yellow footed tortoise

[turk621]

hello there i am thinking about getting my daughter a yellow footed tortoise. just wondering if any body has one and how they are as pets. I know you have to put them in your will they live forever i think it's totally cool she could have a pet to give her kids that she got as a pet and so on maybe even there kids please let me know if you any any info thanks

[Blu Mongoose]

We have one. They are neat pets but require a lot of up keep. Ours is about 14 inches long and weighs about 10 lbs. You have to make sure they have a proper set up with uvb lighting , proper diet is a must. Common grocery store greens won't get it. They are messy, ours requires cleaning daily. Always craps in his water bowl. Best if they can have escape proof housing with a shelter outside when the weather permits. We love him!

[turk621]

Thanks for the info we are home bodies any way there is usually someone around. In Canada it is cold half the year so outside caging would only be possible 3 to 4 months a year.What exactly to you feed your tortoise? How big of a cage to you keep the tortoise in? I read 4 by 8 for a full size tortoise i thought a kids play pool would work with some modifications ?? Thanks for any and all info
Turk

[Blu Mongoose]

Sorry it took me so long to reply. I feed him a lot of grasses, cactus pads, squash, dark greens. Limited amount of fruit. His favorites are banana and mango. The diet should be low protien. If given any dog food, it should be very very small amounts, no more than once every week or two. If you go to the tortoise trust site, they have species specific care sheets. There are so many foods they eat, it helps to make yourself a list of healthy foods so he gets a well rounded diet. If you get a tortoise, make sure you do the research. My boys current pen is 5" x 7"

Good luck!!