Lots of questions

[carrilac]

I’m SO excited! I am bringing home a juvenile pair of cherryheads next week. They are approx 5.5 inches and the larger one weighs over 15 pounds (I’ll for sure post pictures when I get them home).
I’ve delayed bringing them home, because I want everything to be perfect for them (that and my husband, a firefighter, is forced to work overtime because everyone has the flu- meaning am forced to exercise patients as I wait for him to come home and help me with all this since I have no carpentry or electrical skills what so ever(TMI?)).

So I was hoping that the good people on this forum could help me out with the following questions:
1) I’m going to be housing them in my daughters 4x4 plastic playhouse at night with a large heated hide inside (I got the plans off of turtlecafe.com). They will have the run of our small yard during the day. The playhouse sits on cement so I plan to put 2.5 inches of playground sand down and covered that with moss. Is sand ok for redfoots? I’ve read everything I can on the topic only to find it’s extremely harmful to certain species and recommended for others.
2) What do you use for your redfoots to drink out of/ soak in?
3) How high can an adult redfoot climb? In other words, I would like to keep some of my plants from being eaten, so how high of a boundary do I need to install to keep the little munchers out?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I don't keep redfoots, but I would say straight sand would be bad. Can you mix orchid bark with it? Or get that eco-earth and mix that with your sand. But I think you need a better substrate then sand.

Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around your yard at that level and walk your fence line looking to see what the tortoise sees. Are you sure the fence line is escape proof?

Measure the length of the tort...that's how high they can reach...

I use a paint roller pan for soaking. I think they are perfect for getting the tortoises in and out easily. I recommend them for all chelonia...
so that's all the answers I have tonight...I hope they have helped you some. I'm sure others will help you out with better responses...

 

[carrilac]

RE: Lots of questions (poop mentioned)

Roller pan, Maggie that’s brilliant!!!!
I have a concrete block wall around our entire (small) back yard with a secure gate. But I'll be crawling around my backyard tomorrow to see whats up.

I like your idea of mixing the sand with orchid bark. I’m looking for something that’s clean. My preschoolers will never be unattended with the torts, but I’ve seen disasters happen when I turn my back for one minute. Hope this isn’t too graphic, but in the back of my mind I’m picturing muddy tortoise poop smeared on walls and in their hair. I like the idea of being able to see the poop in the sand and scoop it out daily, but I will of course do what's best for my torts.

BTW, I’ve been dying to ask, but was too embarrassed before, can anyone tell me about their poop… Is it a lot, little, big, small? I have a hatchling and it’s not that big of a deal. I’m wondering what the deal is with a full sized redfoot adult. A friend of my husband’s has a very pregnant wife that made him give up his 2 sulcatas because their poop was bigger than their mastiff’s and was causing major problems for the family. He's in the reptile business and was able to find them great homes- but thats off topic...
Anyway thanks for the feedback!

 

[Candy]

Now I'm beginning to think that Dale's not his proper size for a Cherryhead. You say that your larger one is 15 lbs (are you sure you did'nt mean 1.5 lbs.? On this site Terry thought from Dale's size (he's 6 inches long and 3 1/2 inches wide) that he is about 3 or 4 years old. When we took him to the vet after we bought him his weight was 1 lb 4 oz. now we weighed him the other night (we've had him now for about three months) and he weighs in at 1 lb 8 oz. is this not normal? Can somebody tell me what he should weigh? Candy

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[Itort]

My breeding cherryheads range from 7.5 inches/1.4 kg to 11 inches/2+kg. A kg = 2.3 pounds. For their wading pool outside I use a drip pan for washing machines I found at a home improvement store (2" deep 36" square) or a hot water heater pan, both of these are plastic. I wouldn't suggest sand for substrat but using a mix of humis, hardwood or cypress mulch, and moss for outside and cypress/moss for inside. A 12" terra cotta plant saucer works well for indoor. The poop size is normally about the size of the first two joints of your finger and fibrous lozenge shaped (this is dependent on diet) which makes a good fertilizer.

 

[cdmay]

Make sure you get fecals done by your vet!
Another water pan/feeding pan that isn't too deep is a clean plastic garbage can lid turned upside down. Also, the plastic water trays that go under potted plants work great too. I use the heavy ones that look like terra cotta (sp?). You can get them in many sizes and they are cheap at Lowes or Home Depot or even your local hardware store.

 

[carrilac]

I love all the people on this board; I don't know what I would do without all of you. I'd probably make twice as many mistakes as I muttled through proper redfoot care. Thanks everyone I REALLY appreciate your input!

The ones I'm bringing home are Long Time Captives from Brazil, they were rescued out of a petco (or one of the big chain pet stores)- their shells show that they have had a hard life. I spent 3 hours last night reading through old post of some of my favorite posters and I am hopeful that with TLC the pyramiding will stay in check. Outside of the shape of their shells, they are EXACTLY what I've been looking for. We think that they are a pair - but no guarantees.

I was told that the larger one is 15.8 ounces. I'm wondering if being in the mom with babies’ world I misread the e-mail and she's really just a little over 15 oz. I will e-mail the seller and double check.

I will definitely get the stool checked, but if you don't mind me asking what am I looking for?
I like all the suggestions for soak dishes- there are some really creative people on this board!

 

[Candy]

You're checking for parasites. Candy

 

[dmmj]

15.8 ounces should mean 15 ounces. I am not a math wizard or redfoot keeper, yet but 15 pounds made my eyes bug when I read it. plus you should be able to feel a 15 pound turtle compared to a 15.8 oz. turtle. my desert tortoise is 22 pounds and the size of a small dinner plate, now him I can feel, congratz BTW on your new family members and I hope you enjoy them. I use those big terra cotta pots that hold water for the plamnt pots for my guys, to soak plus they get a weekly soak in the bath tub also.

 

[egyptiandan]

I would skip the sand altogether in their substrate. I just use soil and peatmoss with my Redfoots.
15 ounces sounds much more reasonable than 15 pounds for a tortoise that size.

Danny