Redfoot Tortoise Noises

Question
Ok. But he isn't mine. We found him and we're trying to find his home. He's gotta be as old as I am. Around 18 to 20 years of age. Do they love to run around? Because he does!!! So I let him out every time anyone's home and put him back in his box when no one is home or at night. We do have a small humidifier like you're talking about, but no light. It broke before we found him. :( And are Red-foots always this loveable?
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-----Question-----
Hi. My family and I found a 5" Redfoot Tortoise in the middle of the road sunning one day coming home from church and we took it home. He's been with us for a few weeks and is very loving. It doesn't bite at all and loves to walk around the house. Sometimes it'll sleep on my chest and make these odd like sounds. Their kind of like a clicking sound. It makes them from deep in it's throat. And when it gets scared it makes a heavy breathing sound as it goes into it's shell. Kind of like a breathing problem. What do these sounds mean?
 I also had a question about his eyes. They have bubbles on them. Would you know why?
-----Answer-----
Red-foots are great pets. I am very jealous!

The noises sound like a possible developing respiratory situation, but if it is, it is in the early stages. The bubbles on the eyes can be a mild manifestation on that as well, or they MIGHT be a vitamin A deficiency.

In either case, solid basic cares should clear them up.

Here's the deal. This is a deep jungle species. It likes warm, humid areas- much warmer and more humid than we would like and our homes tend to be too drafty, cool and dry for them. The sneaky part is that they can suffer quietly for a really long time before the low temps and dry air get to them. With proper care, they should live 30-50 years. Without heat and humidity, they usually last less than 7.

The basic care plan for a Red-foot is something along these lines:

- Air temps of 85 or so. Usually done with a combination of a heating pad under the tank and heat lamps in the warmer 'basking' area of the pen.

- Humidity at about 80%. Try a small ultrasonic humidifier. Put it on a timer if needed to control the flow.

- Fresh air supply. We often close up the cage to help increase the heat and humidity- this is a bad idea for Red-foots. If you add a lid or cover, be sure to include a LOT of air holes that the turtle won't try to push its way out of.

- A good pen size for a 20" adult is 4'x8'. Your 5" would be OK in a very large plastic tub (glass tanks are not great- the tortoise tries to walk through the glass).

- Lighting can get tricky. This species likes shade, but needs good lighting including UV-B rays. While the Austin's Turle Page site below has other options, the easiest solution is just to get the reptile bulbs that brag about having UV-B rays. Also, the Red-foot is form a place with long days, so use a good timer to accomplish that. I like putting some live plants on top of a shelter box or in the corners to offer shade and humidity. If you use edible plants, they can also snack.

- diet is VERY important for long-term health. Please read the articles below for good diet information!


General care- http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-redfoot.htm

A great diet article is:
http://www.petdoc.ws/TortDiet.html

Good luck!
(And let me know if you decide that you can't keep it for whatever reason!)

Answer
A healthy 5" Redfoot is only a few years old. Why do you think it is 20? (Ring counts are terribly inaccurate- they are added by growth spurts, and tropical species have several such spurts a year.)

Redfoots LOVE to explore. In the wild, they are always on the lookout for sunny pastures opened up by falling trees and tend to wander pretty large territories.

They are also among the most intelligent tortoises, and very outgoing in their personalities. It is a shame that their basic cares are kinda tough for the average person or they would be a hugely popular species!

If you think you're going to have it much longer, you may want to think about the lighting needs, and maybe making a 'shelter' in the house it can use when wandering that offers heat and humidity.