# First baby!!!



## MichaelL (Jun 1, 2021)

Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.

Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 1, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.
> 
> Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.
> 
> ...


Super cool man!


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## MichaelL (Jun 1, 2021)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> Super cool man!


Thank you!!


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## ZenHerper (Jun 1, 2021)

Congrats eleventy!


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## MichaelL (Jun 1, 2021)

ZenHerper said:


> Congrats eleventy!


Thanks!


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## Chubbs the tegu (Jun 1, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.
> 
> Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.
> 
> ...


Congrats bro! Cant wait to see the lil guy


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## MichaelL (Jun 1, 2021)

Chubbs the tegu said:


> Congrats bro! Cant wait to see the lil guy


Thanks! me too!


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## wellington (Jun 1, 2021)

Yay congrats! It's one of the coolest things ever to hatch a tort.


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## MichaelL (Jun 1, 2021)

wellington said:


> Yay congrats! It's one of the coolest things ever to hatch a tort.


Thanks! It really is so cool, nothing like looking into the incubator and seeing a pip. Can't wait to see the full baby.


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## Krista S (Jun 1, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.
> 
> Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.
> 
> ...


How exciting!! Congratulations!! Like he others have said, I can’t wait to see the cute little baby ?


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## MichaelL (Jun 1, 2021)

Krista S said:


> How exciting!! Congratulations!! Like he others have said, I can’t wait to see the cute little baby ?


Thanks!! Can't wait!!


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 1, 2021)

Krista S said:


> How exciting!! Congratulations!! Like he others have said, I can’t wait to see the cute little baby ?


You mean Eggciting?


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## ZenHerper (Jun 1, 2021)

Eggsactly...


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## Tom (Jun 1, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.
> 
> Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.
> 
> ...


Congrats!

You won't need the tank for about 10 days. The baby will need to be in a brooder box until the yolk sac absorbs and the umbilical scar closes up. I do the first day on damp paper towels, but they will eat paper towels after that, so I use grape leaves, mulberry leaves or broadleaf plantain leaves on the bottom and intoduce all sorts of different weeds, leaves and flowers in the first couple of weeks. Its good to clip small branches of edible plants for the tortoise to nibble on and hide in. I soak them daily and put them in a fresh brooder box with fresh food and hinging plants to make sure there isn't any mold or fungus building up in such a warm humid place.

Here is what I would change about the tank:
1. Set the thermostat on a timer. This species should drop down to room temp over night.
2. Get rid of the soil. There is no way to know what its made of and it could be something toxic or dangerous. Straight coco coir is better and safer. Hand pack it down to reduce the mess.
3. Get rid of the grass in the hide. Russians aren't grass eaters and that wet grass hay will begin to mold in 24 hours. You don't need it in there. Just wet the substrate under the humid hide.
4. Get rid of the water dish. Use a small terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate instead. These only cost about $1. Get a few of them. Use one for food and one for water, and change them out for cleaning as needed. Don't give the tortoise any excuse for not liking its water bowl.
5. You don't say what size that tank is, but it looks small. You need at least a 40 gallon, 36x18inches, to give the baby enough space to roam and also have a thermal gradient. I clip branches from grape vines, mulberry trees, lavatera bushes and any other edible plant for the babies to hide in until the enclosure plants get going and offer more cover.
6. Better if the hide is dark and opaque instead of clear plastic.


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## MichaelL (Jun 1, 2021)

Tom said:


> Congrats!
> 
> You won't need the tank for about 10 days. The baby will need to be in a brooder box until the yolk sac absorbs and the umbilical scar closes up. I do the first day on damp paper towels, but they will eat paper towels after that, so I use grape leaves, mulberry leaves or broadleaf plantain leaves on the bottom and intoduce all sorts of different weeds, leaves and flowers in the first couple of weeks. Its good to clip small branches of edible plants for the tortoise to nibble on and hide in. I soak them daily and put them in a fresh brooder box with fresh food and hinging plants to make sure there isn't any mold or fungus building up in such a warm humid place.
> 
> ...


Thank you!!!


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## KT1 (Jun 2, 2021)

So awesome! Please post lots of pictures!


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## MichaelL (Jun 2, 2021)

KT1 said:


> So awesome! Please post lots of pictures!


Yep I will! She still is just hanging out inside the egg with the head partly out.


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## Hutsie B (Jun 2, 2021)

That is so awesome, can't wait for the new baby and pics.


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## TaylorTortoise (Jun 2, 2021)

Tom said:


> Congrats!
> 
> You won't need the tank for about 10 days. The baby will need to be in a brooder box until the yolk sac absorbs and the umbilical scar closes up. I do the first day on damp paper towels, but they will eat paper towels after that, so I use grape leaves, mulberry leaves or broadleaf plantain leaves on the bottom and intoduce all sorts of different weeds, leaves and flowers in the first couple of weeks. Its good to clip small branches of edible plants for the tortoise to nibble on and hide in. I soak them daily and put them in a fresh brooder box with fresh food and hinging plants to make sure there isn't any mold or fungus building up in such a warm humid place.
> 
> ...


What kind of plant is in that enclosure? Is that the kind that propagates and needs little to no lighting?


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## MichaelL (Jun 2, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> What kind of plant is in that enclosure? Is that the kind that propagates and needs little to no lighting?


Yep! It's pothos!


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## MichaelL (Jun 2, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> What kind of plant is in that enclosure? Is that the kind that propagates and needs little to no lighting?


We have some wild pothos growing in the back of our forest and I propagated several plants, they're growing great in the pots and in the enclosure (so far lol)


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## TaylorTortoise (Jun 2, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> We have some wild pothos growing in the back of our forest and I propagated several plants, they're growing great in the pots and in the enclosure (so far lol)


Did you just plant them naked instead of in a pot it looks like in the enclosure set up? lol


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## MichaelL (Jun 2, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> Did you just plant them naked instead of in a pot it looks like in the enclosure set up? lol


Yep, I had them in a pot and then just planted them bare into the substrate.


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## MichaelL (Jun 2, 2021)

And it's out!!! Its yolk sack is already pretty much gone, and it already tried munching on the provided greens! It does have a little split scute, which I wouldn't have preferred, but it's awesome!!!


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## ZenHerper (Jun 2, 2021)

Just wonderful.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 2, 2021)

Congrats man, how cool!


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## Chubbs the tegu (Jun 2, 2021)

Awesome! Very cute


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## Krista S (Jun 2, 2021)

Oh my goodness he/she is so stinkin’ CUTE!! ? I hope you’ll continue to post more pics as this little grows. Congrats on a successful hatch!


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## MichaelL (Jun 2, 2021)

Krista S said:


> Oh my goodness he/she is so stinkin’ CUTE!! ? I hope you’ll continue to post more pics as this little grows. Congrats on a successful hatch!


Of course I wil ! Thanks!


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## Jan A (Jun 2, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> And it's out!!! Its yolk sack is already pretty much gone, and it already tried munching on the provided greens! It does have a little split scute, which I wouldn't have preferred, but it's awesome!!!
> View attachment 326378
> View attachment 326380
> View attachment 326381


Congrats, Dad, it's a boy, errr girl, errr cute little bugger!!


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## Carol S (Jun 2, 2021)

Adorable baby. I am so happy for you.


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## MichaelL (Jun 2, 2021)

Jan A said:


> Congrats, Dad, it's a boy, errr girl, errr cute little bugger!!


Hahaha thank you! It was incubated for female


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## Tom (Jun 2, 2021)

Super cool man. I'm very happy for you, and I hope there are many more to come!


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## MichaelL (Oct 2, 2021)

Here she is 4 months later!


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## ZenHerper (Oct 2, 2021)

What a jewel!


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## MichaelL (Oct 2, 2021)

ZenHerper said:


> What a jewel!


I know right!


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## Chubbs the tegu (Oct 2, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Here she is 4 months later!
> View attachment 333967
> 
> View attachment 333968


Nice job man


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## TaylorTortoise (Oct 2, 2021)

My baby 4 months old!


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## TaylorTortoise (Oct 2, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Here she is 4 months later!
> View attachment 333967
> 
> View attachment 333968


They have such an innocent look!!! I posted mine


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## Chubbs the tegu (Oct 2, 2021)

TaylorTortoise said:


> They have such an innocent look!!! I posted mine


Yes .. so innocent while they look at u while soaking, dropping a deuce, kick it around till the water looks like beef broth


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## Chubbs the tegu (Oct 2, 2021)

Then give u the finger


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## MichaelL (Oct 2, 2021)

TaylorTortoise said:


> My baby 4 months old!


Wow! Looks awesome! When was your baby's birthday?


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## TaylorTortoise (Oct 2, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Wow! Looks awesome! When was your baby's birthday?


Chris’s wife Casey told me Late May he hatched. Not sure what specific day. I wish I knew though.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Oct 2, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Here she is 4 months later!
> View attachment 333967
> 
> View attachment 333968


Awesome job bro


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## Yvonne G (Oct 2, 2021)

I don't know how I missed this thread. There's just nothing cuter than a baby Russian. When I saw the picture of the egg in someone's hand I thought, "What a big egg! " Have you decided to keep this cute little bugger?


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## MichaelL (Oct 2, 2021)

TaylorTortoise said:


> Chris’s wife Casey told me Late May he hatched. Not sure what specific day. I wish I knew though.


Super cool nonetheless. And it's also awesome that you got to talk with his wife, she and Chris seem like great people.


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## MichaelL (Oct 2, 2021)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> Awesome job bro


Thank you!


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## MichaelL (Oct 2, 2021)

Yvonne G said:


> I don't know how I missed this thread. There's just nothing cuter than a baby Russian. When I saw the picture of the egg in someone's hand I thought, "What a big egg! " Have you decided to keep this cute little bugger?


Baby Russians are the best. You're right, the egg was huge! Yeah, I'm really debating selling it.. Being the first Russian I've ever hatched, it's going to be hard giving her up so for now I'm keeping her. I'm also super curious to see her as an adult too. Pretty sure it's a female because of the temp incubated but we'll see.


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