Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have recently acquired 3 adult redfoots 2.1 that are being very reclusive and not eating as much as I thought they would. I found that if I feed them from a large rubbermaid lid they won't eat at all, they just sniff it and walk away. When I feed them from a paper plate they seem to eat well. I am feeding them a variety of things at the same time to see what there preferences are: watermelon, grapes, cantelope, mustard greens, collared greens, tomato, strawberries, hibiscus flowers, and rehydrated cat food(dusted with RepCal and Herptivite). So far they are eating some of the grapes, watermelon, and the strawberries but nothing else. They are kept outside and I have been soaking them every other day for 15 minutes. I know that tortoises don't need to eat daily but what is normal for these guys? Anything I should do differently?

First, stick with feeding them off a paper plate or a large piece of slate. The slate will keep their beak from getting overgrown. That's less of an issue with RF's than the arid species, but it will help keep it down. If they are red grapes, don't be surprised. RF's, and every other tort, love the color red. If the outside area has places they can hide (something like under a big hosta plant or similar plants for your area) a substrate that retains humidity (cypress mulch or orchid bark) and temps above 60 at night they'll be fine. Make sure they have a big enough water bowl to drink and soak in themselves and you can stop the soaking.

As for foods, try papaya it's very good for them (the best fruit actually) and they love it. Feeding them every other day or two days on two days off is plenty for adults. If you just keep putting down greens every feeeding time for a week or two they'll get how the program works. Ours get a 50/50 fruit- greens diet with Mazuri once month and they look like WC beasts. So if yours stay with a higher fruit percentage don't worry about it. In many parts of their range in the wild fruit is 70% of their diet. Just make sure to provide something to add bulk. Things like Herpnutrition's Forest tortoise mix or chopped grass or orchard hay to the food. RF's are notorious for loose stool and the addition of some, not lots, of bulk make a big difference. I use the Forest Tort mix at every feeding (it adds about 25% fiber) and ours always have firm to semi-firm fecal matter.

Good luck

my herbalist PAPA used to says: "PAPAya to HUMANs is the PANACURE to tortoises"... you should have some!
(anyone came from the place of that old adage?)

I believe it is good against Flagellets and Pumpkin is good agains nematodes.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Not flagellets but more importantly, ameobas.
(I'm surprised nobody corrected me on this)
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

perhaps they think you're capable ( fixing it)...man

On the Galapagos islands, at the Charles Darwin research station where they raise baby Galapagos tort's to be released back in the wild, they have found that feeding papaya was responsible for the deaths of several baby tort's. I don't know why and I don't think they know either, but I would avoid papaya just in case.
Elliott

I wonder what PAPA Darwin thinks of these research guys ...

I tried feeding them some Papaya today, they ignored it in favor of some plums which they gobbled up. Papaya is a little pricey in Pennsylvania, I can get an entire watermelon for the cost of 2 papayas.

papa Darwin is long dead--he don't think anything!

(...on his property)

If you bought adult RFs they are most likely wild caught animals. Fresh import RFs can be tough to acclilmate.
Do they have a heated hide area outside? I found that my guys are most active when the temperatures are 80 to 90. Above and below that and they seem to slow down.
I'd suggest just doing what you are doing and paying attention to what I mentioned and see what happens. On feeding, I have an area covered with grass clippings and hay... I scatter the food in that area. Also, I'd suggest a vet visit for all of them.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

If they are recent imports, definitely get fecals performed by your vet. They may have some parasites which can affect appetite. You may need a round of panacur and/or flagyl before they are eating regularly. This is very common with imports. Your vet can help you verify if it's the case with your trio.

Paul

Thanks all for the advice, I did find a vet today that has treats tortoises (from Melissa Kaplans website) and I will be getting fecals done on all of them. I have a large tree bark round that I split in half which they spend a lot of time in. I also do have Cypress Mulch down as their substrate. They have access to a large shallow pond with easy entry and exit also and I found the female swimming in it this morning. She was swimming along very gracefully for a tortoise.

hope she had a life jacket and Pam Anderson from Bay (to) Watch (her)