Help

[georgekathe]

my new to me Redfoot, GeeBee, has started acting weird, for want of a better word. For the first few days he was happy in his enclosure, moving around and sitting under the heat lamp.

Now, he burrows into the substrate in the far corner of the enclosure and when I feed him I have to pick him up, put him in front of the food which he happily eats before returning into his corner, facing towards it.

When I put him out in his nifty new enclosure outside he looks around & then heads for the corner I have covered for sun protection & then sits facing into the corner before I put him back inside his indoor enclosure - Then he's back to the corner "burrow".

My mother's old Greeks never did this - they happily roamed their outside enclosure. Is he stressed/have I stressed him or what? If so,
what can I do to encourage him be active as he was before for the first few days I had him?

Thanks in advance for responses. George

 

[jackrat]

How old is he? He probably spent some time getting familiar with his new home,then headed for the hide. Redfoots,especially small ones can be a little secretive. After he gets a little older,he'll start staying out a little more. Even my grown breeders spend the majority of their time in some kind of hide,be it a pile of leaves,mulch pile,or their hide boxes. They emerge in the evening to feed,roam and stand under the sprinklers. Then it's back to the mulch pile.

 

[georgekathe]

How old is he? He probably spent some time getting familiar with his new home,then headed for the hide. Redfoots,especially small ones can be a little secretive. After he gets a little older,he'll start staying out a little more. Even my grown breeders spend the majority of their time in some kind of hide,be it a pile of leaves,mulch pile,or their hide boxes. They emerge in the evening to feed,roam and stand under the sprinklers. Then it's back to the mulch pile.

He is 4-5 according to previous owner, who said she used to watch TV with him on her chest, if that shows how comfortable with people he can be..

 

[Hustler]

Mine are almost always hiding... but as soon as they see movement ther are all front and center looking for handouts....
I probably made thier hides too awesome and comfy lol
I wouldnt stress for a while and give em space to get aquainted with everything. I found the most personable ones Ive had were the most shy when i first got them????

 

[LindaF]

I bet it is a combination of him getting used to you, his new environment, and also they just love to hide. Mine loves to hide so much he has 5 hides plus other little corners and plants he can hide behind. So common for him to be peaking out and always alert for food.

 

[Madkins007]

What do you expect him do? Some tortoises are known for roaming- but that is as much a personality trait as it is a species trait. I've had roaming Red-foots, but most of mine only explore when something changes.

You may want to think about changing things up sometimes- different feeding spots, adding plants, a new hide of sticks and leaves, etc.