Redfoot Caresheet!

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tyler0912

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Here is a Redfoot Tortoise ( Geochelone Carbonaria ) caresheet that i have followed for the last 2 1/2 years and tiago is quite healthy! Big Grin

I have one red foot, so i thought i would combine all of the info i know on them to help all of you out there who would like red foots.

Housing- Generally a tortoise should be kept in a tortoise table,not a Viv, but many people have greater success using viv's for reds than using tortoise tables, as it is easier to keep the high humidity up. I am doing fine in a tortoise table, so it is up to you, but generally, a tortoise table is better as they like ground humidity, not air humidity. The table should be as large as you can make it, but no smaller than a 5'x3'. Reds grow upto 16" so that is the bare minimum for an adult. Whilst babies, the minimum is 3'x2' as they like to explore.

Heating- Reds, like any other tortoise, require heating. This should be set to 90-95*F (at basking spot). At night, the temperature should not drop below 60*F during the night!

UV requirements- Reds need a UVB tube light, or a combined heat and UVB bulb. The tubes should be replaced every 5-6 months, even though they still work after this time, the UVB output is not very good, and isnt enough for your tortoise. Some people say that a redfoot only need 12 hours of UVB light aday. . . i think this is enough...

Feeding- Reds are omnivores which meens they eat animal matter aswell as veg which should be fed through....Hobby mice(frozen),Day old chicks(Frozen),low fat dog/cat food soaked until soft..tortoise pellets(mazuri,multicoloured) (i prefer mazuri!),boiled chicken breast,boiled egg,fruit should be fead not every day every 2-3days......a tortoise is attracted to red....watermelon,tomato,red pepper! etc....veg should be fead but not everyday but often...the best thing for a tortoise is...weeds....grown outside because they are tougher and keep the beak worn down....veg Reds like are...Cucumber,Cabbage,Sweetheart cabbage,Red cabbage,carrot,romaine lettuce,gem lettuce,rocket,spinach on occasion,Red/Green/Yellow Peppers,beansprouts,sweetcorn,peas and more...
Fruit wise.....watermelon,honeydew melon,mango,peach,apple,pear,plums,pomegranit,banana on occasion,strawberrys,rasberries,blue berries,blackberries and more...
weeds/flowers...plantain,dandelion,hibiscus,rose,grass,clover leaves/flowers,
pansies...much more....
Substrate- Reds need substrate that will hold in moisture. A good substrate is sand/soil 40%-60% with a bark on top. The bark cannot include pine. The best thing to buy, is a reptibark or forest floor as this can be re-used and washed.( WARNING** Sand causes impaction and can KILL tortoise if eaten)
I do not like to take the risk so i use reptibark
humidity-80-85%
probably forgot something! D:
 

Angrycowgoesmoo

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Repti bark is bad for me since when I used it there was so much dust that my tortoise will never come out of his hide out and if he did his eyes would be closed shut from the dusts
 

tyler0912

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i wash mine first it is a dusty substrate but keeps in humidity so i wash with a hose in a bucket 3 times drain do it again drain doi it againe...drain...i find it works fine and after this it is not as dusty! :D thanks for the comment...
 

Angrycowgoesmoo

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I like cypress more :D it feels softer then bark since I have a baby. Also I have a question bout the omnivore thing. I heard you can feed it meal worms and stuff but when you buy it in stores are they dead and if they are alive can my redfoot eat them dead? I REALLY REALLY hate worms cause there all like *wiggle wiggle wiggle* and I would be like "AHHHH" so could they eat them dead and do they sell them dead?
 

tyler0912

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mealworms have a hardshell which is hard for them to digest but theyre okay occasionaly...VERY OCCASIONALY,butterworms are much better,
when i feed mealworms to tiago i feed him them dried.... :D
 

tyler0912

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im not sure i live in uk and they do but not sure over there but tortoise im sure will be fine with them! :D
 

Angrycowgoesmoo

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Okay can you also answer that question on my last thread bout the heat lamp?

P.S. WOOHOO finally 3 stars! :D plus ranked as a member instead of junior ^_^
 

Madkins007

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There are many good Red-foot care sheets out there, and I well understand both the desire to do one and the frustration of boiling it all down to one page. If I may, here are some thoughts to consider.

You may want to look at the overall formatting. The info does not flow smoothly in some places, especially in the diet area. Some clean-up would make it easier to read, print out, and follow.

One flaw many care sheets share is that they focus on what works for the keeper. The idea that 'this worked for me, it will work for you as well' is strong, but can lead to problems. I was trying to follow another person's sheet and ran into a lot of problems before I figured out that he was sharing solutions that worked where he was and with his resources but did not work for me.

Starting the diet list with meats suggests that most of the diet should be meats- you may want to include a statement suggesting a healthy ratio of various types of plants and restructure this section so the main part of the diet is listed first, etc.

You make several comments that many experienced keepers would disagree with- some rather strongly- but they are also comments that are often seen on-line and even on forums, so it is easy to see where they are coming from and I don't think they make a lot of difference, especially on a one-page sheet.

Good foods list- lots of variety, good plug for the 'weed diet'.

Nice job!
 
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