Feeding My Red Foot

[nikkin]

Hey there,
I recently picked up a Red Footed Tortoise, and I was just wondering which foods are safe and good for him to eat. I've been reading on the net about some tortioses not getting the right nutrition, and all the horror stories that follow it, and I want mine to turn out big and healthy.
Any suggestions?

Here's a pic of my buddy.
http://nikki.screamingmute.com/tortoise.jpg

[claycoke11]

thats a nice totoise.

[nikkin]

Why thank you.
I got him from the Port Credit Pet Center. It was love at first sight.

[Bighead]

Very good choice on the tortoise. Most of the horror stories you've read are likely from people who did little or no research before (or after) they bought the animal and made careless assumptions about what to and what not to feed them. I would suggest buying a good book such as "The General Care and Maintenence of Popular Tortoises" by Philippe de Vosjoli. You should also be able to get some good information from breeders on the internet. Make sure they are not just dealers that hand out "care" sheets (shamefully an ironic title at times), but good people who have raised tortoises from hatchlings and have had success breeding and keeping them and good references. Good luck with your new baby. I am very jealous.

[red bootz]

Nice tortoise. Lots of yellow on the carapace. Quite lovely.
As for food, I feed my group good quality greens such as dandelion, endive, romaine, as well as a little fruit like papayas and mangoes, berries, etc...
Being oppurtunistic feeders it is hard to say that "this" is the proper diet for your red foot. I have had success with balancing their dietary needs with a good quality commercial diet (Mazuri tortoise chow). Many people will disagree with me on this point but I find that with the Mazuri, I have found smooth carapace growth as well as sturdy stools and a general inclination to thrive. This is something I failed to do with the older two who have pyramided shells from a 90 percent vegetable / fruit diet with OCCASIONAL animal protein and regular powdered supplementation. All other factors in raisng the two new babies and two older juvies are pretty much the same. All of the new growth in the two older torts are smooth since I switched to the "M" stuff...
That being said I am not endorsing said product. I am merely describing my results. Research the nutrtional values for the vegetables and fruits you plan to use. You should be aiming for a calcium:phosphorous ratio of 2:1 or better among other things. Educate yourself and make the best choice you feel is best for your tort, cuz in the end, that is what matters the most.
As a side note, bathe your baby daily and have a water source for drinking and bathing at all times. Redfoots dehydrate easily and drink alot of water.
Redfoots are awesome! Good Luck!

[nikkin]

Redbootz, how often do you feed each of the greens and the tortoise food to them? Do you feed the Mazuri food everyday, or everyother feeding?
Thanks for the tips.

[m1k3_88]

Were you there yesterday afternoon gettin him? And by the way, nice tort

[red bootz]

First off, please do some research on Mazuri Tortoise Chow, and the views of those against it. There was a topic on theis very forum with many people who will not feed their torts a commercial diet. Research, and make your own informed decision...
Now that we got that out of the way, all my redfoots get something to eat almost everyday. Most of the time its a little bit of dandelion or romaine in the morning. Nothing too heavy. This is what I call their forage.
Every other day or so they get a hefty salad, good portions of greens and sometimes fruit. They get the Mazuri once maybe twice a week if they're lucky. I scrape cuttlebone on the babies food at every big feeding. The bigger two get their food with ground cuttlefish bone at every other big feeding. I never use reptile vitamins with the babies as some beleive that this causes stress to the tiny torty kidneys and livers. That is why I use the mazuri. The adults get vitamin supplementation once a month during the winters but none during the summer's when they are outside alot.
Anywho, this is what works for me. I know it sounds kind of off the cuff but there really is a system involved...I just can't explain it well.
By the way, some research into foods and nutrition will do you very good. I have a nutrition textbook from a course I took in university that explained all kinds metabolic mumbo jumbo about how we process this and that. Its a dry, boring read, but it helped me build a base upon which to formulate a diet for my tortoises. If I didn't mention it before, Redfoots are awesome!!

[nikkin]

Alright, thank you very much, you've been very helpful.

[Linds]

I feed my redfoot about 40-50 percent fruit and veggies, and the rest greens. Greens include, but not limited to, chinese cabbage, collards, dandelion, endive, watercress, celery greens, green leaf lettuce, mixed spring greens. Fruits and veggies include, but not limited to, kiwi, pineapple, prickly pear, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, black grapes, mandarin oranges, dates, figs, canteloupe, squash, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, okra, red pepper, and occassionally peas or green beans. The higher protein veggies should be offered sparingly. I myself am also paranoid of diet, but I feel variety is key and since we cannot replicate their natural diet, gives us more of a safety margin.

<a href="http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25507&highlight=mazuri">Mazuri discussion</a>

Originally posted by red bootz
This is something I failed to do with the older two who have pyramided shells from a 90 percent vegetable / fruit diet with OCCASIONAL animal protein and regular powdered supplementation.

Ouch. Redfoots don't consume anymore than 70 percent fruit/veggies in the wild, and this is during the wet season. I believe it goes down as low as 30 percent duringthe dry season. This is why most people just go with the balance of 50%.

[nikkin]

Yes, it was on the afternoon of the 24th that I got him....how did you know?

[m1k3_88]

I was there picking up some feeders and there was a couple buying a redfoot, so i just thought id ask:)

[nikkin]

haha, yeah, that was me. thats funny.

[red bootz]

Sorry, I should've clarified. When I say veggies and fruits, greens are included. The ten percent is the odd portion of reptomin or pinky mouse...

[Matt]

so....will red-foots eat animals at all, like mealworms orpinkie parts of anything like that.

linds, so when you sau fruits and veggies, you are excluding greens (which make up the remainder?)

thanks

[red bootz]

They will eat all kinds of animal based protein stuff, worms, crickets, pinkies, catfood, dogfood, fishfood...they'll go for these a lot more than they will go for the greens. In fact greens are probably at the bottom of my tortoises preference list. They will eat their own feces before they wil start on the greens....linds probably knows what I'm talking about here...yummy!

[Linds]

Hahaha yeah my little guy prefers his poop to just about anything :toilet: Sometimes he's got is smeared all over his mouth and he looks like a naughty little kid :p :rolleyes:

Yes, when I say fruits and veggies, I am excluding the greens portion. Another feeding thing, I don't bother with the "pieces no larger than their head" rule. I toss the greens in full sized or in large pieces, and if the fruits and veggies are soft enough for him to break off, such as cucumbers and prickly pear, I just cut off a few chunks and put them in his dish. If they are firmer then I cut them in bite-sized peices for him. I also rarely, if ever, offer any animal protein. The captive produced produce we feed them as a hgihger protein and nutrition count than the stuff found in the wild, so IMHO that makes up for it. I've had my little guy for over 2 years and he has been given animal protein maybe 3-4 times. In the past 6 months all he has received was a silkworm and a mealworm. They will eat just about anything however...lol... my little one still thinks that toes are food, as well as rocks, twigs, and pretty much anything else he comes across.