So I am looking at getting a red foot and have some questions. This would be my first tortoise but far from my first reptile.
First I have a question about the light and heat emitter.
Do you keep them on all the time or turn them off/down at night, just like it would happen naturally in the wild? Or does it really not matter and just a preference?
Second, the two I am currently looking at, one is only about a month old and the other is about 7 months. I have a thing for raising a pet from the time they are a baby so my initial preference is the younger one, but how much of a difference is there between the two in terms of care. The younger ones usually require more care but how much more.
The most important question has to do with moving and the stresses of it. Currently I am a college student(do live in an apartment so size isn't an issue) but because of that there would be some moving a couple times throughout the year. I would leave for a month during winter, 2 weeks during the spring and of course 3 months over summer. I can't leave it alone for that time so I would have to bring it with. So essentially 6 times a year(although only a 2 hour car drive) for about 2 years and then it will hopefully settle down. Is that something that can bring a ton of stress on the tortoise to the point in which it can harm it? Would the older tortoise(mentioned above) be better at handling it since it would be older? Also, keep in mind the second move wouldn't be for 4 months(so they would be 5 and 11 months respectively at that time). By that point at 5 months are they ok where it won't effect them that much?
Finally, about how old are they when they get fully grown or even better some sort of average size chart about how big they are at different ages would help a ton.
I am sure I will come up with more.
Thanks for any help, much appreciated.
First I have a question about the light and heat emitter.
Do you keep them on all the time or turn them off/down at night, just like it would happen naturally in the wild? Or does it really not matter and just a preference?
Second, the two I am currently looking at, one is only about a month old and the other is about 7 months. I have a thing for raising a pet from the time they are a baby so my initial preference is the younger one, but how much of a difference is there between the two in terms of care. The younger ones usually require more care but how much more.
The most important question has to do with moving and the stresses of it. Currently I am a college student(do live in an apartment so size isn't an issue) but because of that there would be some moving a couple times throughout the year. I would leave for a month during winter, 2 weeks during the spring and of course 3 months over summer. I can't leave it alone for that time so I would have to bring it with. So essentially 6 times a year(although only a 2 hour car drive) for about 2 years and then it will hopefully settle down. Is that something that can bring a ton of stress on the tortoise to the point in which it can harm it? Would the older tortoise(mentioned above) be better at handling it since it would be older? Also, keep in mind the second move wouldn't be for 4 months(so they would be 5 and 11 months respectively at that time). By that point at 5 months are they ok where it won't effect them that much?
Finally, about how old are they when they get fully grown or even better some sort of average size chart about how big they are at different ages would help a ton.
I am sure I will come up with more.
Thanks for any help, much appreciated.