xenomorph778
New Member
Hey folks! I have had my Red Footed tortoise, Pretzel, for almost 6 months now. They are around 9-10 months old and have been an absolute delight to raise. While I don't know the sex yet, Pretzel has become a "he" in the eyes of myself and family, so that's likely how I will refer to him FYI.
Pretzel has a super bold personality and is very inquisitive. Me and him have been building lots of trust and he is naturally very curious whenever he sees me, coming out to investigate and see if I brought any treats for him. When his curiosity isn't about me, it's about his environment, which he loves to figure out how to climb in every way possible. He is also growing like a weed and has shown great, smooth shell growth so far.
For his first few months at home, I had him in a 160qt storage tote with a PVC/shower liner "green house" style roof. This help in humidity great and allowed me to keep close watch on him as he got acclimated to his new day-to-day life and schedule. Here's a picture for anyone curious as to what that looked like, with the man himself showing off his impressive climbing ability:
Anyhow, I just moved him into his new enclosure! Grabbed some wood from the store and build a 2x4' base that has a 12" wall around all sides. I then was able to find a greenhouse tent that fit perfectly on top of that, which I attached with some clips. I put some pond liner on the inside over the wood, though in hind sight I will likely opt to use something else in the future, likely just sealing the wood and using silicone as the pond liner was a bit too thick, stubborn, and expensive at the end of the project. Anyhow, here's a picture of that new space!
It's a little wet in that picture as I had just misted it all down and gave the little guy a rainstorm, but typically the humidity sits right around 80%, with temps staying in low to mid 80s, with some warmer spots for him to relax in. I know some keepers do not recommend using fake plants as tortoises will try to eat them, but my guy has not tried to eat it more than the first unsuccessful bite, to which he has never bothered it again. Plus, it gives him some shade that he uses frequently without going into his hides. As for his hides, I have one on each side. The one on the right is a black storage tote with a door cut out. This is a spot that stays humid 24/7 for him, giving him a place to really get that much needed moisture. As for his other hide, it's a more naturalistic cave, made from rocks and cork. He spends about equal time in both! You can probably notice the humidifier on top of the tote hide, which I have set to run for about 30 minutes twice a day, on a low-medium setting. I used to run it more frequently in his older enclosure, but due to the hardiness of the new one it actually keeps humidity well (too well even at times!)
If anyone has any questions about my build, I would be happy to answer them. And if any more experienced keepers have any feedback or advice for me, I would be happy to hear it! The advice I have gotten thus far on these forums has been monumental to keeping my little guy happy and healthy thus far.
Pretzel has a super bold personality and is very inquisitive. Me and him have been building lots of trust and he is naturally very curious whenever he sees me, coming out to investigate and see if I brought any treats for him. When his curiosity isn't about me, it's about his environment, which he loves to figure out how to climb in every way possible. He is also growing like a weed and has shown great, smooth shell growth so far.
For his first few months at home, I had him in a 160qt storage tote with a PVC/shower liner "green house" style roof. This help in humidity great and allowed me to keep close watch on him as he got acclimated to his new day-to-day life and schedule. Here's a picture for anyone curious as to what that looked like, with the man himself showing off his impressive climbing ability:
Anyhow, I just moved him into his new enclosure! Grabbed some wood from the store and build a 2x4' base that has a 12" wall around all sides. I then was able to find a greenhouse tent that fit perfectly on top of that, which I attached with some clips. I put some pond liner on the inside over the wood, though in hind sight I will likely opt to use something else in the future, likely just sealing the wood and using silicone as the pond liner was a bit too thick, stubborn, and expensive at the end of the project. Anyhow, here's a picture of that new space!
It's a little wet in that picture as I had just misted it all down and gave the little guy a rainstorm, but typically the humidity sits right around 80%, with temps staying in low to mid 80s, with some warmer spots for him to relax in. I know some keepers do not recommend using fake plants as tortoises will try to eat them, but my guy has not tried to eat it more than the first unsuccessful bite, to which he has never bothered it again. Plus, it gives him some shade that he uses frequently without going into his hides. As for his hides, I have one on each side. The one on the right is a black storage tote with a door cut out. This is a spot that stays humid 24/7 for him, giving him a place to really get that much needed moisture. As for his other hide, it's a more naturalistic cave, made from rocks and cork. He spends about equal time in both! You can probably notice the humidifier on top of the tote hide, which I have set to run for about 30 minutes twice a day, on a low-medium setting. I used to run it more frequently in his older enclosure, but due to the hardiness of the new one it actually keeps humidity well (too well even at times!)
If anyone has any questions about my build, I would be happy to answer them. And if any more experienced keepers have any feedback or advice for me, I would be happy to hear it! The advice I have gotten thus far on these forums has been monumental to keeping my little guy happy and healthy thus far.
