I had one of these wander into my back yard a few weeks ago, in the northeast US, a male with an 11” long shell. He was on our back patio eating at food we put out for a feral. No pyramiding, beautiful shell and healthy looking. I posted on all the local lost and found pet sites and notified animal control and the local police, but no one was looking for him. I found a great tortoise rescue/sanctuary for him, and took him there yesterday, they have three other red foots and he will be happy there, I think….lots of space and he will get the right kind of care….but after spending some time with him, he grew on me and now I kind of miss him. Tortoises, turtles in general, seem to have good energy, so calm and kind of sweet. I hope he will be happy in his new home.
@@jamesdupree8226 no, not a box turtle. I know what box turtles look like, though at first we thought maybe he was a very large and old box turtle, because what are the odds of a South American tortoise breed wandering into your back yard? I had him confirmed as a red foot by sending a lot of photos of him to people who have them, and the sanctuary who took him in confirmed it as well. He’s a red foot tortoise, likely dumped by whoever owned him.
Thank you for your story! Great to hear that these are thriving in the wild somewhere… even if it’s not their natural habitats…. Immigration is a real thing
@@BabySpit not sure if my “stray” red foot was an escapee or was dumped, I’m just glad he made his way to my yard and I was able to get him, because he would have died once the cold weather set in. But he did look very healthy, so whoever had him must have taken good care of him. It was a great experience, and was especially awesome to find such a great home for him, when we dropped him off the owner gave us a tour….and if I was a tortoise, I would want to live there!
Chandler...Thank you for sharing her story. It gives a real perspective on the struggles and impact that cancer has on a family. I'm around the same age as you and my wife was also previously diagnosed wife cancer. It was a struggle. Hang in there. Life is a Rollercoaster. Take care of yourself and your kids.
Great video. I bought a 2 inch baby from a breeder 7 years ago and it's been so much fun having it. It's like a dog it eats just about anything and comes when called. High quality dog or cat food every now and then it's really good for them. Good luck and have fun with the little guy.
So I live in Arizona. I have indoor and outdoor setups for different species of tortoise. You mention pyramiding. I rescued a 2-year-old Sulcata with extreme pyramiding. The owner had died of old age, and I was puzzled why this one out of three, the old man, had pyramiding. Fast forward, I learned she loved eating the old man's golden retrievers feces. So now she is 5 years old, and you can barely tell she had pyramiding. I just got the diet right for her and she is thriving. Pyramiding is not the end of the world IF you address it.
Wow! Thats so interesting! But it’s great you looked further into and addressed the problem! Yes pyramiding isn’t just due to one certain lack there of something. It can be multiple different things but I am so happy to hear of you rescuing and improving their quality of life good on you!
Hey Nick! Your vids have helped me out a lot! ... I just got a little baby red foot tortoise, and I was curious about the UVB lighting I read a couple forums about torts and I heard that the coil type bulbs can blind tortoises do you know if this is true , I currently have him in a 10 gallon tank mostly because he's so small but I'll be upgrading to something bigger next month, do you think a tube florescent UVB would be more safe
Hi! Thank you for checking out the channel! So happy it has helped you! Congrats on the new addition! You have to gage the uv intensity for any bulb to test its effectiveness and also the distance it should be at. Each species requires different requirements and each uvb/uva bulb will give off different intensities at different distances (from the substrate to the fixture) let me know if that makes sense i can always and would be happy to explain it differently! I would suggest instead of another tank go to a hardware store and pickup a concrete mixing tub! They are great easy to clean and provide a lot of room for a baby to grow out in! Cost effective too! Then rig up some lighting for them and that can help! Reason i would do this is also because you want them to be able to regulate the uv index they get that can also help them too. Now being a baby they likely hide a lot more just the nature of them but as they grow confident and all that’s something to consider!
Hello! I just came upon your video looking to help my daughter figure out why her red foot is not eating and is closing her eyes frequently. She has the humidity at 80 and uv light proper water etc. we cannot figure out why she won't eat suddenly and is closing her eyes frequently. Any advice would be much appreciated! thank you great video!
Hi! Thank you for reaching out. Are you giving your tortoise routine soaks as well? Are you noticing any white crusting along the eyes or anything while baby tortoises do hide and sleep a lot if you are noticing anything my best advice always is to consult an exotic that specializes in tortoise care just to make sure everything is OK
My babies were not going out much (for their standards anyway). I switched from a heating bulb to a ceramic heat emitter and they are moving a lot more (again, for their standards). It seems they didn't like the bright light or a concentrated hot spot.
Yeah babies commonly will hide and sleep lots but also that makes sense as the lower light makes them feel safer from predators i am sure! I am glad they sound to be doing well!
Redfoots are a forest species and like deep shade, babies especially avoid bright lights when possible. Many professional keepers forego basking areas all together and just provide ambient temps in the mid 80s and don't even use UVB since being a forest species, they get much of their uvb from their diet. I've seen redfoots raised in this method and they are perfect and smooth, while those raised under lights and UVB tubes aren't. Humidity is the biggest factor, they like it high
Just another question… I know in this video there is mulch in the geranium along with lighting. We are setting up our geranium now and we have a cypress mulch and we’ve got some lighting to hang over top. Can this catch fire?
Yes. Timers, probes, and safety hanging locks are crucial parts to setups safety locks especially to help make sure your fixture stays in place and doesnt fall you dont want the light too close to your animal use a probe and or temp gun to read what the temp is and asjust accordingly id keep it further than closer to the substrate though just leep these things in mind along with what makes sense for you to keep you and the reptile safe and not cause a hazard.
Just picked up one and super excited. I just had a question about the basking light. I have it positioned on the same side as the “hiding shell” not directly over it but side by side then on the side I have the UVB light. Is that wrong? Also am I actually keeping the basking light on 24/7?
Hi! I hope im understanding and explaining makes sense. Depending on where you live and IF you have a nice dark area they can fully hide in thats humid and all so they dont dry I haven’t seen issues for 24/7 basking if its to help with keeping nice temps but there needs to be enough room that the tort can avoid being dried out and can get outta the light too. A temp drop normally isnt bad though of its within range so maybe test whats the drop one night. What i would do is put the uvb if its a bulb and not a strip over the cool side and maybe even tilt it so its pointing towards the warm side so its a gradient of uvb but its hard to say that’s exactly what you should do because I dont know the type of uvb product you are using i hope this makes sense im typing while im brainstorming here! Please feel free to reply if you have questions!!
@@NJPExotics hey thanks for the information! I’m currently using a Zilla slimline desert 50 UVB T8 fluorescent fixture. I just got the temperature and humidity gauge today and the temps seems fine at 85 but the humidity is only at 50. I’ve tried misting a Bunch today but still won’t budge higher. Is there a special place I should have put the humidity gauge? Right now I have it set up right over his hide along with the temp gauge. I’m gonna turn off the basking light tonight and record the drop in temp in the morning. This got me more stressed out then when I had my first kid lol. Again appreciate all the help and advice.
Good question! Normally with a new tortoise I start initial feedings seeing how much they can eat in a 15 min sitting. Once I can kinda gage how much they consume I will leave the food in there max an hour but normally around 30 mins.
Love your video! So much great information! I was wondering what brand of supplements you are using for her? We just got our own today and he is about the same size!
Vet a mix osteo form SA is sprinkled lightly! But majority comes through the varied diet! Thats where majority of vitamins and minerals will come into play when the diet / care is well rounded but definitely look into that one! :)
You definitely have the luxury of that in Florida that’s for sure! They do have cold spells so you have to be mindful of those times as well as also I would provide still some source of UVB/UVA since it’s likely more shaded and not a direct source of the sun since it’s covered
I have a baby RF, he stays hidden in the substrate I have to take him and place him near the food every time to get him to eat or he just says hidden. Is this normal? He never comes out on his own.
VERY common they stay hidden because as babies they are most vulnerable to predators. Taking them out to eat can help kickstart them to coming out on their own and becoming more confident just be patient and keep at it you’ll be looking at an empty enclosure for a bit as they grow but when they grow and age enough they become social and curious !
LOVE cherry heads! Congrats! As for my setup yes the lamp stays on! Normally you want the day night cycle for the it’s preferable but the shaded section surprisingly stays rather dark and seems like it takes no effects to the sleep wake cycle of this little one! Now once i bump up the enclosure in the tort’s life and have a larger setup i may just change to a day night cycle but for now i feel the brightness there drops drastically after uvb shuts off anyways so it works for me!
I would suggest against for a few reasons- they aren’t from the same climates russian torts prefer it dry where redfoots require a more humid environment and even like to lay in small puddles. Their diets are different though they do eat similar vegetables the fruit intake of redfoots can vary vs a russian. Lastly mixing the species is just something typically not recommended russians stay also pretty small though redfoots do too they get larger in comparison
They are great tortoises! Not only did i do a video going over the care but also setup tips too so check that out! Otherwise look up other people's setups and care suggestions and do lots of research! Kenan over at Kamp Kenan is a wealth of knowledge as well!
Simply put no they cannot and could be fatal attempting to put them in something rather deep which is even why during soaks you have to watch them and make sure they dont flip and not have water too deep in general tortoises cannot swim like turtles
10:49 Great point about balanced exercise for front and back legs. New tortoise owner here. I hadn't thought of that.
Thank you!! Definitely something not thought about BUT definitely important!
I had one of these wander into my back yard a few weeks ago, in the northeast US, a male with an 11” long shell. He was on our back patio eating at food we put out for a feral. No pyramiding, beautiful shell and healthy looking. I posted on all the local lost and found pet sites and notified animal control and the local police, but no one was looking for him. I found a great tortoise rescue/sanctuary for him, and took him there yesterday, they have three other red foots and he will be happy there, I think….lots of space and he will get the right kind of care….but after spending some time with him, he grew on me and now I kind of miss him. Tortoises, turtles in general, seem to have good energy, so calm and kind of sweet. I hope he will be happy in his new home.
Box turtle numnuts
@@jamesdupree8226 no, not a box turtle. I know what box turtles look like, though at first we thought maybe he was a very large and old box turtle, because what are the odds of a South American tortoise breed wandering into your back yard? I had him confirmed as a red foot by sending a lot of photos of him to people who have them, and the sanctuary who took him in confirmed it as well. He’s a red foot tortoise, likely dumped by whoever owned him.
Thank you for your story! Great to hear that these are thriving in the wild somewhere… even if it’s not their natural habitats…. Immigration is a real thing
@@BabySpit not sure if my “stray” red foot was an escapee or was dumped, I’m just glad he made his way to my yard and I was able to get him, because he would have died once the cold weather set in. But he did look very healthy, so whoever had him must have taken good care of him. It was a great experience, and was especially awesome to find such a great home for him, when we dropped him off the owner gave us a tour….and if I was a tortoise, I would want to live there!
Chandler...Thank you for sharing her story. It gives a real perspective on the struggles and impact that cancer has on a family. I'm around the same age as you and my wife was also previously diagnosed wife cancer. It was a struggle. Hang in there. Life is a Rollercoaster. Take care of yourself and your kids.
This is a great video. We’re currently researching and prepping to add a redfoot to the family in a few months. Thanks for the info!
Thank you!! Happy to help! They are great tortoises!
Full of great information. One of the best that I have watched today. Thank you.
That means so much thank you! Happy I was able to help!
Ditto! Thanks for sharing!
That salad looks like something a fancy restaurant would charge $100 for 😆 ty for the video easy to follow information I appreciate it
Very informative video. Thank you so much. As a new tortoise owner im learning theres alot to taking care of them. Totally worth it.
Thank you! So happy it helped you! Lots to learn but if you can take care of them its VERY rewarding and they are great!
Great video. I bought a 2 inch baby from a breeder 7 years ago and it's been so much fun having it. It's like a dog it eats just about anything and comes when called. High quality dog or cat food every now and then it's really good for them. Good luck and have fun with the little guy.
Do you have it free roaming??? Or in a cage
@@emiliamarone6761 I live in Massachusetts and it's in an 8ft home made pen in the warmer months and for winter i keep her indoors with all her needs.
How much would you say it grew each year? Like 1 inch?
@@vincnt1 Sounds about right, mine is like 8 inches long and is 7 years old.
GUYS! The back leg paralysis he is mentioning is because redfoots need protein! Feed them worms or a source of protein once or twice a week
So I live in Arizona. I have indoor and outdoor setups for different species of tortoise. You mention pyramiding. I rescued a 2-year-old Sulcata with extreme pyramiding. The owner had died of old age, and I was puzzled why this one out of three, the old man, had pyramiding. Fast forward, I learned she loved eating the old man's golden retrievers feces. So now she is 5 years old, and you can barely tell she had pyramiding. I just got the diet right for her and she is thriving. Pyramiding is not the end of the world IF you address it.
Wow! Thats so interesting! But it’s great you looked further into and addressed the problem! Yes pyramiding isn’t just due to one certain lack there of something. It can be multiple different things but I am so happy to hear of you rescuing and improving their quality of life good on you!
Thanks for putting so much time into your videos!
I appreciate it! I try my best!
Thank you for the tip I was wondering why it was hiding for so long
Of course! It’s very common
Hello thank you for the video . Do you mix your fruit and greens together? And how offten should you give them pellets? Thank you
Extremely detailed. Thank you
Thank you! Of course!
Hey Nick! Your vids have helped me out a lot! ... I just got a little baby red foot tortoise, and I was curious about the UVB lighting I read a couple forums about torts and I heard that the coil type bulbs can blind tortoises do you know if this is true , I currently have him in a 10 gallon tank mostly because he's so small but I'll be upgrading to something bigger next month, do you think a tube florescent UVB would be more safe
Hi! Thank you for checking out the channel! So happy it has helped you! Congrats on the new addition! You have to gage the uv intensity for any bulb to test its effectiveness and also the distance it should be at. Each species requires different requirements and each uvb/uva bulb will give off different intensities at different distances (from the substrate to the fixture) let me know if that makes sense i can always and would be happy to explain it differently! I would suggest instead of another tank go to a hardware store and pickup a concrete mixing tub! They are great easy to clean and provide a lot of room for a baby to grow out in! Cost effective too! Then rig up some lighting for them and that can help! Reason i would do this is also because you want them to be able to regulate the uv index they get that can also help them too. Now being a baby they likely hide a lot more just the nature of them but as they grow confident and all that’s something to consider!
Hello! I just came upon your video looking to help my daughter figure out why her red foot is not eating and is closing her eyes frequently. She has the humidity at 80 and uv light proper water etc. we cannot figure out why she won't eat suddenly and is closing her eyes frequently. Any advice would be much appreciated! thank you great video!
Hi! Thank you for reaching out. Are you giving your tortoise routine soaks as well? Are you noticing any white crusting along the eyes or anything while baby tortoises do hide and sleep a lot if you are noticing anything my best advice always is to consult an exotic that specializes in tortoise care just to make sure everything is OK
beautiful tortoise, mine has a fungus infection she came with it but shes already getting her medicine:)
My babies were not going out much (for their standards anyway). I switched from a heating bulb to a ceramic heat emitter and they are moving a lot more (again, for their standards). It seems they didn't like the bright light or a concentrated hot spot.
Yeah babies commonly will hide and sleep lots but also that makes sense as the lower light makes them feel safer from predators i am sure! I am glad they sound to be doing well!
Redfoots are a forest species and like deep shade, babies especially avoid bright lights when possible. Many professional keepers forego basking areas all together and just provide ambient temps in the mid 80s and don't even use UVB since being a forest species, they get much of their uvb from their diet. I've seen redfoots raised in this method and they are perfect and smooth, while those raised under lights and UVB tubes aren't. Humidity is the biggest factor, they like it high
Thank you for all the great info!
Of course happy to help!
Thank you! Very helpful video :)
No problem! Happy to help!
Grade A content, thank you.
I really appreciate that thank you!
Thank you
Great video! Thank you! Do you mind sharing what brand of UV light do you use? Thanks
Everyone just got switched over to viv tech from zoomed lights!
Awesome video 👀💚🐢
Thank you so much I appreciate!
Just another question… I know in this video there is mulch in the geranium along with lighting. We are setting up our geranium now and we have a cypress mulch and we’ve got some lighting to hang over top. Can this catch fire?
Yes. Timers, probes, and safety hanging locks are crucial parts to setups safety locks especially to help make sure your fixture stays in place and doesnt fall you dont want the light too close to your animal use a probe and or temp gun to read what the temp is and asjust accordingly id keep it further than closer to the substrate though just leep these things in mind along with what makes sense for you to keep you and the reptile safe and not cause a hazard.
Hey cool vid! You look and sound like Toby McGuire
haha
Just picked up one and super excited. I just had a question about the basking light. I have it positioned on the same side as the “hiding shell” not directly over it but side by side then on the side I have the UVB light. Is that wrong? Also am I actually keeping the basking light on 24/7?
Hi! I hope im understanding and explaining makes sense. Depending on where you live and IF you have a nice dark area they can fully hide in thats humid and all so they dont dry I haven’t seen issues for 24/7 basking if its to help with keeping nice temps but there needs to be enough room that the tort can avoid being dried out and can get outta the light too. A temp drop normally isnt bad though of its within range so maybe test whats the drop one night. What i would do is put the uvb if its a bulb and not a strip over the cool side and maybe even tilt it so its pointing towards the warm side so its a gradient of uvb but its hard to say that’s exactly what you should do because I dont know the type of uvb product you are using i hope this makes sense im typing while im brainstorming here! Please feel free to reply if you have questions!!
@@NJPExotics hey thanks for the information! I’m currently using a Zilla slimline desert 50 UVB T8 fluorescent fixture. I just got the temperature and humidity gauge today and the temps seems fine at 85 but the humidity is only at 50. I’ve tried misting a Bunch today but still won’t budge higher. Is there a special place I should have put the humidity gauge? Right now I have it set up right over his hide along with the temp gauge. I’m gonna turn off the basking light tonight and record the drop in temp in the morning. This got me more stressed out then when I had my first kid lol. Again appreciate all the help and advice.
Thanks ! Do you think leaving food around even after the tortoise has eaten is a good idea? Or cleaning up everyday is required?
Good question! Normally with a new tortoise I start initial feedings seeing how much they can eat in a 15 min sitting. Once I can kinda gage how much they consume I will leave the food in there max an hour but normally around 30 mins.
Love your video! So much great information! I was wondering what brand of supplements you are using for her? We just got our own today and he is about the same size!
Vet a mix osteo form SA is sprinkled lightly! But majority comes through the varied diet! Thats where majority of vitamins and minerals will come into play when the diet / care is well rounded but definitely look into that one! :)
Would an 80W mercury vapor bulb be sufficient for heat and uva/uvb?
💗🐢
Love the torts!
Do you think I could keep my tortoise outside on a screened in porch. I live in Florida .
You definitely have the luxury of that in Florida that’s for sure! They do have cold spells so you have to be mindful of those times as well as also I would provide still some source of UVB/UVA since it’s likely more shaded and not a direct source of the sun since it’s covered
@@NJPExotics Thank you sir
I have a baby RF, he stays hidden in the substrate I have to take him and place him near the food every time to get him to eat or he just says hidden. Is this normal? He never comes out on his own.
VERY common they stay hidden because as babies they are most vulnerable to predators. Taking them out to eat can help kickstart them to coming out on their own and becoming more confident just be patient and keep at it you’ll be looking at an empty enclosure for a bit as they grow but when they grow and age enough they become social and curious !
My redfoot is not eating and will only eat fruit. Her head is also very very dry but she drinks and I give her daily soaks what do I do?
What type of enclosure do you have it in and how old
When you mean you leave the heat lamp on the entire day do you also leave it on at night? 15:42 just got a cherry head red foot
LOVE cherry heads! Congrats! As for my setup yes the lamp stays on! Normally you want the day night cycle for the it’s preferable but the shaded section surprisingly stays rather dark and seems like it takes no effects to the sleep wake cycle of this little one! Now once i bump up the enclosure in the tort’s life and have a larger setup i may just change to a day night cycle but for now i feel the brightness there drops drastically after uvb shuts off anyways so it works for me!
Do you use a thermostat? You also forgot to give the measurements for the enclosure.
The actual video should go over that this is just a recap vid
Can a Red footed tortoise and a Russian tortoise be together in a outside enclosure is that okay
I would suggest against for a few reasons- they aren’t from the same climates russian torts prefer it dry where redfoots require a more humid environment and even like to lay in small puddles. Their diets are different though they do eat similar vegetables the fruit intake of redfoots can vary vs a russian. Lastly mixing the species is just something typically not recommended russians stay also pretty small though redfoots do too they get larger in comparison
heyy im thinking of getting a red foot and good tips?
They are great tortoises! Not only did i do a video going over the care but also setup tips too so check that out! Otherwise look up other people's setups and care suggestions and do lots of research! Kenan over at Kamp Kenan is a wealth of knowledge as well!
Hi there! What brand is your Temp Gun? Thanks!
Hi! It’s called “Titan” believe it was just a amazon choice one!
@@NJPExotics thanks! I love what you do!
Thank you I appreciate it!!
Do you give them water to drink?
Yes! Always available to fresh water
What food you always feed for your tortoise?
Mine is not moving
Can these tortoises swim for exercise?
Simply put no they cannot and could be fatal attempting to put them in something rather deep which is even why during soaks you have to watch them and make sure they dont flip and not have water too deep in general tortoises cannot swim like turtles
Yes they can but not too deep, and always supervised.
ua-cam.com/video/oB0YBCCO15M/v-deo.html
Imported tortoises can be captive-bred. Just make sure that is the case. Do not discard imported tortoises because of this reason, do your homework.
Thanks ! Do you think leaving food around even after the tortoise has eaten is a good idea? Or cleaning up everyday is required?
I leave it for a little bit after they finish but then I pick it up and clean the bowl