Settling in? Redfoot

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Love_My_Pets

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I have rehabbed and dealt with many Sulcata in the past, and I have read that the redfoot are less zealous when it comes to feeding. I have also read that a RF over 2 years old only needs fed every couple of days? I keep food offered, but notice she does only eat this often. hmmm? She has been in her hide A LOT and i worried maybe she was getting ill or the change of house/climate/all around husbandry had a drastic effect on her.

I have been offering the good with some of the bad she was offered previously, but shes just not been interested the last couple of days to do anything but HIDE in her hide.

Her previous living situation was a 20 gallon tank with corncob bedding, on the floor with a heat lamp, no moisture, and only leaf lettuce as a diet, no calcium.
Of course ALL of this has been changed and she now gets outdoors, but maybe i changed everything too fast for her? She is either shy or not liking my system here? hmmmm?

She was tested for parasites, nothing, and I had her xrayed because I am a freak and she has no impaction. I have seen no stool in a couple of days, but shes been in the pen, and her stool was watery previously from her diet. Soaking every day because 1. she likes to dig in my yard and gets muddy, 2. I hope that she would poop already so I can stop being a freak!
 

Jacqui

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I may be wrong (and often am), but it is sounding like she could be just stressed. How long have you had her? You have totally changed her world around, took her to a Vet where she got tests and lots of handling, more time in the car, and now she is going outside and getting lots of soaks, even more handling. Was she even handled much in her old life? Give her some time... and some quiet time to destress, then I think she will be fine.

Just be sure to double check her temps, light levels, and humidity levels as those tend to cause them to do more hide time

Also keep in mind, she is a Redfoot. They do spend more time in hides and under plants, then the generally more outgoing sulcata do. :cool:

My Redfoot/Cherryheads are all outside, so they are free grazing every day. Inside, they may not get fed one day a week or may have a small meal that day, but other wise mine get something every day.:cool: Not always the same amounts or food values, but something even if just a mushroom. Often it's food they need to look for, not sitting in a dish. Some folks do feed less often, me I just would rather have smaller portions daily.
 

Love_My_Pets

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Redfoot owner, or anything advice please? Am I doing it wrong?

Well, I posted the above before my system reloaded. GRR at that.

You are right. I am just stressing. I think just an overall change has been a shock to her system. I feel like she hides all of the time, but i noticed she did eat some boiled egg today. Thank you for responding. Honestly, i really needed some like reinforcement. hahaha.

I am so used to sulcata. I had a very shy and actually kind of aggressive male here once, he never did warm up to anyone. I just hope I dont create that in her :(
 

Geochelone_Carbonaria

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You shouldn't stress that much, let her settle down, since the new environment is probably the cause of her beeing shy ?

I got a new 14 year old RF female over a week ago, and she is still very shy, but younger individuals tend to be even more shy. So just take it easy and let her settle and get used to her new environment. And as long as she is eating and drinking and doesn't seem sick, you should be fine.

But take a look at Marks page, there is a lot of useful information about the environment and enclosure (temps, humidity, hide etc) http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/ that might help you to better understand her needs ?

Good luck !
 
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