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yellow footed tortoise

22 16:03:42

Question
QUESTION: we live in southwest florida.  Tortoise lives six months out of the year on my screened in lanai.  It is just getting cold here at night so I have brought my three year old yellow foot in 20 hours a day now.  I have proper heat lamps, pads etc. I try to get him to eat romaine, but he prefers fruits f(berries)and veggies such as green beans and peas.  Will this hurt him in the long run, and what should the main part of his diet be?  Also if the sun is shining and warm, what is the lowest temperature I should put him out in the afternoons?  I don't put him out unless it is low 70's to 80's.  Also the inside tank is about 84 degrees and he does have room to get off the heated area when he wants to and sit in water.  Thanks for any info you can provide.

ANSWER: Hi John,

Depending on the size of your yellowfoot, he may be able to go out when the temperatures are in the high 60s if it's sunny.  The larger the tortoise, the slower the heat loss and the easier for them to absorb warmth from the sun--the shell acts as a solar heat, so surface area is the primary issue.  At his age, he should be fine at slightly cooler temperatures.  You can try putting him out and observing him to see if his behavior is normal (some activity, eating, etc).

Yellowfoots are omnivores, so should be getting a good, varied diet of greens, fruits, veggies, and some animal protein.  Romaine isn't the best choice for greens, as it's low on the nutritional scale, so try turnip, mustard, collards, dandelion, kale, etc.  Veggies such as squashes and peppers, lightly boiled sweet potato, and carrots (limited) are good, but avoid things like green beans and peas.  Fruits of all kinds except citrus and pineapple, and limited banana, can be fed a few times a week.  Greens should be the base of the diet, then fruit, then veggies, then animal protein about every couple of weeks.  While animal protein is important, don't overdo it.  Boiled chicken/shrimp/egg, worms, mealworms, young mice (pinky to hopper size), etc. are good.  

If he gets outside in natural sunlight for at least a couple of hours a day, you don't need UVB indoors.  However, you mentioned having a "tank" for him--if you mean glass tank, I would work on better accommodations.  Tortoises don't do well in tanks, and it's difficult to get a decent heat gradient in them.  Building a tortoise table would be a better idea, and since he's a yellowfoot he'll eventually need something pretty spacious.  I like to give my tortoises plenty of room for exercise and natural behavior.  At his age, something in the neighborhood of 6 x 4 would give him plenty of room to move around.  Make sure there is a basking area of about 90 degrees, with cooler areas down into the upper 70s so that he can regulate his temperature.  You shouldn't need any undertank heat pads if you have a good basking light, and it's better if their heat comes from above.

At some point, depending on your winter temperatures, you may want to consider an outdoor, overnight shelter with heat for him.  This can be accomplished with an insulated dog house fitted with a ceramic heat emitter, or by using something like a Kane Heat Mat (http://beanfarm.com/product_info.php?cPath=1204&products_id=5593) or a radiant heat panel (http://www.pro-products.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Item).  If your daytime winter temperatures are typically in the 60s, he'd be able to warm up in his house at will, and still be outside for much of the day.  Just something to think about for the future.  : )

I hope this helped.  Please ask if you have more questions!


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I've cut down on his fruit and animal protein.  He is eating greens now such as kale, turnip and collard greens. He loves corn on the cob and cauliflower.  Are these OK?  I would like to put plants in the area where he roams outside.  Can I plant Impatiens, petunias, begonias, marigolds etc.?  could I plant any herbs:  parsley, basil etc? thanks for all your help.  John  

Answer
Hi John,

Fruit is not a problem, as long as that's not all he's eating.  Feeding it every other day is fine.  You do want to limit the animal protein--while they do need some, too much isn't good for them.  I would avoid the peas and cauliflower as they contain phytic acid and goitrogens that aren't good for tortoises in large amounts (http://russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm).  

Here's a list of some edible landscaping:  http://russiantortoise.org/edible_plants.htm.  One problem with nursery plants is that they're heavily loaded with systemic fertilizers, so you don't want to plant those if your tortoise will eat them.  You can grow plants from seeds, however.  Herbs are fine, but most likely your tortoise won't eat them as they don't seem to care for most herbs.  Weeds are another good thing to plant, especially dandelions, chicory, chickweed, plantain, etc..  You can get seeds at www.carolinapetsupply.com.  Hostas are a favorite of many tortoises, and you can probably grow those easily in your area (hibiscus, too!).