Hello! We just purchased a red footed tortoise, the guy at the shop told us it is a male, but I suspect he may be a she, we have named him/her Griffin. From what I have been reading I am thinking she may be 2-3 years old. Questions I have are never ending, but what is on my mind at this moment is, how do I know what she likes or doesn't like? I like to hold her but if she does not like it, I won't do it, so how can you tell what they like and what they don't like? We have only had her for two days and we let her graze in the yard and when she isn't do that, she seems to like hiding ALOT, is that normal?
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How is your enclosure set up? Mine doesn't like bright lights, so I have a heat emitter on one side (over the hide) and on the other side a long tube UVB..5.0. A large water dish that she can sit in and soak if she wants to. Plenty of plants for humidity. I also don't handle mine at al, unless I'm checking them over. That's a beautiful little RF you have.
Wow love the colors on Griffin's head. What a very pretty tort. I agree with Terry...I don't handle mine that much, just when I am moving Gypsy in and out of enclosure. Other than that he is free to do as he pleases. He comes out in the morning eats, I put him in the yard and then back into his enclosure. He will usually come out one more time at night and then back to the hide to sleep.
You will figure out what he/she likes. I thought the thread was going to be about diet. To which there are plenty information about that here on the site.
Good luck!! and Congrats on Griffin
You will figure out what he/she likes. I thought the thread was going to be about diet. To which there are plenty information about that here on the site.
Good luck!! and Congrats on Griffin
Hi Shoegal:
Welcome to the forum!!
May we know your name and where you are?
I only pick mine up when I need to move or inspect them. However, some of them really enjoy a nice neck rub. And some seem to like having me rub my hands all over their carapace, especially above the tail area.
Welcome to the forum!!
May we know your name and where you are?
I only pick mine up when I need to move or inspect them. However, some of them really enjoy a nice neck rub. And some seem to like having me rub my hands all over their carapace, especially above the tail area.
Hello and welcome to the forum..
If he/she tries to get away when your handling it, that means they don't want to be handled, if they don't try then they are okay. Mine go both ways, one day they enjoy the contact and other days they don't wanna be touched..
If he/she tries to get away when your handling it, that means they don't want to be handled, if they don't try then they are okay. Mine go both ways, one day they enjoy the contact and other days they don't wanna be touched..
Hi, thanks for the suggestions. My name is Terri and I live just outside of Savannah, GA. Our enclosure right now is very basic, we are doing it backwards. Unfortunately for my husband, I wanted to buy a tortoise and I bought Griffin without telling him and he had to throw something together pretty quickly to get us through until next weekend, when we build the permanent home for Griffin. I am looking at different plans and pics posted online to get ideas for what the enclosure should look like.
Whenever I pick Griffin up she always crawls up until she gets to my shoulder/neck area and then she stops but I think it may just be because there is nowhere else to go? I do not want to make her uncomfortable so I guess I need to try to keep the handling to a minimum and realize she is not a puppy!
Whenever I pick Griffin up she always crawls up until she gets to my shoulder/neck area and then she stops but I think it may just be because there is nowhere else to go? I do not want to make her uncomfortable so I guess I need to try to keep the handling to a minimum and realize she is not a puppy!
ShoeGal said:
it is normal for him/her to be hiding a lot, especially if you have only had him/her for a few days, it can take them a while to adjust to new environments. Try him/her with different things, you will soon discover what they like and what they dont like. There is a good website created by someone on this website called the Tortoise library, that will give you a good idea of what they can and cannot eat. Have fun with your new tortoise
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Pretty little red foot! If you are letting him graze in the yard make sure it is pesticide and fertilizer free! Grazing might not be enough to eat and you will need to feed him more. Check out turtletary.com for diet/feeding information. Congratulations on getting a red foot!
ShoeGal said:
That is a very pretty tortoise! At its size, it would be almost impossible to accurately tell you a gender- that usually is not possible until the shell is about 6" long.
The show that they are afraid be pulling in. This is their main defense- let their shell and heavy leg scales protect them from this unknown giant creature. Another sign they are unhappy is when they struggle to get free- thrashing their legs, etc. Since they often have sharp claws, especially on their hind feet, this can really hurt!
Hiding is pretty much what tortoises do. They do like to explore new places, and they love their food, but otherwise, they spend 60-75% of their day hiding. Young torts are more vulnerable than adults, so hide even more.
Georgia should be a good place to raise a happy Red-foot- good climate, lots of possible foods growing naturally- this should be a very good experience for both of you!
http://www.tortoiselibrary.com is a place I am trying to collect lots of articles, sites, and other helpful stuff for tortoise keepers. Stop by and see if there is anything there that might help as well. It's a bit messy right now, but I'm still plugging away at it.
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