Help! Tortoise not eating?

ShellyTheTortoise71

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Hello everyone. My Redfoot tortoise Shelly hasn't been eating. I put out a varied diet every day, but she never touches it, not even her favorite foods. Is she ok? I have a 125 watt mercury vapor bulb. Her beak is kind of long, you can't see her chin. Could that be the issue? Please help I don't want her to starve.
 

SarahChelonoidis

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What temperatures are you keeping your enclosure at? What are the highs and lows? If she is too cold, she won't eat. An overgrown beak can also prevent eating if it is extremely far gone - you'll need to trim it if that is the case.
 

ShellyTheTortoise71

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She often seems chilly but I have been having trouble getting the temperature up. The highs are probably only 70 at the most. Lows of 60
 

SarahChelonoidis

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Oh dear, that's much too low for a redfoot, no wonder she's not eating. You need to get those lows up ASAP. 80F is usually what people recommend for a low temperature.
 

SarahChelonoidis

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Oh wow. I can't believe it was so cold. Do you have any tips to bring it up?

Heaters. Ceramic heat emitters, radiators, radiant heat panels - there are many options depending on your setup. I was looking through your old posts - is she still in that open toped enclosure? Open spaces are hard to heat but you need to get her warm quickly.
 

ShellyTheTortoise71

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Heaters. Ceramic heat emitters, radiators, radiant heat panels - there are many options depending on your setup. I was looking through your old posts - is she still in that open toped enclosure? Open spaces are hard to heat but you need to get her warm quickly.

Unfortunately, her enclosure is so big that I haven't been able to find a lid. I have a few ideas that I will put into place today. Could I use a space heater for the room she's in?
 

SarahChelonoidis

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Unfortunately, her enclosure is so big that I haven't been able to find a lid. I have a few ideas that I will put into place today. Could I use a space heater for the room she's in?

It will dry the air out, but it may be your best option for now. Getting the low temperatures up is the most important thing right now. Any heat source you have on hand (that can be used safely) is a fine temporary solution.
 

Careym13

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You can use aluminum foil, plexiglass, plastic sheeting or similar things to make a "tent" over the enclosure. Just use caution and monitor temps carefully once the enclosure is covered because MVB's give off a lot of heat. But definitely get that temp up immediately. Take a look through the enclosure section, there are lots of good ideas in there :)
 

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