Ideal Environment
By: Aroldo Borges
Author: Aroldo Borges
When a tortoise is young it can be held in captivity in wooden boxes. The dimensions of the box should be seven to ten times bigger than the size of the tortoise’s hoof (also known as: carapace). The lining (carpeting) can be made of natural grass (do not use artificial grass), beaten land, carpet for reptile, triturated rind of tree (vegetal carpeting for maintenance of reptiles) or even newspaper (ideal for nestlings). The tortoise also needs space to walk. Make sure to provide them with a firm ground and soil to walk in. Slippery floor, like tiles and a wooden floor might cause defects in your pet.
The diurne reptiles need sun light. It is very important that your pet be exposed to the sun light for, at least, 15 minutes a day (in the morning or late afternoon). You can also make use of artificial light. Use specific light bulbs for reptiles with ultraviolet radiation B (UVB). The light bulb must be placed up to no further than 30 cm away from the tortoise, in order for the basal cells of the skin can synthecize the precursor of the D3 vitamin. The lack of of light may cause decalcification and rickets.
It´s also necessary to provide a source of heating heating. The most suitable and practical are warm rocks or plates (both specific for maintenance of reptiles). Tortoises’ shouldn´t be kept in captivity without a heat source, except in the regions where the weather is warm enough for them.
When a tortoise is bigger than 15 cm is generally grown in external environments, like gardens. The floor must be grass or another non-abrasive material. This space must allow the sun incidence during some hours of the day. Some shelters, as stone burrows, and bushes must be part of this environment. Tortoise uses to shelter from the cold, mainly at night, in the burrows. Watch out for lakes and swimming pools, because they can fall in and drown.
If you keep female tortoises in captivity, it is very important to provide them with a suitable site to dig their nests. If they don't find anywhere to bury their eggs they will accumulate them inside the body, resulting in death. Provide a shallow dish of fresh water for drinking and bathing in. Also it is very important to keep the water area always clean. Wash the containers of water and food daily and removes excrements, at least, three times a week.
Food
Author: Aroldo Borges
The red footed tortoises must have a special diet, but some people are not aware of it sometimes. Because of it, there are some animals seriously ill due to a lack of vitamins and minerals as well as proteins - very important to their growth. A balanced quantity of calcium - dry and ground egg shells mixed with the food is excellent to the hardening of the hoof. They are omnivore ( they eat both animal protein and vegetable fiber ). Here we have some suggestion about the diet offered:
1. VEGETABLES - 85% Greens of mustard, beet, watercress, cabbage, parsley, broccoli, spinach, carrots, mulberry, rose petals, hibiscus (both leaves and petals), beans, peas, lentil, corn and several vegetables like carrots, beets, string beans, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, etc.
2. FRUITS - 10% Grapes, avocado, apples, pears, pineapple, strawberries, mango, papaya, all kinds of melon, banana, tomatoes, figs, watermelon, mulberry, nectarine, etc.
3. HIGH CONCENTRATE ANIMAL PROTEIN - less than 5% Turtle fodder, raw ground beef; you can also offer dry dog's food, or sardine, or boiled eggs with the shell. OBSERVATIONS: So much water Avoid lettuce and papaya in excess because of diarrhea. They can't eat men's food remains (rice, spaghetti, etc) or vegetable's peel or rotten fruits, because they are inadequate and can cause debility.
Omnivore reptile fodder is excellent because is balanced and it also has calcium, vitamins and dispenses with any other kind of food. Once they are used to this fodder, they'll grows fast.
晝行性的爬虫類是需要日照的~每天至少15分鐘以上的日照時間(最好是在清晨或是下午以後) 你當然也可以採用特殊含uvb的人工光源~此光緣最好的距離差不多在30公分以內~這是為了讓爬虫類的細胞可以綜合d3來吸收鈣質~缺乏日照通常會造成骨骼疏鬆和METABOLIC BONE DIEASE(MOD)痀僂病
它們還需要一個熱源~實際的做法是準備爬虫用的熱石(但大多數人並不建議~因為容易造成烏龜翻車)和加熱墊~在人工養殖的陸龜是不能沒有熱源的(一般紅腿會建議設在22~30之間溼度依台灣正常60~90左右就可以)但類似原生地的環境和夠溫暖的地區除外~