So some of my friends and followers on some of the gaming sites I visit and those who know me on facebook, are interested in getting into Tortoises after seeing mine and are interesting in getting into the hobby. While I have posted links to here and other sites like The tortoise trust, I want to do a caresheet that they can look at one the website or on my facebook so I wrote this quick one up. I like more advanced keepers to look over, and suggest modifications and additions. Pics have been taken out to cut down on size. Original caresheet can be found at Redfoot Care
First Exotic pet care listing: Redfoot Tortoises
Here is a pic of both of my Redfoot Tortoises(Geochelone carbonaria), and Amazonian Jungle Tortoise. The Bigger Male is named Lakitu, the smaller Female called Koopa.
Unlike the vast majority of Tortoise which inhibit Arid semi desert areas, the Red foots inhabit humid jungle areas following the Amazon Riverine system in Belize, Brazil, French Guyana, etc and can be found on some Caribbean Islands. As such their care is a bit more active than some other Torts, in that they need to be regularly misted or have an mister system in their tank, so that humidity stays near 80% at all times. I mist mine and their tank with a spray bottle three times a day, the torts get sprayed till water is beading on their shells and their habitat just enough so that its moist, but not wet. Keeping them moist like this also helps to fight Shell issues such as Pyramiding and helps them to keep their coloration. Just ensure that their tank is moist and that it drys after about 30 minutes a bit, and not wet to fight molding and fungal infections.
I keep my two in a 45 gal breeder tank that is 36 x 18 x 18, this gives them plenty of space to tromp around. I use Jungle Bed for substrate, its produced by Exo Terra and is a mixture of coconut fibers, soil, moss, etc and works well at maintaining heat and humidity. They have a large hide in the corner that they use to hid in and sleep, I keep it soaked underneath it and on the bottom of the glass under it I have an Exo Terra jungle substrate heater to maintain the temp under it at 80%.
On the other side of the tank is a 50 watt sunglo bulb that they use to bask in and to warm up, the average basking temp it puts out is 91% which is perfectly fine for them and its low wattage ensures the light isn't too bright. Redfoots live on the floor of the jungle where it isn't too bright, and like low light more so than direct bright lighting. They also need some form of UVB lighting to maintain their appetites and help them in processing calcium which they need for shell and bone growth and to avoid getting MBD( a reptile bone disorder. For this I use one Zilla slim light enclosure with a Exo Terra Reptisun 5.0 Florescent UVB light.
Underneath the basking light on the tank bed, I have placed a large stone with rocks placed around it so that they heat up, and provide a nice warm spot where the Tortoise can thermo-regulate their core temp on both their top and bottom. It is important that you maintain a area in the tank that is around 90 degrees and another that hovers between 75-80 degrees so that they can properly regulate their temps as needed.
Their diet is also a bit different than most Tortoises who live off of Silica based plants such as grasses and weeds, and cannot properly process most Fruit sugars or animal based proteins. Unlike those Tortoises which are true herbivores, Redfoots are omnivores and a wider in scope diet and can eat fruit and animal based proteins. I feed mine greens such as endive, Reddicho, Romaine lettuce, Kale, Dandelions, Mache, etc daily, and they get fruits and veggies such as Apples, Bananas, Squash, Bell Peppers, carrots, Papaya, etc every other day to round out their diet and too give them variety.
I dust this food every other day with Reptivite Supplement, so that they get all the vitamins, Calcium, and D3 that they need to maintain their health. Every Friday they get Protein in the form of low fat Cat food, Turtle pellets, Mazuri Tortoise food, Chicken, etc, while they need Protein in their diets too much of it can deform their shells so once a
week is good enough as long as its high quality protein.
Also ensure they always have a large supply of fresh water, they did a area with water large enough for them to soak in, but only deep enough to go up halfway on their shells that can easily be climbed out off. Red Foots need to soak every few days, and they also like to defaecate in their water for whatever reason. So its important to maintain their water quality since the water they defaecate and soak in, is also their drinking supply. constantly change it as needed.
Red Foots tortoise IMO are one of the better species of tortoise to keep, their care is straight forward, they are highly intelligent and personable and will come up to the glass and beg and try to get your attention, and tame while enough that they will follow you around the yard. They are a medium sized Tortoise that grow to around 16 inches at the biggest and around 30 pounds, vastly smaller than torts like the Leopard and Star tortoises you see in pet stores, and much smaller than the common Sulcata's seen everywhere that easily can get up to 120 pounds.
First Exotic pet care listing: Redfoot Tortoises
Here is a pic of both of my Redfoot Tortoises(Geochelone carbonaria), and Amazonian Jungle Tortoise. The Bigger Male is named Lakitu, the smaller Female called Koopa.
Unlike the vast majority of Tortoise which inhibit Arid semi desert areas, the Red foots inhabit humid jungle areas following the Amazon Riverine system in Belize, Brazil, French Guyana, etc and can be found on some Caribbean Islands. As such their care is a bit more active than some other Torts, in that they need to be regularly misted or have an mister system in their tank, so that humidity stays near 80% at all times. I mist mine and their tank with a spray bottle three times a day, the torts get sprayed till water is beading on their shells and their habitat just enough so that its moist, but not wet. Keeping them moist like this also helps to fight Shell issues such as Pyramiding and helps them to keep their coloration. Just ensure that their tank is moist and that it drys after about 30 minutes a bit, and not wet to fight molding and fungal infections.
I keep my two in a 45 gal breeder tank that is 36 x 18 x 18, this gives them plenty of space to tromp around. I use Jungle Bed for substrate, its produced by Exo Terra and is a mixture of coconut fibers, soil, moss, etc and works well at maintaining heat and humidity. They have a large hide in the corner that they use to hid in and sleep, I keep it soaked underneath it and on the bottom of the glass under it I have an Exo Terra jungle substrate heater to maintain the temp under it at 80%.
On the other side of the tank is a 50 watt sunglo bulb that they use to bask in and to warm up, the average basking temp it puts out is 91% which is perfectly fine for them and its low wattage ensures the light isn't too bright. Redfoots live on the floor of the jungle where it isn't too bright, and like low light more so than direct bright lighting. They also need some form of UVB lighting to maintain their appetites and help them in processing calcium which they need for shell and bone growth and to avoid getting MBD( a reptile bone disorder. For this I use one Zilla slim light enclosure with a Exo Terra Reptisun 5.0 Florescent UVB light.
Underneath the basking light on the tank bed, I have placed a large stone with rocks placed around it so that they heat up, and provide a nice warm spot where the Tortoise can thermo-regulate their core temp on both their top and bottom. It is important that you maintain a area in the tank that is around 90 degrees and another that hovers between 75-80 degrees so that they can properly regulate their temps as needed.
Their diet is also a bit different than most Tortoises who live off of Silica based plants such as grasses and weeds, and cannot properly process most Fruit sugars or animal based proteins. Unlike those Tortoises which are true herbivores, Redfoots are omnivores and a wider in scope diet and can eat fruit and animal based proteins. I feed mine greens such as endive, Reddicho, Romaine lettuce, Kale, Dandelions, Mache, etc daily, and they get fruits and veggies such as Apples, Bananas, Squash, Bell Peppers, carrots, Papaya, etc every other day to round out their diet and too give them variety.
I dust this food every other day with Reptivite Supplement, so that they get all the vitamins, Calcium, and D3 that they need to maintain their health. Every Friday they get Protein in the form of low fat Cat food, Turtle pellets, Mazuri Tortoise food, Chicken, etc, while they need Protein in their diets too much of it can deform their shells so once a
week is good enough as long as its high quality protein.
Also ensure they always have a large supply of fresh water, they did a area with water large enough for them to soak in, but only deep enough to go up halfway on their shells that can easily be climbed out off. Red Foots need to soak every few days, and they also like to defaecate in their water for whatever reason. So its important to maintain their water quality since the water they defaecate and soak in, is also their drinking supply. constantly change it as needed.
Red Foots tortoise IMO are one of the better species of tortoise to keep, their care is straight forward, they are highly intelligent and personable and will come up to the glass and beg and try to get your attention, and tame while enough that they will follow you around the yard. They are a medium sized Tortoise that grow to around 16 inches at the biggest and around 30 pounds, vastly smaller than torts like the Leopard and Star tortoises you see in pet stores, and much smaller than the common Sulcata's seen everywhere that easily can get up to 120 pounds.
I'm printing the whole thing out and making a folder for myself. (I really love it) I'm thinking I might start bringing in any eggs I find (box turtle) from now on and incubating them too, something I've never done before.
