New RF

[Nay]

Hi all,
I had no business reading Craig's list, but I did and what do you know? I answered an ad for a young RF.. I DID NOT want a baby. or let's just say I DID NOT want another tort.. But since I lost my poor Lucille, still hopeful, but she is not in the enclosure. That same story I read over and over, so I am just a statistic also.. I spoke to the guy on the phone and he has seen it all done it all, you know one of those. Watch this baby break through it's shell, his baby bla bla.. Says he has seen red foots easily reach 100 lbs. (Anyone else?) So I decide to meet him, and his enclosure. Pine chips, iceburg lettuce and a dried up rose!! This poor thing is so light and dehydrated. He/she is pretty active. So do I take it? What do you think. He/she is in my sink, about 3 inches long and honesty I just want to pump the fluids and food in. I restrained and aside from some little bits of grass from the Friendly's where I met this guy. I gave him a small piece of blueberry and soaked one cube of Mazuri. He ate some, good thing. Seems so so young..
So here are some pretty crappy pics, not sure why, and all advice will be welcome. My other Red foots are outside and according to this expert just still them all together and they will be fine. Jerk!! (I won't)I will set him up inside and let him out supervised, not will my others.. How long is too long to have him in a small bit of water? I feel like I should leave him in my sink, (which by the way he can leave the water if he wants to)I can almose see his shell soak it up..Also he seems to have some very thin raised edges on his plastron, like veins rasied? I will post some pics of that, but never having a baby., maybe its just normal.Excited and scared.... Thanks
Nay

 

[Yvonne G]

You surely do have a soft spot for tortoises. Can't say as I would have done it any differently, though. That's why I stay away from tortoise seller sites!!

Your new little baby does indeed look pretty dry. Thank goodness you've rescued him from a fate worse than death!!!



Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

Wow there is quite a bit of pyramiding for being so tiny. I hope he recovers quickly! I would not soak for more than 20 minutes at a time. You need to make sure the water stays warm (may need to chance it twice). I would also not soak more than once a day. Do however have water in the enclosure and keep him/her dripping wet with a high humidity set up like on redfoots.com. Does he walk and move around ok? Hope he start gaining weight steadily and can thrive now. I have not heard of redfoots that big. Maybe overweight and a tad bit of exaggeration? How did the adult torts there look?

 

[Nay]

Hi Kate, I know he looks so pitiful!! He has ridges in between all his scutes. There was no other torts there. This guy claims he bought him from a day old hatchling and came up from Fla. He says he is about 4 months old. Who knows?? I am also curious if anyone wants to venture a sex guess? or is my pic that bad? He is moving around abit and I just put him in an enclosure similiar to (Yvonnes?) with the sweater box and moss on one side.. He seems to want to eat the moss so I did plant a couple of live clumps of clover in the corners and over his hide.. He is just a cutey, I see why folks get babies!! I do want to feed him daily, some of the redfoot site did say how they have to hunt for food, but I should give him stuff daily right? He really needs it I think, but don't want to encourage that pyramiding to get any worst.
Na

 

[tortoisenerd]

As far as I know it is too young to guess on sex.

I guess I misunderstood your post; I'm sorry I had a tough time reading it and following what you were saying.

If he continues to eat the moss (in large amounts) you may consider taking it out and replacing it. If it's just a nibble here or there, or him testing if it is food and deciding it is not, that is ok. What is the rest of the substrate? Live plants are great for Redfoots especially. You want to create as much of a jungle as you can with lots of hiding spots. As hatchlings they spend a lot of time hiding. You want multiple hide spots in different temperature areas (at least one warmer and one cooler, more depending on the enclosure size, although I know with a Redfoot there is not quite as much of a temperature gradient as far as I know you will still have a little of one even without the basking spot as they don't do that).

What are you doing for heat/light/UVB?

I personally think food should be offered at least once a day to hatchlings. Just keep it to a reasonable amount and monitor his weight and SCL weekly to aim for slow steady growth. Some say 20 minutes a day but that wouldn't be enough for my little guy as he's a little slow. If they are getting a lot of exercise they will need more. Some will disagree with the daily (or twice daily) food though.

Especially if he needs to put on weight (he should feel more like a rock than empty if you know what I mean), then I think you should encourage eating. If you are feeding good foods there should not be an issue so much with him gaining weight. What is bad is feeding a lot of high calorie or "junk" tortoise foods. Then they tend to put on the weight.

The pyramiding is likely mostly from lack of humidity. Diet is secondary, as is exercise. Read up on that to make sure you are doing everything you can. I am so glad he has someone like you who really cares!

Do you plan to take him for a vet check up?

 

[Itort]

I would provide it with a humid hide (sphagum moss) and a permanent wading /soaking pool. I would follow www.redfoots.com caresheet. The pyrimiding will be less obvious as it grows. RFs are fairly tough guys and think you'll do it right. By the way according to my rough figuring a 100# RF would be about 3' long, I want to see that guy.

 

[Madkins007]

The largest recorded Red-foot appears to have been not quite 62lbs, and about 23.35" long. It came from the Gran Chaco area, the southern part of the Red-foot range, and these Red-foots are not commonly found in the US pet trade. Northern Red-foots seem to max out at under 20". (Source: Vinke "South American Tortoises")

Considering what the guy thought was the right cares, I am not surprised his other info was suspect as well.

 

[Nay]

The largest recorded Red-foot appears to have been not quite 62lbs, and about 23.35" long. It came from the Gran Chaco area, the southern part of the Red-foot range, and these Red-foots are not commonly found in the US pet trade. Northern Red-foots seem to max out at under 20". (Source: Vinke "South American Tortoises")

Considering what the guy thought was the right cares, I am not surprised his other info was suspect as well.

Hi there, Sorry I wasn't clear in my original post, I was being a bit sarcastic and trying to be humorous. I knew when I first picked him up and felt his lightness and the totally sunk in look I knew I would take him home.. He is now in a tupperware container with a plant light and ceramic heater clamped on.. Reading the care sheet again, I sense UVB is not recommeded, but I plan on letting him outside for a few hours daily.. (oh yeah this jerk says he used to bring him out in his little aquarium and let him soak up the sun, no imagine why this guy looks and feels like a prune.... He is now on some moist peat and some dirt..I removed the moss for now I have a jungle in his tub and he is hiding, as expected. I have offered some chopped red pepper, summer squash and fresh clover bits. I am trying just a few things at a time to see what attracts him, so far the grass bits from yesterday were a big hit, a bite or two of soaked mazuri and a bite of blueberry. He pooped and I thought it was a STICK it was soooo dry. Poor guy. Thanks for all the responses.. I printed out the care sheets and have them right on the counter, you would never know I have had Jack(male RF, nowhere near 100 lbs!! more like 10 lbs) for 8 yrs and Petey female(6 lbs) for 2 years now She is also 15 yrs old.New babies make you lose your mind!!I'll keep posting, you guys are my inspiration!!!

 

[tortoisenerd]

From what I see there that looks way more like a natural RF habitat! Awesome. Lucky little bugger.

Wow aquariums in the sun can be a torture heat chamber! Are you going to try and change the other guy's mind about care, or did it sound like he was giving up on torts permanently? Why was he giving him up by the way?

 

[Nay]

Hi Kate, Yes the glass house would certainly heat up. and no this guy knew it ALL!! He claimed he had a sulcata that presently resided at a friends. (Oh yeah good luck poor thing. if it was true) and that he dove and swam with alligator snappers,and more and more stories. When I asked why he was selling, he said he was living with a*&$# drunk step father and he was unsure what the man would do to him. I just about said no way would I meet this guy, but since he was so sure he had a RF I took a chance, for all I knew he just stole it, I don't think so but this guy was strange!! He put the aquarium and stand in the back of my truck even though I said I didn't need it. Oh well, he seems pretty happy now. (The RF not the guy!!.) I just got home from being gone from last night and all the squash and most of the peppers are gone!! He is so cute!!
Take care Na

 

[terryo]

Hey Nay....I am so happy for you with your new tort, but even happier for that baby. He's in good hands now. Good luck to both of you. I'm glad to see you back here too.

 

[Nay]

Hi Terry, Thanks so much, I do enjoy it here.. It's the only place I have joined up for anything,and it is very comfrotable. I have not found my little ornate, it sucks so bad. Having her for 6 plus yrs and then gone, and the not knowing..we lost 2 cats a few years back and the not knowing, now we have this very cool cat fencing.. It seems to allow them to use the pet door, but not the dangers. I thought I would be able to throw this little guy out with my others, but the darn thing is so tiny. But its cool to have a tiny one, easier to maintain than the 8 ft by 4 ft table..No name comes to mind yet? Any ideas??
And
How's your crew??
Na

 

[Neohippy]

Grats on the new little hard shelled nougat of awesome.
Regardless of his circumstances, now he's got a chance. Always glad to hear about rescues, hits that warm fuzzy part.

 

[Nay]

Thanks, I love that'hard shelled nougat of awesome" Mind if I use it??
It is strange that even though I went and met this guy to "purchase" this little guy and this person thought he was doing the right thing, it really did turn out to be a "rescue" I am sure without a doubt this poor little RF would not be around long. He seems so much more alive after only a few days. No sunken dehydrated look. and his shell seems not so transparent.. Maybe just hopeful thinking and wishing,naw... he is better..
thanks Na
still no name yet..

 

[Neohippy]

Use away!

I say an epic grandesque name is in order to contrast his humble beginnings... Although any actual names elude me.

 

[Nay]

Hello again, well I brought my new little guy to the vet today.. He is light, forgot the grams, but other than that looks good. He is free from parasites, yahoo!! I know he feels better, his poop yesterday actually looked like a poop, not a stick like his first one. Happy to report... Will do updates, maybe with a name sometime soon..
Na

 

[Crazy1]

Nay what about Chance or Nougat for a name or maybe something grand like Sir Finnley. He is such a sweet looking little one even as dry as he is. I am looking forward to seeing pics of him filled out (not prune like) soon. Aww babies gotta give your heart to them, cause they steal it if you don't. Congratulations on your new little one.

 

[Nay]

Robyn, I think Nougat might just be the name, thanks to you and NeoHippy. He does seem like he is better, maybe I will post another pic and you guys can compare, or if it is just wishful thinking on my part. I wish my hubby was more into it, aside from building just about anything I want, he is just not so tort -like. Although when we went away this past weekend, I did hear him mention the new little guy more than once. I won't say he is in love with them but maybe a secret fascination?? Who knows.
How long do you really think is reasonable to expect a change.
Thanks Na

 

[Neohippy]

Robyn, I think Nougat might just be the name, thanks to you and NeoHippy. He does seem like he is better, maybe I will post another pic and you guys can compare, or if it is just wishful thinking on my part. I wish my hubby was more into it, aside from building just about anything I want, he is just not so tort -like. Although when we went away this past weekend, I did hear him mention the new little guy more than once. I won't say he is in love with them but maybe a secret fascination?? Who knows.
How long do you really think is reasonable to expect a change.
Thanks Na

Best... name... ever.

 

[terryo]

Nougat! I LOVE that name!