Misting

[redfootraider]

If I mist my tortoise would he be more encouraged to eat?

 

[ascott]

What do you offer your tortoise to eat? How humid and hydrated is your tortoise? What do you do for moisture in his enclosure now?

 

[dmmj]

Misting often encourages mating, what type of tortoise do you have?

 

[redfootraider]

I have a red foot tortoise n well use moss for substrate n he has a water bowl n I mist the enclosure every couple of hours. I put some romaine lettuce n some hibiscus leaves. How often am I suppose to mist?

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On the hygrometer it says 60 am guessing that's % humidity how high is it suppose to be

 

[coreyc]

I think it does when I get home from work I head down to the tort room to feed them but I give them a mist first as soon as I start spraying them no matter where they are they come running to the feeding rock Maybe they just know I'm the keeper of the cactus

 

[redfootraider]

I think it does when I get home from work I head down to the tort room to feed them but I give them a mist first as soon as I start spraying them no matter where they are they come running to the feeding rock Maybe they just know I'm the keeper of the cactus

Thanks that's what am gonna do too wen i get home how often do you mist them and the enclosure?

 

[coreyc]

I think it does when I get home from work I head down to the tort room to feed them but I give them a mist first as soon as I start spraying them no matter where they are they come running to the feeding rock Maybe they just know I'm the keeper of the cactus

Thanks that's what am gonna do too wen i get home how often do you mist them and the enclosure?
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I try to do it twice a day in the morning before I leave and when I get home

 

[Redstrike]

You want your enclosure to be humid, I'd count 60% as the minimum and aim for some portions being 70+.

If you can't get the whole enclosure up to at least 60%, a humid hide would be important (I use one and my humidity is 70-80%):
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Humid-Hide-Boxes-II#axzz1f8r32blX

I would strongly encourage you to read through some of the links I and others have provided in previous threads. There's a lot of well researched information at the Tortoise Library (it's one of my favorite sites), when you find some time, dig into that site!

 

[Madkins007]

Misting does not automatically mean more humidity, depending on how much of the vapor is allowed to evaporate and rise out of the top.

I rarely mist my habitat, but I use bottom heat and a mostly covered habitat. I pour a pitcher of warm water in the cypress mulch every morning and the heater warms it at the bottom of the habitat. As it warms, it rises providing warm humidity to the tortoises. Most of it rises out of the tank (since it is not fully covered) but that is OK because it is being made 24/7.

Having said that, rain and warm humidity both encourage feeding in Red-footeds.

Is Romaine and hibiscus the main diet?

 

[redfootraider]

I read turtletary care sheet n it says to give greens two days then fruit then two more days of greens only n then fruit again n well wen the tortoise is 3 inches to give animal protein on the 7 day so am going by that so am planning on giving it fruit on Wednesday n then greens again trying to balance his diet

 

[Redstrike]

I have a similar setup to Madkins007, it works well. See if you can't try to cover all or part of your enclosure with something to lock some humidity in. You don't want the tortoise(s) on constantly wet substrate, though moist is okay. If they're exposed to saturated substrate all the time, they'll likely get shell rot.

It sounds like you're doing a good job varying the diet via Turtletary's care sheet. The only recommendation I would make is to broaden the diet, if Romaine & hibiscus are the only two greens your tortoise receives. Some "other" good greens are:
collard greens, opuntia cactus pads, green/red leaf lettuce, dandelion greens, Wild plantain (not the banana but these: plantago major, plantago lanceolata), Common mallow, etc. Mark has a great list of grocery store items that could work well for you if you're not sure about some of these wild plants:

https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/nutrition/shopping-list

 

[Madkins007]

While I know it is well-respected by many people here and many have used it with success, Terry's caresheet is nonetheless only his opinion. There are other keepers and breeders who have other ideas and opinions about many key issues.

You may want to check out some other options, like those listed here: https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/welcome/bibliography

 

[ascott]

Mark is absolutely correct.....broaden your range of research......the more research you view the better equipped you are to make choices that work for your tortoises individual situation......I have spent WAAAAYYYYY too many hours of my life in the research and observe mode and would not have it any other way....the more you have in that peanut the more you can assist others as well...research research and observe...then you will be much better equipped to act....you know?

Also don't disregard some old husbandry techniques as all outdated....they after all are the basis for what we know now...and what we know now will set further steps for what we will know in the future...keep learning! !