Hello, I have had Sheldon for about a year now. First tortoise ever. He is a red foot, in and open enclosure.. I noticed yesterday that he had like spikes near the backs of his eyes. After further inspection, I noticed his front legs, his spikes or scales are falling off, almost looks like empty holes now and maybe looks brownish. I thought it was the substrate at first. I attached a picture. Please help I'm not sure of it is normal. Don't seem like it tho
Red foot tort needs help
- Thread starter Dustin43
- Start date
He looks way too dry. This species needs a large closed chamber with high humidity and warm temps 24/7. This is impossible to do in an open topped enclosure. Can you share some pics of the enclosure and lighting?
What substrate are you using?
What substrate are you using?
Bark and coconut ground up. He has a mister in there and is soaked every night. I just soaked him a few min ago and some of the substrate is on his legs now, but where there red spurs used to be, are now divots. And Brown.
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You've got the set up all wrong. I don't say that to be mean. I say it so you know what to fix.
No red bulbs.
No basking bulbs at all for a RF.
No open topped (and open sided in your case) enclosures.
You need a large closed chamber, and for heat you need a CHE or a RHP set on a thermostat to maintain temps between 82 and 88 day and night. Then you can set a LED or florescent tube on a timer for some daytime light.
Your tortoise is all desiccated from being in the wrong conditions for this species.
There are several care sheets at the top of the RF section. Check those out and come back with questions.
Its not good for RFs to be wet all the time or on wet substrate. They are prone to plastron and skin infections when kept too wet. All the wetness doesn't do any good when the humidity can just float away into the room.
Thank you for your help Tom. This is the first tortoise that had humidity requirements. So it's just dryness? And the scales fall off from being too dry? So an open enclosure with a mister will never work?Ok well I will go get a new set up tomorrow, I appreciate your help. Again thank you for the info.
One last question.. with the CHE or a RHP heat setup, I have read that RF need uv light for shell growth and general health. You said you use a led. Should or can I use my uv light as well? I'm asking because there is so much conflicting Info everywhere. And as far as humidity, lose the mister and just spray the tank to maintain humidity?
NO, you must put him into a closed chamber. Heck, I don't keep Redfoots, BUT, if they need humidity (which is different from wet substrate and being too wet), they will never get it in that hamster cage. And you have a forest floor animal, and really, you are gonna go thru all kind of routines to care for that animal in an inappropriate habitat and conditions, when you should simply give in and keep him the way our experts have taken many years and lots of work to perfect. My direct advice
That is my best guess. The air is too dry, and the tortoise and substrate might be too wet.
The UV thing is debatable. Our knowledge of this subject is growing and changing by the minute. With dietary D3, either in a calcium supplement or a food like Mazuri, they really don't "need" UV at all. If they spend some time in an outdoor enclosure a couple of times a week, they can meet all of their UV/D3 needs that way too. Its fine to miss a few weeks due to cold winter weather.
If you do use indoor UV, then the question is: Higher levels of UV for shorter durations, or lower UV levels and running it all day? Both seem to work. I prefer the former because that is how it happens outside. Then we have to consider that many RFs don't like bight lights and just hide from it anyway. This is why you'll get conflicting answers on the UV question. Many ways work. Everyone thinks that whatever way worked for them is the best way to go because it worked. The only thing that doesn't work is no UV indoors or out, and no D3 supplementation in the diet. That combo will eventually lead to MBD.
gibby
New Member
i have a 2yr old redfoot u can get a 4' by like 2 1/2' enclosure with a big hide for 100 bucks
Tortisedonk7
Active Member
Make a little plan before you just go out and buy the new enclosure. Figure out how big it will be. Min 4ft x 8ft (your tort is only gonna get bigger)
how will you keep it closed?
How will you mount the lights?
ext.
there are some members in here having success with giant rubber tub or wood box enclosure and using a grow tent over it. Use the search function here and check out some ideas.
I don’t want you waist your money on something you won’t need or will have to replace next year.
Most of us keep the substrate wet by pouring water into it and mixing it around. Some use misters in addition to that, some don’t
Good luck!
Maybe wet wasn't the right word, it's a reptile mister, so it atomizes water, eventually, some of the most ends up on the ground. No different than misting a glass enclosure to make it humid.. I appreciate everyone's advise on my enclosure.. I got very worried about his from legs, with the missing spurs and brownish looks to where they used to be.. it definitely does not seem like a dryness issue and more or a possible rot situation or something else out of my scope of knowledge. Maybe the pictures did not do it justice. Will the little red spurs just fall off when dry? And create pits? Thanx again for all the help
I am not experienced enough with Redfoots to advise on the missing spurs, and I do think that means some sort of problem. I will email my friend who is a RF keeper, betcha he knows.
Thank you Maggie, I'm very worried and need some one who is very familiar with RF torts. I agree that my enclosure isn't ideal. I've had him for over a year with no issues, this problem is new.. I really appreciate your help, thanks again
This is from being kept too dry. You need to bump up your humidity more.
You seen the pictures obviously. So the red leg spurs will just fall off? I'm building a new enclosure as I'm writing this... Thank you
You could probably get one of the mini greenhouse tents and put the cage you currently have inside of it.
