Is my Russian tortoise sick?

Sccremeans25

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Hello. I recently got a Female Russian tortoise and it has moved very little to none. She constantly sleeps all day and when I pick her up to wake her, she immideitaly goes back to sleep after I put her down. She has not eaten any food. I have a 150watt bulb and a 10.0 UVB bulb. The enclosure is warm. Please someone let me know what to do.
 

wellington

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More info needed. Actual numbers in temps, all over, night, basking. Picture of enclosure. Pictures of bulbs, diet, humidity.
Do you soak her and how often?
Pic of her.
Otherwise we can't really help much.
 

Sccremeans25

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I got her two days ago and have offered her romaine lettuce, collard greens, and carrot tops dusted with calcium. Her basking temp is 90° and the temperature in the cool area is 74°. At night the temperature drops to 71°. I tried soaking her today and she drank the water but will not drink the water I offer her in her enclosure. Her enclosure is a kiddie size pool and is perfect for her size. I spritz the ground a little bit every morning. She just sleeps all day long and I am really hoping she is not sick from the people I got her from.
 

KarenSoCal

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So is she an adult? Do you know how old she is?
Did you get her from a previous keeper, or a store?

In any case, torts really hate change of any kind. She may just not be acclimated to her new home yet, as this can take several days, and sometimes longer.

Read this care sheet to see the proper lights, temps, etc. And post some pictures for us...of your tortoise from above and below, and the enclosure.

Does your 10 UVB bulb screw into a socket? Or is it a fluorescent tube type bulb?


 

wellington

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Yes please read what Karen linked for you. Then give her time to adjust. If she is an adult it might take longer, a couple weeks even. Keep offering food which you need to make a better diet for her and keep soaking her every other day until she does get used to her home.
 

Yvonne G

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Since you've only had the tortoise for a couple days I'm going to guess the animal is going through what's called Relocation Stress. Tortoises are very territorial. They spend their whole lives in the same territory. They know their space and they navigate through it by the landmarks in it. Now you've plunked her down in a new space. She feels she's in unsafe territory. With Russian tortoises what you usually see with a new tortoise is them trying to escape. . . wall surfing, digging at the corners, climbing the walls. But your girl just stays hidden, she's safe there.

Russian tortoises are hard wired to wander great distances looking for food, and this wandering helps them digest their food, so she needs a big enough space that she can do a lot of walking. Place the feeding station at the opposite end of the enclosure from the hiding place. Every morning get her out and place her in front of the food then quickly step out of sight. Then throughout the day whenever you think about it get her out and place her in front of the food. It may take a couple weeks for her to realize she's safe in this new territory. Try to keep to a routine.
 

Sccremeans25

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Okay I will try that. Should I try and make
So is she an adult? Do you know how old she is?
Did you get her from a previous keeper, or a store?

In any case, torts really hate change of any kind. She may just not be acclimated to her new home yet, as this can take several days, and sometimes longer.

Read this care sheet to see the proper lights, temps, etc. And post some pictures for us...of your tortoise from above and below, and the enclosure.

Does your 10 UVB bulb screw into a socket? Or is it a fluorescent tube type bulb?


yes the UVB is 10.0 and it screws in. I also tried feeding her grassland tortoise diet but she will still not eat it. I got her from an online store. I am not sure how old she is but she is 5 inches in length.
 

Sccremeans25

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Since you've only had the tortoise for a couple days I'm going to guess the animal is going through what's called Relocation Stress. Tortoises are very territorial. They spend their whole lives in the same territory. They know their space and they navigate through it by the landmarks in it. Now you've plunked her down in a new space. She feels she's in unsafe territory. With Russian tortoises what you usually see with a new tortoise is them trying to escape. . . wall surfing, digging at the corners, climbing the walls. But your girl just stays hidden, she's safe there.

Russian tortoises are hard wired to wander great distances looking for food, and this wandering helps them digest their food, so she needs a big enough space that she can do a lot of walking. Place the feeding station at the opposite end of the enclosure from the hiding place. Every morning get her out and place her in front of the food then quickly step out of sight. Then throughout the day whenever you think about it get her out and place her in front of the food. It may take a couple weeks for her to realize she's safe in this new territory. Try to keep to a routine.
Okay i will try that. Whenever I put her in front of her food dish she just walks on top of the food I offer her. The day I got her, she tried all day to get out by climbing the walls but she hasn’t tried that since the last 2 days I got her.
 

adapa

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I'm a new Russian owner and feel this. Soaking and warming seems to help my adult girl. She's been hiding and not eating for about a month now.
 

KarenSoCal

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Okay I will try that. Should I try and make

yes the UVB is 10.0 and it screws in. I also tried feeding her grassland tortoise diet but she will still not eat it. I got her from an online store. I am not sure how old she is but she is 5 inches in length.
There seems to be a lot of places called Castle Rock...could you just narrow it down a bit for us? Like So Cal, or NV...the general area. It helps us with recommendations, like if you can take her outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, she doesn't need indoor UVB, at least for the summer.

The bulb you are using isn't a good source of UVB. They are highly variable in their output, and some types of them can burn babies' eyes, or even make adults hide from it.

I know it is worrisome when they don't eat, but try not to get too upset. This is a normal reaction she is having, and she'll eat when she's ready. Suddenly, one day, she'll decide all is OK, and will be fine.
 

Sccremeans25

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I live in colorado and the weather is not warm enough for her to be out yet. I also should have mentioned that when I look at her atleast every 20 seconds she scratches her face and twitches suddenly as if something is bothering her. Since I am a brand new tortoise carer I’m not sure if this is normal or she may have parasites. And also do I need to dechlorinate her water or can she drink tap water.
 

Sccremeans25

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I live in colorado and the weather is not warm enough for her to be out yet. I also should have mentioned that when I look at her atleast every 20 seconds she scratches her face and twitches suddenly as if something is bothering her. Since I am a brand new tortoise carer I’m not sure if this is normal or she may have parasites. And also do I need to dechlorinate her water or can she drink tap water.
 

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KarenSoCal

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I live in colorado and the weather is not warm enough for her to be out yet. I also should have mentioned that when I look at her atleast every 20 seconds she scratches her face and twitches suddenly as if something is bothering her. Since I am a brand new tortoise carer I’m not sure if this is normal or she may have parasites. And also do I need to dechlorinate her water or can she drink tap water.
If the water is safe for you to drink, it's safe for her.

Frequent scratching and twitching is not normal. I don't see anything odd on the picture...do you see anything at all? Maybe you could do a video of this behavior. You will have to upload it to YouTube or another third party, then post the link to it here.
 

ZenHerper

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The coiled flourescent or MVB bulbs concentrate uvb radiation in a narrow beam - like a laser. This can burn the corneas (skin of the eyes) over time. Torts will fuss with their faces in the beginning stages of this damage. Instead, use a Ceramic Heat Emitting bulb (CHE) that gives off no light, and a separate long-tube uvb fixture. That will provide the safest and most effective heat and uvb radiation without hurting your tort's eyes or making it too bright in the enclosure.

Your pet also looks dry. Try a warm water soak for 20 minutes every morning to help wake up and rehydrate. Some torts don't seem to drink enough water for their needs (especially if they were wild-caught and not used to having water on hand every day).

Read the detailed care sheet Karen linked for you up-thread. It contains a lot of great information about setting up a comfortable habitat that encourages Russian tortoises to be more active and outgoing.

Post photos of your entire set up and let us know if you have questions about the care sheet!
 

Sccremeans25

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If the water is safe for you to drink, it's safe for her.

Frequent scratching and twitching is not normal. I don't see anything odd on the picture...do you see anything at all? Maybe you could do a video of this behavior. You will have to upload it to YouTube or another third party, then post the link to it here.
The weather was warm today in colorado and I took her outside in my backyard and she was absolutely thriving and eating every plant she saw and running around but she still will not eat any of the romaine lettuce or collard greens I gave her. Would you know why? She ate every plant in sight but the produce I gave her.
 

Sarah2020

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Okay i will try that. Whenever I put her in front of her food dish she just walks on top of the food I offer her. The day I got her, she tried all day to get out by climbing the walls but she hasn’t tried that since the last 2 days I got her.
They do climb onto and into their food dish. That is why substrate type is so important because if sand they trample that over the food and eat it. I agree that she is settling in a getting used to you and her new home. Read the care sheets and monitor. Drinking during soak is good and normal. Not drinking from water dish is completely normal but mandatory they have it fresh and replenished 24 X 7 as of a type they can climb in and soak. As long as heat,light, diet, substrate, water, humidity are all as per care sheet and it should settle down. Try fresh dandelion flowers and stem weeds they run for them.
 

ZenHerper

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The weather was warm today in colorado and I took her outside in my backyard and she was absolutely thriving and eating every plant she saw and running around but she still will not eat any of the romaine lettuce or collard greens I gave her. Would you know why? She ate every plant in sight but the produce I gave her.
If her eyes are in pain when she is in the habitat, then she won't be interested in eating or drinking...only in squeezing her eyes shut and hoping to get out. If she spends 15 minutes outdoors every day (or nearly) then she does not need a uvb radiating bulb indoors.

Cultivated produce is not a natural food for tortoises, so given the choice, she will always try to wait for natural plants and the varied nutrition they provide. Many keepers grow "weed" gardens for their torts.


Romaine contains virtually no nutrition, so it is not a good lettuce to feed as a staple. Collards are strongly flavored. Chicory, dandelion, endive (curly and Belgian), Viola/heartsease: all good choices.
 

Jan A

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The weather was warm today in colorado and I took her outside in my backyard and she was absolutely thriving and eating every plant she saw and running around but she still will not eat any of the romaine lettuce or collard greens I gave her. Would you know why? She ate every plant in sight but the produce I gave her.
There was your first clue. What you are offering her to eat doesn't appeal; what was outside did. Hang in there. There is a lot of good advice offered here, as well as what is in the care sheets. It is a lot to understand because everything elsewhere on the internet is either wrong or not up-to-date. You're on a journey. Your job is to make your tort feel safe so she can thrive & eat & to give her temps & humidity & space to roam. Good luck!
 

Dawn the decorator

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Hello. I recently got a Female Russian tortoise and it has moved very little to none. She constantly sleeps all day and when I pick her up to wake her, she immideitaly goes back to sleep after I put her down. She has not eaten any food. I have a 150watt bulb and a 10.0 UVB bulb. The enclosure is warm. Please someone let me know what to do.
I’d not hesitate, get her checked out by someone who is trained in reptiles..I’m very lucky...please don’t delay. If she’s I’ll she will go down hill quick...??
 
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