Redfoot in outside enclosure

[betweenshells]

Hey y'all! So, with the weather in Texas finally warming up my redfoot tortoise is officially in her outdoor enclosure. i still have to work on it a bit here and there - mostly just adding more plants and grasses to it. but since she's been out there, she hasn't been roaming a lot and mostly just stays in her pot hide. i don't know if maybe she's not liking something about it or maybe it will just take her some time to get used to it. she's about 3-5 years old or so, maybe 6 inches long. pretty good health and walks on all fours with plastron off the ground on a regular basis. she ate some of her mazuri pellets today but i kinda took her out of her hide so she could snack real quick. let me know what y'all think, i can also post pictures of her enclosure tomorrow with some light out to get some feedback. it's about 4 feet by 8 feet, with a bit of a longer stretch off to the side. i know she'll need more space once she gets bigger but hoping this can be her home over the summer. i spray it with water every now and again to get the moisture up.

 

[wellington]

She might just need time to get used to it or she needs that added covering of the plants you still need to add.
As for misting it, that should be a daily thing if you have low humidity. RF need a high 80% humidity. Spray daily or set up a misting hose.
Pictures will help us suggest improvements if needed.

 

[jaizei]

Yes, pictures would help.

But even without seeing pictures, I'd say add more plants, layered to almost create a jungle on one end.

 

[Tom]

Hey y'all! So, with the weather in Texas finally warming up my redfoot tortoise is officially in her outdoor enclosure. i still have to work on it a bit here and there - mostly just adding more plants and grasses to it. but since she's been out there, she hasn't been roaming a lot and mostly just stays in her pot hide. i don't know if maybe she's not liking something about it or maybe it will just take her some time to get used to it. she's about 3-5 years old or so, maybe 6 inches long. pretty good health and walks on all fours with plastron off the ground on a regular basis. she ate some of her mazuri pellets today but i kinda took her out of her hide so she could snack real quick. let me know what y'all think, i can also post pictures of her enclosure tomorrow with some light out to get some feedback. it's about 4 feet by 8 feet, with a bit of a longer stretch off to the side. i know she'll need more space once she gets bigger but hoping this can be her home over the summer. i spray it with water every now and again to get the moisture up.

4x8 is good for a little baby. A six inch tortoises needs 10 times that size, or more.

Does the tortoise have a heated shelter? I'm certain its not staying 80 degrees at night there yet. Accuweather says your lows over night are in the low to mid 60s. That is way too cold for a young RF. Your species is from the tropics and needs warm temps day and night. Low night temps will cause the behavior you are seeing.

Its also pretty shocking for any tortoise to go from indoors 24/7 to outdoors 24/7 instantly. How about a little acclimation period? Put the tortoise outside for an hour or two in nice weather and bring it back in to its familiar indoor housing after that. Gradually leave it outside longer and longer as it gets used to the new routine and the weather warms.

 

[betweenshells]

here are some pictures of her outside area.

 

[betweenshells]

She might just need time to get used to it or she needs that added covering of the plants you still need to add.
As for misting it, that should be a daily thing if you have low humidity. RF need a high 80% humidity. Spray daily or set up a misting hose.
Pictures will help us suggest improvements if needed.

yes, i usually do mist and spray both her indoor and outdoor enclosure to keep the humidity at 80 or higher. right now it's been really humid outside, so i have been misting it just lightly since the humidity has been naturally high on it's own. just added pictures if you wanna let me know what you think!

 

[betweenshells]

4x8 is good for a little baby. A six inch tortoises needs 10 times that size, or more.

Does the tortoise have a heated shelter? I'm certain its not staying 80 degrees at night there yet. Accuweather says your lows over night are in the low to mid 60s. That is way too cold for a young RF. Your species is from the tropics and needs warm temps day and night. Low night temps will cause the behavior you are seeing.

Its also pretty shocking for any tortoise to go from indoors 24/7 to outdoors 24/7 instantly. How about a little acclimation period? Put the tortoise outside for an hour or two in nice weather and bring it back in to its familiar indoor housing after that. Gradually leave it outside longer and longer as it gets used to the new routine and the weather warms.

well, i don't have 10 times that size. i am a working class person who cannot afford to have a house. she was literally living in a cage before this, with chickens and chicken poop on her shell. i'm doing the best i can and plan to do better as i move forward. she has most definitely not gone from 24/7 indoors to outdoors lol. she very regularly spends time outside even through the winter because texas can still reach 80s even in december and january on some days. good to know 65 is still too chilly for her, i saw a video where a guy with redfoots mentioned juveniles and adults could spend time outside in 65 and above. i will bring her inside later this evening.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Everything you've heard is absolutely correct. But I'd like to point out that my RF stay in hiding/resting for the majority of the day. They only come out in the early morning or late afternoon after or the brightest part of the day.
And I also use a sprinkler system for a few minutes each morning during the dryer months here in extra humid south Florida.
60s at night wouldn't harm a healthy adult or sub adult as long as it gets back up near 80 or above during the day. But smaller RF are not as sturdy or as tough. And are more susceptible to illness.
I also use heated night houses. But since I don't need much heat (it's never very cold) I simply have a single CHE suspended by a PVC pipe in each house on a timer.
As far as the enclosure size. Build one as large as you can now. Make at least half of it a heavily planted jungle. The other half can be shade at least for part of the day and have a water pool large enough and deep enough for self soaking.
It should be a tropical oasis.

 

[Tom]

well, i don't have 10 times that size. i am a working class person who cannot afford to have a house...

I'm pretty sure everyone here, most of us anyway, are working class people. The point is to give your tortoise as much room as you can. 8x4 is too small. That is 32 square feet. If you can't do 320 share feet, then do as much as you can. Tortoises need space to walk. It helps with their digestion, much like a horse.

 

[betweenshells]

I'm pretty sure everyone here, most of us anyway, are working class people. The point is to give your tortoise as much room as you can. 8x4 is too small. That is 32 square feet. If you can't do 320 share feet, then do as much as you can. Tortoises need space to walk. It helps with their digestion, much like a horse.

well i don't personally know a lot of working class people who just happen to have a plethora of space to provide everything for their tortoise friends, and there is a difference between people who rent apartments versus people who own or rent a house. i do try and make sure she gets plenty of exercise when i can and she definitely walks a lot. i find creative ways to ensure my tortoise walks and gets what she needs, as i do know that tortoises need space to walk as a roaming species. i just don't feel like i appreciate the tone of your initial message and would appreciate if assumptions around my knowledge are not made. feel free to give advice, share your thoughts without having a negative tone.

 

[jaizei]

How does it look midday when the sun is directly overhead? If the building or something else isn't providing shade over half of it, I'd add something to do so.

Here's a thread about creating layers of shade.

The importance of DEEP shade

Ok, folks, we need to talk about SHADE. You have probably (hopefully) heard tortoise keepers talking about the fact that tortoises need "DEEP SHADE" to retreat into on a hot Summer day (really any day that has air temps above 80 degrees). What do we mean by "deep shade?" - this is NOT...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[betweenshells]

How does it look midday when the sun is directly overhead? If the building or something else isn't providing shade over half of it, I'd add something to do so.

Here's a thread about creating layers of shade.

The importance of DEEP shade

Ok, folks, we need to talk about SHADE. You have probably (hopefully) heard tortoise keepers talking about the fact that tortoises need "DEEP SHADE" to retreat into on a hot Summer day (really any day that has air temps above 80 degrees). What do we mean by "deep shade?" - this is NOT...

tortoiseforum.org

there's a big tree across the ways that overs a good amount of shade, only some areas get direct light on it. but this thread is so so helpful, thank you!! definitely gonna keep deep shade in mind as i build out the plants in the enclosure.

 

[Tom]

...without having a negative tone.

No negative tone here. That is something that you imagined in your own mind.

 

[betweenshells]

any recommendations for specific plants that would be good to in the enclosure, to create ample layers of shade and also are tropical/jungle appropriate?

 

[betweenshells]

No negative tone here. That is something that you imagined in your own mind.

please do not engage further on this thread. i am trying to talk about how to best care for my tortoise and seek advice around her enclosure, i do not have time or energy to talk about this. people can have their own experiences to how you communicate, it does not mean i imagined something. if you're going to continue to be rude, i will report your comments. just let me engage with other people.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

there's a big tree across the ways that overs a good amount of shade, only some areas get direct light on it. but this thread is so so helpful, thank you!! definitely gonna keep deep shade in mind as i build out the plants in the enclosure.

Redfoot (at least all of mine) do thier best to stay out of the direct sunlight.
In fact, they're mostly active first thing in the morning and late afternoon. Unless it rains....Then they go crazy.
They seek shade and even adults need to feel safe and secure

 

[ZEROPILOT]

any recommendations for specific plants that would be good to in the enclosure, to create ample layers of shade and also are tropical/jungle appropriate?

Spider plants. Elephant grass, lyriopi. Hibiscus.
(I've tried twice to grow Elephant grass and it just WON'T)
Any low growing bushes or shrub that isn't poisonous

 

[wellington]

well i don't personally know a lot of working class people who just happen to have a plethora of space to provide everything for their tortoise friends, and there is a difference between people who rent apartments versus people who own or rent a house. i do try and make sure she gets plenty of exercise when i can and she definitely walks a lot. i find creative ways to ensure my tortoise walks and gets what she needs, as i do know that tortoises need space to walk as a roaming species. i just don't feel like i appreciate the tone of your initial message and would appreciate if assumptions around my knowledge are not made. feel free to give advice, share your thoughts without having a negative tone.

We don't know you and have no idea what you are living in. Not everyone will remember you and your situation from previous posts. We tell you what the tortoise needs and it's up to you to do the closest to that as possible. If one can't then they need to consider other means, even if it's rehoming the tortoise. Most don't need to do that, but some may have the same old wrong info that an aquarium is okay for the rest of the torts life. We all try to give the best and correct info and no one's tries to be sarcastic or demeaning. Just always keep that in mind.

 

[betweenshells]

i really just wanted advice on the actual enclosure, not on how i perceive people to be communicating to me or not. really not a great experience... sad to see that this is what became of this thread. i am not nor was i ever asking for people to remember who i am. but someone implying that i am crazy or imagined something in my head is not right. if there's misunderstanding, then we can just move on from that with constructive communication and not put other's down. it's just sad that this couldn't have just been a chill experience and now i have a lot of people giving me advice on something i didn't ask for.

what's sad too is that this is actually what deters new tortoise keepers from asking advice from more experienced keepers. i know y'all do not know where or how i live, and how i do or do not care for my tortoise, that is why coming to the space with questions and curiosity instead of assumptions is best. ask me if the tortoise gets space to walk or if it was living indoors 24/7. that is what leads to a productive conversation and a generative space for people to learn and engage. disappointed that this wasn't a better experience.