What wrong with my tortoise!!

[Joanie beetle]

I have a red footed tortoise named Albert. I got him over 15 months and got him when he was 8. I kept him inside with a heat lamp and hes thriving. During warm sunny days I would put him outside in the grass where he has adequate shelter from the sun and a bowl of his favorite food and water. As soon as I turn my back he make a bee line for dog poo if he can find any. If hes unsuccessful in this mission he heads into the coldest darkest place he can find and tucks himself in....hes a BIG fan of the coal bunker just yesterday I left him over night to see would he come out when he got hungry or thirsty (he loves his food and water) but no sign of him to even move an inch! hes a happy tortoise but why is he fascinated with dog poo and dark cold places! I live in Ireland so we rarely get temp over 20 deg in the summer so it not as if its too hot for him

HELP!!! im completely confused

oh ive also talked to my vet and a zoologist and they shed no light

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi,
Welcome to the forum

Redfoot tortoises basicly need it warm all the time. Where they come from temperatures don't vary much more than 7C from day to night.
So in the wild they don't thermoregulate (bask in the sun like a Hermanns or Spur-thigh). The day just warms up for them as they stay in the undergrowth. Redfoots aren't fond of bright light and thats why he's hiding. It just happens that hiding in the shade in Ireland makes you cold, Redfoots don't understand this. So you have to make sure your keeping your Redfoot warm enough to be active, without to much bright light.
Your Redfoot is going after poo probably because you aren't providing a protein source in his diet. Redfoots need protein in their diet to do well.
Check out this website for some great information. http://www.redfoots.com/redfoot.htm

Danny

 

[Isa]

Hello Joanie,
Welcome to the forum

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the forum, Joanie: Danny has addressed all the things that might be wrong with your tortoise-keeping. Warm up your little guy, take away the bright light and give him some animal protein every so often, and I'm sure you will see a change in his behavior.


Yvonne

 

[Joanie beetle]

hi guys

thanks so much for your replies...Danny big thank you to you especially! Went out to Albert there with some dried cat food which I soaked in water and he LOVED it

thanks again

joan

 

[tortoisenerd]

20 deg C is only 68 deg F. That's probably a little too cold for a Red foot to spend any significant time in, in my opinion. Most torts want to hide when placed in new surroundings. Does the tort have its own hides in the backyard? You should pick up all dog poop before you tort is placed in the yard as the dog poop with its different natural parasites (and any meds the dog takes such as for heartworm) can really hurt your tort. The tort should never be allowed to eat or come into contact with dog poop. Also, the dog should never have access to the tort, ever.

I have a feeling he is not wanting a cold place, but wants to feel safe. He may also be too cold while outside and slows down a bit. What about making him a little sheltered hut with a heater, if you want to keep him outside?

What is your temperature gradient in your indoor enclosure? Does Albert seem happy there? That might give you some indication of if temperature is the problem.

If you take pictures of the outdoor space it could help us. How large is the area you keep him outdoors? Is it protected from predators? He may enjoy a small area, no more than 2-3 times that of the indoor enclosure, with several hides, and heat if your temperatures do not get above 20 C. Shorter outings to get sun (less than an hour) may be better if you don't want to set up a heated area.

Welcome to the forum! Hope to see you around posting more.

 

[Crazy1]

Hi Joanie beetle, welcome to the forum. Seems like you got the best advice already so I will just say Welcome and we love pictures.

 

[Madkins007]

Hiding- this is what young Red-foots do- eat and hide. The desire to hide is so strong they will hide in cool places- sometimes too cool for their best health. You may want to think about a heated exterior hiding place. Your local farm animal supply or dog supply can often hook you up with heated shelters or heating options that will be safe for outdoors use. If possible, fill the heated shelter with fluffy material, like leaf litter or hay it can dig into.

Dog poo- EVERY Red-foot owner I have heard from says the same thing- if the stuff is around, their Red-foots aim straight for it. They eat poo in the wild, and even eat their own poo in captivity. An OCCASIONAL meal of dog poo may be disgusting, but not a big deal. Don't let them eat too much of it though- dog poo is not the stuff they would get in the wild and probably more like junk food.

 

[Yvonne G]

And on a cautionary note, if you de-worm your dog with heart worm medication (usually Ivermectin), your dog poo will poison and kill your tortoise. Ivermectin is extremely toxic to tortoises.

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

All sorts of other parasites in different species poop as well. I personally think it's a major issue that should be cleaned up before a tort has access to the area, and more than just gross, it's dangerous (especially like Yvonne said about the med!)...their own poop is fine, as would stuff they get from other animals in their natural environment.