Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi All,

I have had a yellow foot tortoise for about 5 years now. He was 3 years old when I purchased him. He is a great tortoise and eats like a pig. Mostly greens (collards, dandalion, squash etc). He will also eat fruit when I give it to him, melon pears oranges etc. He seems very healthy except he seems very dry. His shell shows alot of white along with his legs and his neck. He also seems to have crust on is eyes. I soak him every day and also mist him. The white will go away as soon as he is wet but then he basks under his heat light and dries out again. Also I am worried about the crusty eyes (similar to the crust a human gets after a nights sleep). I live in a cold area and he is inside 99% of the time. On hot summer days I will put him on my deck with a hide and a soaking tub but this does not happen regulary. I brought him to a pet store and they said he looked very good and healthy. His shell is perfect and he is very active. They also suggested puuting non-scented hand cream on his shell and legs and if I could get him to keep his neck out to put it there also. Does anyone have a solution for me, if I do have a problem. Any input would be greatly appreciated as he is my sons pet and do not want anything to happen to him.

Thank you

I have redfoots, not much different. Does your guy have a real humid hide. I load mine up with mulch and moss and keep it wet and they burrow in there, often tmes completely covering their shells. They spend at least 12 hours of their day like that and that may help with keeping things from getting dry. Also make sure they get Vit A (carrots, squash, etc.) as that helps with skin also. Hope that helps but then you may already be doing that.

Tom

You sound like a very good keeper. Maintaining a yellowfoot indoors is no easy task.
But, yellowfoots REQUIRE very humid conditions and even seek out muddy or damp retreats in their native rainforests. Soaking him daily helps for a little while, but as you have discovered this is not a solution.
I don't know that there is a viable option for you short of building an entire jungle room.
The creams will not correct the problem either but will only mask the fact that the animal is too dry.
Having said all of this, you might try to have some sort of shallow pan or such full of water that the tortoise could enter and soak/wallow in. Of course, it would have to be an easy access pan that the danger of drowning in could be eliminated. But it could help you keep him happy.

Yes I do keep a shallow pan with clean water at all times and he chooses not to use it. He does like to lay next to the pan but will not go in on his own. Maybe he likes to be dry. I am at a loss now.