Habitat:

Redfoot tortoises need a humid environment.  You can run a steam humidifier in the tort room to achieve the high humidity they thrive in. Moistening the substrate under the basking lamp also helps raise the humidity in the enclosure. Providing hiding spots with hide logs or a pile of hay will make your Redfoot feel secure. 

An aquarium or fish tank is the worst enclosure you can provide a tortoise. The enclosure needs to be roomy with ambient temps of 75-80 degrees and a basking area of 90 degrees.  The basking lamp should be a high quality mercury vapor UVB lamp such as the T-Rex Active UVB/Heat.  The best prices are found on the Internet and I highly recommend www.carolinapetsupply.com.  The fixture should be a 10” metal dome fixture with a ceramic socket.  Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s carry these fixtures for a lot less than found in pet stores. 

The best substrate is Cypress Mulch (do not use any other kind of mulch) or a 50/50 mix of coconut coir (Bed a Beast and Eco Earth are two brands) and Play Sand (found at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or Toys R Us).  Plain bag Topsoil (with no additives) works well also.  These products hold moisture well.  Do not allow the substrate to become bone dry as it will cause irritation to the nose and eyes of the Redfoot tortoise.

DO NOT use pellets, walnut shells, cat litter, corn cob, or anything else.  The risk of impaction is high with these products. 

Hatchling enclosure:

A large cement mixing tub, a Rubbermaid Holiday tree tote, or gift wrap tote make excellent indoor enclosures for hatchlings.  You want the enclosure to have a lot of floor space and low walls so that the tort has room to roam around and the enclosure has good air flow.  A shallow dish of fresh water should be available at all times. 

A Turtle table is the best indoor enclosure. Plans on how to build a turtle table can be found by doing an Internet search.  Build it as large as possible.  Redfoot can reach 12”-14” in length (Cherry Heads are usually smaller) as adults and need plenty of space.  Fresh water should be available at all times.  A plant pot dish works great and needs to be large enough for the tortoise to soak itself in. 

The outdoor pen should be located in an area that is part sun/part shade.  Fresh water in a dish large enough for the Redfoot to soak in should be provided.  There should also be a weatherproof hide house so that the tortoise has a dry place to retreat in case of wet weather.

Adult Redfoot can stay outdoors 24/7 as long as the night time temps are 60 degrees or above.  Baby Redfoot should be brought indoors at night unless the night temps are 70 degrees or above.  Baby tortoises have less body mass and cool off faster than adults.

The outdoor pen needs to be secure so that the Tortoise cannot escape and predators cannot get to the tortoise and kill it.  Raccoons, dogs, and cats can break in and kill your tortoise in a matter of minutes.  Even the best behaved family pet will go after a tortoise; it’s just instinct.

Make sure that the pen is strong and has a well constructed, framed hardware cloth lid that can be secured with a latch. 

Redfoot are extremely friendly and curious tortoises.  I call them “Puppy Torts” because mine will follow me around begging for a treat or attention.  Give your new tortoise time to adjust to his new home.   Once he is feeling safe and secure in his new home, and with his new owner, that goofy Redfoot personality will emerge. 

I recommend www.carolinapetsupply.com for all your tortoise supplies.  Very nice people to work with, great selection and prices, and very fast shipping.