Redfooted Tortoise eating bunny poop

[Tom]

Oh, yeah, not at all. I get it 1000%.
The good thing is that I do not need many examples, one reason is enough to adjust. Just remember it was never a frequent thing (for the bunny, yes, daily, but the tortoise came into the house just every now and then, and just recently) . For the first year and a half or so that we had her, she had another enclosure, some 7 by 7 area in a corner of the yard, but not adjacent to the house. Just recently we moved her to a bigger space that we secured for her, and that space has direct access to the house, through a sliding glass door, so, sometimes, if the door is open, she just walks in, and we let her (or, should I say, used to let her, until yesterday, lol).
By the way, just out of curiosity, I checked my floor temperature with my temp gun, it is 75. I have laminate floors, not tile or wood, and it is incredibly hot these days here in South Florida, like, crazy hot, still, I know the temps are not always like that, I was just curious.

Optimal temps for a redfoot are 82-86 24/7. 75 is too cold. That certainly won't kill them, and as long as they can move in and out of warmer areas, like a patch of sunshine, it should be fine, but closed in the house with the AC on is not a good environment for a tropical tortoise. The slick laminate is also not so good for them to be walking on. Too slippery.

 

[Koya the found red-footed]

Our goal is to help people avoid the common mistakes that we see harm tortoises. I hope we have helped your tortoise avoid the harm that is often done by letting them roam loose in a house.

I would not let the rabbit roam in the tortoise enclosure area. I would use a safe large rabbit hutch, or some sort of large cage for the rabbit. Like a big chicken coop style cage. Or have the rabbit roam somewhere else.

Do you have an insulated, temperature controlled night box in the outdoor enclosure? This serves as a safe retreat every night to keep the tortoise safe from rodents, ants and other night predators, gives them a cool place to hide out on hot days, and keeps them warm on those cold winter nights. Here are two examples:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Regarding her hides:

I do not have an insulated, temperature controlled box for her outside, I have a simple plastic box, dark (gray) 20 x 35 inches with potting soil inside (inputs on this? is potting soil good for a temporary box? Should I use something else?), a small water dish and a heatmat under one end. This is her "indoor" box, not to be used frequently, but when the temperature outside gets either too hot or too cold, or when it rains too heavily, I put her in her box. It is a simple setting not meant to be used for long periods of time, most of the time hours at a time (I keep this box inside a den/closet type of place that has no AC vent).

Outside in her space she has a couple large hides which were kindly donated to me by another member of this forum, some left overs from his own redfoot outdoor setting, one is warmer, and another one that stays cool because it is in a permanently shaded area, there is also a bar outside which provides some extra shade, and a couple umbrellas we keep open on hot days. There are 4 hibiscus plants to provide shade and snacks for her, some aloe vera plants, a small palm tree, 3 shallow large water bowls that serve as water dishes and also as baths if needed, also a few other potted plants that remain out of her reach (the only ones she can reach are the hibiscus).

I saw your posts and I saw you build them, would you happen to sell them? or made them custom? I am constantly checking the weather to check if I need to put Koya inside, it would be nice to have something outside that I know she can be temperature controlled. I am NOT good at crafts or any sort of activity that required tools, I can not build one, but I could buy one! Being in south Florida, the heat is a concern, the cold, not so much, I wish we had a few more cold days around here, we have less than 2 weeks of somewhat "cold weather" maybe in January, and that is about it, not really a concern, whenever we do, she goes in the box inside. As I said, she has a permanently shaded area, and in there she has a hide, it is her favorite hide, that is as much as I have been able to provide for a cool hide, a hide under a permanent shade.

Predators I had not thought about given that she is an adult. I don't live close to a wooded area, more like between the highway and streets, but there is still wildlife everywhere, squirrels... I do not keep garbage outside to keep pests like rats away.

At the beggining, I would put her in her inside box every single night, then I felt more comfortable leaving her to spend the night outside. Would you say it's better that she sleeps inside every night?

 

[Tom]

Regarding her hides:

I do not have an insulated, temperature controlled box for her outside, I have a simple plastic box, dark (gray) 20 x 35 inches with potting soil inside (inputs on this? is potting soil good for a temporary box? Should I use something else?), a small water dish and a heatmat under one end. This is her "indoor" box, not to be used frequently, but when the temperature outside gets either too hot or too cold, or when it rains too heavily, I put her in her box. It is a simple setting not meant to be used for long periods of time, most of the time hours at a time (I keep this box inside a den/closet type of place that has no AC vent).

Outside in her space she has a couple large hides which were kindly donated to me by another member of this forum, some left overs from his own redfoot outdoor setting, one is warmer, and another one that stays cool because it is in a permanently shaded area, there is also a bar outside which provides some extra shade, and a couple umbrellas we keep open on hot days. There are 4 hibiscus plants to provide shade and snacks for her, some aloe vera plants, a small palm tree, 3 shallow large water bowls that serve as water dishes and also as baths if needed, also a few other potted plants that remain out of her reach (the only ones she can reach are the hibiscus).

I saw your posts and I saw you build them, would you happen to sell them? or made them custom? I am constantly checking the weather to check if I need to put Koya inside, it would be nice to have something outside that I know she can be temperature controlled. I am NOT good at crafts or any sort of activity that required tools, I can not build one, but I could buy one! Being in south Florida, the heat is a concern, the cold, not so much, I wish we had a few more cold days around here, we have less than 2 weeks of somewhat "cold weather" maybe in January, and that is about it, not really a concern, whenever we do, she goes in the box inside. As I said, she has a permanently shaded area, and in there she has a hide, it is her favorite hide, that is as much as I have been able to provide for a cool hide, a hide under a permanent shade.

Predators I had not thought about given that she is an adult. I don't live close to a wooded area, more like between the highway and streets, but there is still wildlife everywhere, squirrels... I do not keep garbage outside to keep pests like rats away.

At the beggining, I would put her in her inside box every single night, then I felt more comfortable leaving her to spend the night outside. Would you say it's better that she sleeps inside every night?

Soil should never be used as a reptile substrate. There is no way to know what is in it and many dangerous things have been found in those bags. Not fully composted toxic plants, bits of plastic or glass, screws and nails, etc...

Give this thread a read for more info on that and lots of other general knowledge.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

A well built well insulated box resists temperature change. Both hot and cold. The night boxes keep them warm on those occasional colder winter nights, but they also offer a cool retreat on a 100 degree day. The boxes also offer a safe retreat at not to protect them from ants, rodents, raccoons, mosquitos, and any other nocturnal pests or predators

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Regarding her hides:

I do not have an insulated, temperature controlled box for her outside, I have a simple plastic box, dark (gray) 20 x 35 inches with potting soil inside (inputs on this? is potting soil good for a temporary box? Should I use something else?), a small water dish and a heatmat under one end. This is her "indoor" box, not to be used frequently, but when the temperature outside gets either too hot or too cold, or when it rains too heavily, I put her in her box. It is a simple setting not meant to be used for long periods of time, most of the time hours at a time (I keep this box inside a den/closet type of place that has no AC vent).

Outside in her space she has a couple large hides which were kindly donated to me by another member of this forum, some left overs from his own redfoot outdoor setting, one is warmer, and another one that stays cool because it is in a permanently shaded area, there is also a bar outside which provides some extra shade, and a couple umbrellas we keep open on hot days. There are 4 hibiscus plants to provide shade and snacks for her, some aloe vera plants, a small palm tree, 3 shallow large water bowls that serve as water dishes and also as baths if needed, also a few other potted plants that remain out of her reach (the only ones she can reach are the hibiscus).

I saw your posts and I saw you build them, would you happen to sell them? or made them custom? I am constantly checking the weather to check if I need to put Koya inside, it would be nice to have something outside that I know she can be temperature controlled. I am NOT good at crafts or any sort of activity that required tools, I can not build one, but I could buy one! Being in south Florida, the heat is a concern, the cold, not so much, I wish we had a few more cold days around here, we have less than 2 weeks of somewhat "cold weather" maybe in January, and that is about it, not really a concern, whenever we do, she goes in the box inside. As I said, she has a permanently shaded area, and in there she has a hide, it is her favorite hide, that is as much as I have been able to provide for a cool hide, a hide under a permanent shade.

Predators I had not thought about given that she is an adult. I don't live close to a wooded area, more like between the highway and streets, but there is still wildlife everywhere, squirrels... I do not keep garbage outside to keep pests like rats away.

At the beggining, I would put her in her inside box every single night, then I felt more comfortable leaving her to spend the night outside. Would you say it's better that she sleeps inside every night?

There is also a much more simple night box which @ZEROPILOT uses for his redfoots in South Florida:

 

[Koya the found red-footed]

Soil should never be used as a reptile substrate. There is no way to know what is in it and many dangerous things have been found in those bags. Not fully composted toxic plants, bits of plastic or glass, screws and nails, etc...

Give this thread a read for more info on that and lots of other general knowledge.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

A well built well insulated box resists temperature change. Both hot and cold. The night boxes keep them warm on those occasional colder winter nights, but they also offer a cool retreat on a 100 degree day. The boxes also offer a safe retreat at not to protect them from ants, rodents, raccoons, mosquitos, and any other nocturnal pests or predators

I carefully read the whole sheet. Thank you for taking the time to put it together.

I actually had organic coco coir at home, I didn't know that was a good substrate for her, I will change that soon (and definitely before she uses her box again).

Does this forum allow sharing links from amazon or other websites? I'd like to send a few things that I'd love your opinion on. I read the caresheet, and then I went on to the specifics caresheet, I am guesing redfoots fall into the "tropical" category and the caresheet for sulcatas applies to redfoots too? I would like to try some o the products in the kapidolofarms website and I'd love advice/recomendations that apply specifically to redfoots.

 

[Koya the found red-footed]

There is also a much more simple night box which @ZEROPILOT uses for his redfoots in South Florida:

Yes, I am familiar with this video, actually, he was the one who donated me the hides for Koya, we are not too far from one another. But even as you say this is a "simpler" version, that is way above my ability, that is why I ask if anyone sells these, I can go as far as opening a whole in a plastic tub, or filing something with something. Anything that requires electrical instalation, drilling, sawing, tools, etc is beyond my depth .

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I carefully read the whole sheet. Thank you for taking the time to put it together.

I actually had organic coco coir at home, I didn't know that was a good substrate for her, I will change that soon (and definitely before she uses her box again).

Does this forum allow sharing links from amazon or other websites? I'd like to send a few things that I'd love your opinion on. I read the caresheet, and then I went on to the specifics caresheet, I am guesing redfoots fall into the "tropical" category and the caresheet for sulcatas applies to redfoots too? I would like to try some o the products in the kapidolofarms website and I'd love advice/recomendations that apply specifically to redfoots.

Hello!
Yes, sure you can share links here be it Amazon shopping list or whatever. It's a common practice

Sulcata care sheet can't be applied 1 to 1 to redfoots (e.g. diet, humidity/temperature requirements are different). This care sheet: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/redfoot-tortoise-care-sheet.175319/ is written very close to Tom's guides yet accounts the differences. Here you can find example dietary plans as well: https://tortoiselibrary.com/nutrition-2/diet-plans-omnivore/