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Care
Experience: Novice tortoise holder
Food: Vegetables, herbs, special tortoise food, (sometimes meat or insects)
Adult feeding: daily
Feed young: Feed present at all times
Water basin: Yes
Change water: daily
Food
The red-footed tortoise is a greedy eater who lives on a diet of different plants and from time to time some meat. In captivity, you can give them a diet of various vegetables with, to some extent, a supplement of fruit and meat. Suitable vegetables are bok choy, endive, tomato, chinese cabbage, spinach, strawberries, broccoli and meadow flowers. For fruit you could look at apple, mandarins, pear and melon and as meat, beetles, worms and cat food can be given. As with ourselves, the diet must be varied, so try to alternate between the different choices of fruit and vegetables.
In order for the diet to fully meet the interests of the animal, extra vitamins and calcium must be given. This can be done by adding extra vitamins and mineral preparations when eating. There are special preparations for tortoises on the market.
Water
The red-footed tortoise is found in moist habitats and therefore needs clean drinking water at all times. A medium-sized water container that is refreshed daily is enough.
Cleaning
Like the herbivores they are, they also relieve as true herbivores. For this reason, it is advisable to remove the faeces from the accommodation on a daily basis and to remove the dirty soil cover once a week. In addition, it is advisable to thoroughly clean the entire stay a few times a year, thereby preventing the accumulation of germs and bacteria.
Handling
It may happen that you have to handle your tortoise and that must be done correctly so that no injury or stress can be involved. Handle the tortoise by grabbing it from both sides on the center of the shield. You do this well if they are unable to scratch your hand with their legs. If this is the case, the tortoise can deposit on your hand with all its consequences. In addition, make sure you always wash your hands before handling and make sure you handle the tortoise with two hands. With adult tortoises it is wise to lift the tortoise in pairs, so that you do not tell yourself.
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Housing
Minimum size of stay for 1 couple: 180 * 120 * 80
Surface: 2 m2 per tortoise
Day temperature: 25-36C
Night temperature: 22-24C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Humidity level: 50 and 75%
Ground cover: Cocaopeat, potting soil or peat soil
Interieur
The red-footed tortoise occurs in variation of areas. From the savannah to the tropical rainforest and everything in between is his home. To create this here in the residence there must be a cool and warm area in the residence. This can be achieved by using a spot in one side of the residence and creating shade in another part. In addition, it is advisable if you keep several red-footed tortoises together, in order to establish visual barriers in the accommodation. This ensures that if there are conflicts between them, they can get away from each other.
Like other tortoise species, the red-footed tortoise cannot produce vitamin D without UV light. You can offer them the UV light by using the beautifully named UV lamp. A UV lamp in the enclosure is enough for the tortoise to produce the vitamin D it needs.
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Behaviour
Diet: Omnivorous with a tendency towards herbs and vegetables.
Lifestyle: Testrial & daily activity
Character:red-footeds are always looking for netting and looking for food, which makes them interesting pets that are fun to watch.
Points of attention: Most people don't expect it, but red-footeds are pretty good at escaping. If the stay is not completely closed, they will also attempt to escape
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Costs and Purchase
Legislation: The red-footed tortoise falls under CITES II, to own this tortoise species you need CITES or transfer papers. You should get this when purchasing.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. This can together cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, this is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred if your tortoise accidentally falls ill or your equipment breaks down.
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Origin: Amazon region