Hi, my name is Marissa. I'm 14 and recently my parents told me I could get a tortoise. I've been thinking about starting with a red foot tortoise, because they don't get too big and they're adorable. I have plenty of space for it, and I believe it will be a wonderful experience. Plus I've got all summer to prepare for when i get a tortoise so there shouldn't be any problems!
Hi everyone! ;)
- Thread starter MNM
- Start date
Welcome to the forum. There is a wealth of information here for you to read before you get your tortoise.
Is it humid where you live? RF require lots of humidity their whole lives. I live in a dry climate so I set up misters in the outside pen on a timer and I have a closed chamber for indoor with high humidity.
Do you want an adult or baby?
Most of the baby torts require humidity for a few years or so.
Have fun researching your new friend.
Do you want an adult or baby?
Most of the baby torts require humidity for a few years or so.
Have fun researching your new friend.
Welcome to the forum. Read all of the care guides to help you decide. There is a lot of our dated bad info out there, so ask any questions you have.
I live in Michigan, in the USA. Sometimes it's dry, sometimes it's humid, but I can easily keep it humid. I had hermit crabs previously and the humidity was always really high in their tank. I'd just mist it every now and then and keep the water dish full and the lighr on so the water would evaporate. Because it's hot outside where i'd like to keep them, I'd get a sprinkler with a timer and use that. It would be a lot like rain to them, and should keep it nice and humid. We have misters we can set up if they would be better though. I plan on getting a baby or maybe two. I guess that depends on how confident I feel at the end of Summer. Also, thanks everyone for taking the time to reply! 
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Welcome to TFO!
This is a nice RF caresheet...
http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/species-information-2/chelonoidis/red-footed-cherry-head/
Ditto! Red foots require a humid environment, and grow to be 12-14'', so an outside enclosure would be the best!
This is a nice RF caresheet...
http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/species-information-2/chelonoidis/red-footed-cherry-head/
Ditto! Red foots require a humid environment, and grow to be 12-14'', so an outside enclosure would be the best!
Killerrookie
Well-Known Member
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- May 11, 2014
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Welcome to TFO!!
Austin
Austin
RF's can do alright in herds. @ZEROPILOT knows a bit about that, @tortadise, too.I live in Michigan, in the USA. Sometimes it's dry, sometimes it's humid, but I can easily keep it humid. I had hermit crabs previously and the humidity was always really high in their tank. Because it's hot outside where i'd like to keep them, I'd get a sprinkler with a timer and use that. It would be a lot like rain to them, and should keep it nice and humid. I plan on getting a babor maybe two. I guess that depends on how confident I feel at the end of Summer. Also, thanks everyone for taking the time to reply!
You can keep larger tortoises in colder climates, it just costs a bit more and take more work.
If you want a larger tortoise that may do better in your area, Marginated torts are very pretty, too-
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/marginated-tortoise-testudo-marginata-care-sheet.98564/
Thankyou, thats very helpful. I think I'll stick with the red foot tortoise. I dont know if I'd have enough space for anything that got much bigger, especially for indoor housing, and for the past couple years we've gotten temps down to almost -30 where I live!
Hi Marissa, and welcome to the Forum!
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Hello Marissa welcome to the TFO from AZ . I lived most of my life in Saginaw , Michigan. And don't forget those 40 below wind chills . Have a great tort day !
Hi Marissa if you follow all the advice on he forums you should have a happy healthy tort for life maybe! The Beginners Mistakes thread is useful for learning the do's and don'ts from other people. Good luck in making our decision.
Hello, Marissa, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
is the link Lyn was referring to.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
is the link Lyn was referring to.
Hi again Marissa do you want a baby or an older rescue from an animal shelter? Babies are great but if you make mistakes with their temps, humidity etc it could affect them far more easily and quickly than an older tort. Mine is an older rescue and I love him to bits although I still have to be careful with his conditions of course.
I think many of the more experienced keepers would recommend buying from a reputable breeder rather than a pet store, but I'm sure they will post with their thoughts later. But if you do buy from a pet store double check everything they tell you about the tort and equipment etc before you part with your money e.g coil bulbs are bad for torts eyes and can cause blindness, sand and pellets are not great substrates - store owners don't always give the correct advice as their priority is profit. Make a list of what you need and check it here.
Check the forum and see if there are any breeders in your area.
I think many of the more experienced keepers would recommend buying from a reputable breeder rather than a pet store, but I'm sure they will post with their thoughts later. But if you do buy from a pet store double check everything they tell you about the tort and equipment etc before you part with your money e.g coil bulbs are bad for torts eyes and can cause blindness, sand and pellets are not great substrates - store owners don't always give the correct advice as their priority is profit. Make a list of what you need and check it here.
Check the forum and see if there are any breeders in your area.
Okay, thanks. Originally I was thinking about getting two baby redfoots, no specific gender, from petco. Now I'm not so sure it's a good place to get them. Online it said they were about ten dollars, but from what I've seen with others they're close to one hundred dollars each. I can't afford spending two hundred dollars on just the tortoises, which is why I'd like to know what to look for to make sure they're healthy in case there isn't anywhere else with lower prices.
The eyes should be clear and bright and the tortoise should feel quite heavy, not too light.
Nice pink tongue, you should hope to see that the tortoise is active and eating, walking on its toes and not dragging itself along.
make sure it's being kept in good conditions and does not have a bubbly nose.
The shell should be firm with just a bit of give on the underneath (plastron).
Touch or pull gently on a back limb to see if the tortoises reactions are fine. It should pull the leg back.
And a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Nice pink tongue, you should hope to see that the tortoise is active and eating, walking on its toes and not dragging itself along.
make sure it's being kept in good conditions and does not have a bubbly nose.
The shell should be firm with just a bit of give on the underneath (plastron).
Touch or pull gently on a back limb to see if the tortoises reactions are fine. It should pull the leg back.
And a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
