New Owner- Need Suggestions

[NattieB714]

Hello There! I am a the proud new owner of a female Yellow Foot ("Butternut") and a male Red-Foot ("Denise"). Both are adults with tons of energy. But- they seem to have a few issues which I will know more about upon a vet visit. I am going to list the housing/feeding schedule, etc. that I provide. Please give any advise or suggestions to keep these two happy and healthy.

They are housed indoors in a 8 by 4 foot enclosure with dry bedding. I keep a heat lamp and a separate UV lamp on during the day. The room they are located in has a space heater set to about 75-80 degree's during the day and about 70 degree's at night.

I feed my tort's three times a week with occasional snacks in between. They are usually fed separately, because the male eats quickly while the female takes her time a bit more. They are fed a pile of dark leafy greens, usually kale, collard, etc. I stay away from romaine and iceberg. The greens (pile of greens is about size of tortoise body for each...is this a good rule of thumb?) are mixed with pieces of fruits and veggies. Some pellet food is added for balance. Once a week, I mix in a powdered supplement that provides extra vitamins.

The corner of their enclosure has a soaking area. It is a plastic container with about two inches of water which is cleaned daily to keep it fresh. Once a week, I bathe the tortoises and clean their shells with a soft toothbrush. I bought a cream applied after bathing from the pet store for their shell's, and I add to skin if it is extra dry.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Any suggestions or advise to keep them happy and healthy would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Nattie:

The first thing that jumps right out at me is that you are keeping rain forest tortoises (especially the YF) on dry bedding.

Both of those tortoises would benefit from having a moist substrate in their habitat.

The second thing is that we usually don't advocate keeping different species together, however, since YF and RF both come from South America and might possibly cross paths in the wild, this isn't such a no no in your case.

We have a member here who has compiled some great info on tortoises and there's plenty on the RF tortoise in there too. Except for keeping them more moist/humid, the YF can be taken care of and fed just like the RF:

Tortoise Library

 

[NattieB714]

Hi Nattie:

The first thing that jumps right out at me is that you are keeping rain forest tortoises (especially the YF) on dry bedding.

Both of those tortoises would benefit from having a moist substrate in their habitat.

The second thing is that we usually don't advocate keeping different species together, however, since YF and RF both come from South America and might possibly cross paths in the wild, this isn't such a no no in your case.

We have a member here who has compiled some great info on tortoises and there's plenty on the RF tortoise in there too. Except for keeping them more moist/humid, the YF can be taken care of and fed just like the RF:

Tortoise Library

Thanks for the tip. I will look into getting a different bedding. These two came as a pair and it would be difficult to split them up.

 

[Madkins007]

'Difficult to split them up' is mostly in your mind. The red-footed tortoise is a semi-social animal at best, and yellow-foots are even more solitary. Since they are different species, it is unlikely they really perceive each other as much more than decorative moving rocks that are sometimes in the way and sometimes make odd noises that seem semi-familiar. So you could split them up if you needed to, but there is no real reason to worry about it.

Humidity is really important. Being too dry is linked to a lot of health issues in this species, but even this can be a bit tricky. If the plastron is in contact with moist surfaces too often, it can cause a form of rot.

Other than that, things sound pretty good!

 

[mainey34]

As said above humidity needs to be achieved, i would also try to bump your temps up to the 80's.. how do they do with you feeding 3 times a week? Are they very hungry when it is feeding time? I feed mine daily, thats why i ask..

 

[NattieB714]

As said above humidity needs to be achieved, i would also try to bump your temps up to the 80's.. how do they do with you feeding 3 times a week? Are they very hungry when it is feeding time? I feed mine daily, thats why i ask..

I can definitely bump my temperature up a few degree's. The male RF is a faster eater then the female YF- always has been. They are doing well with 3 times a week although I was thinking of doing it 4 times if the temperature is going up. I could assume they digest faster, just a thought.
They don't seem to be super hungry by feeding time. They do get a few snacks in between meals days.

 

[NattieB714]

'Difficult to split them up' is mostly in your mind. The red-footed tortoise is a semi-social animal at best, and yellow-foots are even more solitary. Since they are different species, it is unlikely they really perceive each other as much more than decorative moving rocks that are sometimes in the way and sometimes make odd noises that seem semi-familiar. So you could split them up if you needed to, but there is no real reason to worry about it.

Humidity is really important. Being too dry is linked to a lot of health issues in this species, but even this can be a bit tricky. If the plastron is in contact with moist surfaces too often, it can cause a form of rot.

Other than that, things sound pretty good!

These two seem to be a bit different then the norm. They sleep next to each other every night, enjoy basking together and even follow each other around sometimes. If there came a time that they needed to be separated for their health I wouldn't hesitate. But, now that you mention it, the female YF is much more shy then the RF. She has always been less fond of bath time, hah. Thanks for the advice.

 

[NattieB714]

As said above humidity needs to be achieved, i would also try to bump your temps up to the 80's.. how do they do with you feeding 3 times a week? Are they very hungry when it is feeding time? I feed mine daily, thats why i ask..

I will bump my temp up a few degrees. Thank you for the tip. I may increase feeding to 4 times a week because of the temp change, just a thought. They have never seemed super hungry at feeding times, but they do get snacks in between meals times, usually a special fruit which they greatly enjoy.

 

[Redstrike]

Tortoises metabolic rates are much more reduced than mammals and birds, it's part of being poikilothermic ("cold-blooded"). Feeding two adults 4-5 times a week is probably fine. I have skip days in for my tortoises and they are only 1-2 years old.

It's doubtful that they would eat everyday of the week in the wild.