Kane heat pads

[stenkamp]

Hello, I have a yellow foot tortoise (dot is her name) and I am still trying to figure out the best indoor set up for her. I was told about Kane heat pads to help boost humidity. Has anyone used them? Like or dislike them ?

 

[wellington]

What kind of set up do you have? Can you pipe in a humidifier. The enclosure can't be an open table type and keep humidity up. If it is a table,you are going to have to cover 1/2 to 3/4 of the top. Post pics of your enclosure. We may be able to help you better if we see what you are trying to work with.

 

[stenkamp]

This is my temporarily set up. My husband is building her one out of wood. Sounds like on the new set up most of the top should be covered? We are making it 6 feet by 4 feet. This temporary home is a galvanized stock tank. I don't have a humidifier. Do I need one and a heat mat with a cover over top? Currently I am using moss that I soak in warm water and then ring out. And cypress substrate with some organic soil.

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Can you see my pics?

 

[stenkamp]

I am going to try and post the pictures again.
this is the warm end






This is the cool end with water dish



This is standing above the whole enclosure

 

[lynnedit]

I don't think the pics attached.

Look at this thread to upload pics from photobucket. This or tinypic seems to work the best.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ur-forum-posts?highlight=Photos#axzz23UerRwYC

Your description of your 6x4 table sounds good. Yes, you can get reptile humidifiers, or use 'human' versions. Just run the hose or use PVC pipe into the enclosure. Cover that part of the enclosure with chicken wirse covered with saran wrap or plastic, or plexiglass. As long as part is humidified, your tort can choose that area or not.
The damp moss in a hide would still be useful.

 

[Tom]

The trick with red and yellow foot tortoises seems to be to keep things nice and humid, but not wet to the touch all the time, since they are susceptible to shell rot. I don't keep them, but this is what I gathered over the years from other keepers. I don't know how you'd do this in an open enclosure.

 

[stenkamp]

not sure why my photos worked before off my phone and now are not. So i am having my husband build a home for dot. We were told when we bought her that she was similar to the care of a russian tortoise. Obviously through this forum and online research i have come to realize she was wrong! so this is my temporary set up. Any ideas or thoughts towards the new one is appreciated and changes to the current set up. this set up will have to do for the next month. So does my moss that is soaked and rung out with a kane mat under neath and a top over head create enough humidity? or should i buy a humidifier? i have not bought the kane mat yet, does anyone have one? do you like it?

 

[lynnedit]

My understanding is that the Kane mats are used by most keepers in their outside huts or sheds on the floor, on a timer. They are not meant to be buried under substrate, but just left out in the open. They are rubber, so easy to clean.

If you want to add humidity to an inside enclosure, that is where you see some people using foggers or humidifiers, while also misting and adding water to the substrate periodically.
Adding a lot of plants helps hold humidity also. Some rely on plants and sphagnum moss in hides only to increase humidity.

Try doing a search for Yellowfoot (or Redfoot) indoor enclosures.

 

[stenkamp]

Thank you. A local reptile shop owner told me I should use Kane mat. I currently do use that moss and think maybe plants and a humidifier is my best bet. On the bean farm website they do now sell Kane mats for tortoise enclosures but I did see there original purpose was for livestock outside. Thanks for your response. I feel like a lot of the information I find on taking care of yellow feet tortoises is contradictory to each other.

 

[lynnedit]

Your plan is sound. You can modify as you go along. With the more tropical torts, it does help to cover part of the enclosure with plexiglass, etc. Also, putting the dampened moss inside of a hide really works; even a small storage container turned upside down with a door cut out.
TerryO uses large aquariums, her enclosures are amazing, both in and out. She has lovely planted set ups.

You are right about conflicting information. Just keep reading, and gradually you will learn what works in your climate and area of the world. It can be different for all of us.
Your tort is very lucky you are checking this out.