Concerns about activity level

SinLA

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TLDR: He doesn't "patrol" or move around much at all, and I don't know if I should be concerned...

Trying to figure out if this is a "its just him" thing, or if he's still adjusting and/or doesn't like his space. Should I just assume this is how he wants to be, and leave him alone, or try to do something to make him "happier" (more comfortable? whatever is the tort equivalent of "happy.")?

I've had Fezzik about 3 months now (~5(??) yo, 4.5" male Russian, ~1lb, that had been living largely unattended with another Russian and a Redfoot in someone's yard for a few years before he came my way). His outdoor enclosure is split into two sections, 4' x 10' fully enclosed, and 8' x 10' open area (tho the plants are beginning to grow in). There is a door between them that is open during the day, and he's fully enclosed at night - his night box is in that section under the sun screen. He **never** chooses to leave the smaller area and go into the larger area, but also within his enclosed area, he also doesn't move much. He suns himself in spot A or spot B (marked in photos), then in the afternoon he moves into the deep shaded area, and around sunset he either goes into his night box, or digs himself into the deep substrate I have in and around the night box (and then gets moved by me into his night box if he didn't go there himself).

But literally those are the ONLY spots he moves to and he just sits there all day. He does go to his food bowl once a day, and eats maybe 2/3 of what I put out, though if I also put food in front of him, he'll happily eat that as well. Also he has no problem moving at all - if I put him in the larger section, makes a bee-line back to his happy place in the smaller section, in one of his pre-approved, two day spots. He may stop to nibble the young growth plants, but otherwise, he just moseys over to his sun spots.

A note about temps, the deep shaded area thus far has stayed in the 80s during the day (and he can dig down into substrate kept cool/moist), and the night box is kept in the 70s at night, daytime temps in the sun are easily 95+. He gets soaked several times a week, and I keep his night box substrate sprayed down. There is also a very cool comfy humid hide in the big area that he has checked out a couple of times if I put him down near it, but he doesn't stay there all that long, he always goes back to his happy spots in the little area.

I hear people talk about Russians needing space, needing to patrol, checking out their territory - seriously I feel like this guy would be just as happy in a 2' x 3' box for all that he seems interested in the space around him...

So, do some Russians not like moving/patrolling, or is there something else I should do?
 

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jaizei

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How are you measuring the temperature in the shaded area? An thermometer measuring air temp or with a temp gun measuring ground temp?
 

Cathie G

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Hello and welcome. 🤗
And the little tort will get comfortable later in a large enclosure. It takes them a while to adjust to their surroundings..40 square feet and 80 square feet is a lot though. 4×8 or 32 square feet and larger is recommended for a Russian. 😊
 

jaizei

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The foil covering probably helps some as a radiant barrier, but I'd raise any covering over the wire up a few inches for air flow, and then maybe add something else above that to create layers of shade. If the ground temp is 80s, the air temp in the shaded area could easily be 90+.
 

SinLA

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The foil covering probably helps some as a radiant barrier, but I'd raise any covering over the wire up a few inches for air flow, and then maybe add something else above that to create layers of shade. If the ground temp is 80s, the air temp in the shaded area could easily be 90+.
OK that’s a fair point and I will investigate that further. However at worst it’s that hot for maybe two or three hours in the mid-late afternoon. Why would he be immobile the rest of the day When the ambient temperatures are in the 70s-80s….

Also should point out that's extreme and has only been that way when outside temps get into the mid-upper 90s, that's not regular temps. Also he can definitely dig down into the substrate and get cooler...

He seems quite happy to be in what I call "sun adjacent" spots all day (simple shade either near the sun or with a piece of his shell in the sun). He doesn't seem all that eager to get into deeper/cooler shade so while making sure he has that is important, I'm not sure its the root of the issue here...
 
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jaizei

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OK that’s a fair point and I will investigate that further. However at worst it’s that hot for maybe two or three hours in the mid-late afternoon. Why would he be immobile the rest of the day When the ambient temperatures are in the 70s-80s….

Also should point out that's extreme and has only been that way when outside temps get into the mid-upper 90s, that's not regular temps. Also he can definitely dig down into the substrate and get cooler...

He seems quite happy to be in what I call "sun adjacent" spots all day (simple shade either near the sun or with a piece of his shell in the sun). He doesn't seem all that eager to get into deeper/cooler shade so while making sure he has that is important, I'm not sure its the root of the issue here...

You're doing wonderful, it's great that you noticed the change in his activity. Being observant about these things prevent/catch problems before they're serious.

That's just the first thing that came to mind. That he's still eating and moving some, makes it seem like its not that serious. Some slowdown during the hot days can be normal.
 

SinLA

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Yeah could be, except he hasn't really slowed down, he's just always been - well, lazy? (!?), at least for the time I've had him. He eats well, poops well, and moves when he needs to - he just doesn't seem to WANT to move, at least the way I understand other people say their Russians do...
 

Cathie G

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Yeah could be, except he hasn't really slowed down, he's just always been - well, lazy? (!?), at least for the time I've had him. He eats well, poops well, and moves when he needs to - he just doesn't seem to WANT to move, at least the way I understand other people say their Russians do...
Yes. That's what they're like. Unless they decide they want to do something.😁 stay on your toes.🤗
 

Snoopy’s mom

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Your set up is gorgeous! You can try adding more plants so he’ll feel safer than being exposed without anything to run/walk/scoot hide behind or under. Spider plants are good to hide under and I’ve even used aquarium plants. Snoopy has never tried to eat the fake plants and they take quite a beating when he decides to redecorate to his taste.
 

Sarah2020

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Set up look great however I would change water dishes to flower pot bases with small pebbles around edge to aid access and egress. I would put a metal grill on top as very open to aerial predators or 4 legged visitors! He needs more shade can you add some plants or a garden umbrella for hot days. He is doing what tortoise do but appreciate you want him to utilise the space. Are you soaking him this is a great way to hydrate and he connects with you as carer. Let us know.
 

TammyJ

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Set up look great however I would change water dishes to flower pot bases with small pebbles around edge to aid access and egress. I would put a metal grill on top as very open to aerial predators or 4 legged visitors! He needs more shade can you add some plants or a garden umbrella for hot days. He is doing what tortoise do but appreciate you want him to utilise the space. Are you soaking him this is a great way to hydrate and he connects with you as carer. Let us know.
I agree 100 percent. I also thought that maybe the lack of moving around has to do with feeling exposed, as well as not feeling a need to "escape".
 

SinLA

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Set up look great however I would change water dishes to flower pot bases with small pebbles around edge to aid access and egress. I would put a metal grill on top as very open to aerial predators or 4 legged visitors! He needs more shade can you add some plants or a garden umbrella for hot days. He is doing what tortoise do but appreciate you want him to utilise the space. Are you soaking him this is a great way to hydrate and he connects with you as carer. Let us know.
Yes he was getting soaked almost daily, now it’s about 2-3x per week. But I’d say the opposite impact for making him connect with me as a “carer”, it just makes me scared of me. I’m just the predator who picks him up and puts him in water and then picks him up and puts him back again. It doesn’t endear me to him. He knows I provide food, but he doesn’t think much of me beyond that.

An umbrella is a good idea to try as well, he has a deep shade area in the smaller section (under the reflective sun shield) but I can try more “larger” overhead covering for the larger area.
 

Cathie G

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Something I did with my Russian to get him used to me was doing things with him sitting down. So that I'm not always towering over him. With your enclosure and the way it is, try picking him up and setting him close to his food, while sitting, yet not close enough to the food for the little one to get mad and tromp through it. Sapphire would do that so I had to give him enough space away from his food to get done with his little hissy fit.😁 That way not all of the things you do are new and stressful. And by the way welcome to the forum ☺️
 

SinLA

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Hmm, interesting idea, I'll try that. If I put food in front of him, he will eat it (almost once took something from my hand. Almost. Once.). But part of the issue is, just given my schedule, other than stopping to watch him eat on a weekend, if I'm lucky enough to catch it, by the time I"m done with work, he's bedded down for the night. So mainly his interaction is me waking him for his soak (grumpy-pants as I would be too), me looking in on him a few times a day, me putting his food out, me moving him from spot A to spot B - like into his night box, which he is happy to be in, but sometimes also does NOT want to be in, and insists on sleeping outside ["outside" is protected from predators and currently warm enough for him, but I want him to get used to his heated box for when it gets cooler]

Also I bought as sun shade/sail to put over the enclosure, I'm very excited to set it up!
 
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