him!

 

[ascott]

Take him out to play cause kids like to interact with him. He comes to my nine year old daughter, who is the "owner", when she calls to him or when she plays her viola for him. Very cute! Whole family loves him!

Very cool stuff and besides, there is no substitue for some natural sun time as well....

 

[Madkins007]

Take him out to play cause kids like to interact with him. He comes to my nine year old daughter, who is the "owner", when she calls to him or when she plays her viola for him. Very cute! Whole family loves him!

Just keep in mind that tortoises are not social animals and have no internal desire to be admired, petted (other than strokes on the head), etc. They also really, really, really like to have stability in their lives- as in, they like to get used to a place and not get moved around a lot.

I am glad you guys are having fun!

 

[jlittlefield]

Ok. Thanks. I appreciate the input as this is our first tortoise. I'm learning a lot from everyone!

 

[abbyroselew]

yeah she has gotten better. i just changed the substrate and now she is more active. and i was worried she was distressed in the tank which was why she was climbing everywhere. i have curved the edges of her box and put a plant in the corner and she seems fine now. she goes and soaks and stuff. thank you for your imput!

 

[N2TORTS]

Glad to hear Luna .. is a happy camper ~ and hats off for you as well for taking advice and following thru~
Happy Tort~N
JD~

 

[Villy]

Just keep in mind that tortoises are not social animals and have no internal desire to be admired, petted (other than strokes on the head), etc. They also really, really, really like to have stability in their lives- as in, they like to get used to a place and not get moved around a lot.

My Tortolla loves his "wandering" times. He also plays fetch, in his tortoisey way. He found a mouse toy that belonged to my cat, and he adopted it as his. He drags to me by the tail, and I throw it, and he'll drag it back. It takes a while, but I have never once initiated this game. It's all him. And he loves to be the center of everything. When he gets tired of it, he wanders off somewhere for a nap. Usually at my feet. (Obviously this only counts if he isn't in his house. He doesn't always have free reign of the house)

 

[Madkins007]

Many tortoises 'play' with inedible objects- but I have not heard of many red-footeds doing it. Interesting.

 

[ascott]

He drags to me by the tail, and I throw it, and he'll drag it back. It takes a while,

Laughed out loud with this part of your description.....LMAO....good stuff.

 

[DaisyDuke]

Take him out to play cause kids like to interact with him. He comes to my nine year old daughter, who is the "owner", when she calls to him or when she plays her viola for him. Very cute! Whole family loves him!

Just keep in mind that tortoises are not social animals and have no internal desire to be admired, petted (other than strokes on the head), etc. They also really, really, really like to have stability in their lives- as in, they like to get used to a place and not get moved around a lot.

I am glad you guys are having fun!

Hmm, I think my Sheldon must be an exception then. I know by nature they aren't. When I have him on the porch with me he walks right up to the neighbors and our mail carrier. At the vet yesterday he was hamming up the attention. Every time he heard someone he'd lift his head from the thing I had him in and wait for them to pet him on the head, which he loves. The vet said she couldn't believe how social he was. When he sees me getting ready to go out he'll follow me in his tank as I go to get my clothes at one end and my makeup at another. He'll press his little face against the glass, etc. He's never tried to escape and it's not food he's looking for as he always has his food. He'll follow my Mom around and when he hears her coming down the hall after work he will walk out of his log and wait for her to come say hi. She's never the one who feeds him and he still always comes out for her.
I'm not one of those pet owners that makes these things up when they are actually other things, not sure how else to word it

Maybe it is because he is my only tort that he has become so social. I hear what people say who have more then one and Sheldon's personality is so different. I hear what other singleton tort owners say and he definitely has more in common in personality with them. I can only explain it by us humans being their only companions

 

[Madkins007]

I suspect that most forms of attention seeking in tortoises can be explained simply because they associate humans with food- rather like the fish rising to the surface when someone puts their hand over the tank.

 

[DaisyDuke]

It's how it's done. Like I said, Sheldon always has food and my Mom has never fed him. Even his vet commented on how social he was. He would stop eating his treats to sit and get his head pet. Sheldon is in a plexiglass habitat in my room. He sees me all the time. If he sees me by his tank putting on my pajama's no matter what time of day it is he'll just watch. But if he sees me getting ready to go out he starts to come up to the glass. It's hard to explain without writing a novel. You would have to see it to know it's different. Reading these forums the last few years I've heard how different tortoises personalities vary from those who are kept alone and those who are kept as couples or in groups. There is definitely a difference. They might not cuddle or bark and pur but they are definitely not just all about survival. I've had lots of different pets and his behavior isn't much different then my dog or the flemish giant rabbit I had who lived much like a dog I'm not trying to argue just putting out what I have witnessed so other red foot owners know their tort isn't the only one.