Recent content by Britannica

I have had my store bought (wild caught?) male Russian Tort for 4 weeks now and wondering if this chipped keratin will ever grow back. He was like this when I got him. Thanks!

Hey all! I have had my pet-store bought male Russian tortoise for a whole month now and he adjusted so well. I had a quick question about his shell. His shell appears sort of...flaky. It looked like this when I acquired him. There are two white spots where the shell has sort of "chipped" and...

I want to measure my Russian tortoise and I am wondering if the standard is to measure the carapace or plastron? Just curious because I hear they have an average size but I want to make sure I'm measuring the appropriate part.

I was having the same issue - 65 watt Phillips flood bulb was only reaching about mid 80s in basking spot (10 inches from shell). I couldn't find anything but LED at Lowe's and Home Depot and all of the halogen bulbs were 250 watt. I ended up giving up and just buying the Exo Terra 100 watt bulb...

Just out of general curiosity does anyone know the heart and respiratory rate in a russian tortoise? I was reading about hibernation and it just got me thinking!

Hello, me again! I really appreciate how this community has been so helpful in answering all of my newby questions. I now have a question about the maturity of my Russian tortoise. I picked him up from a local feed/farm supply store yesterday. They were placing an order last week and I...

Thanks for all of your input and advice!

Thanks so much for the thorough reply. Sounds like I’m getting a cover for a portion of the tank and/or a light stand for sure. It’s only day 2 with him so I’m going to begin regularly misting his enclosure today and provide regular soaks. To answer your first question, I got him from a farm...

I just got my first Russian tortoise today and I couldn't be more excited! I want the best for him so I'd love feedback on my habitat. His space is two Zoo Med Tortoise Homes that I bracketed together to form a 2' x 6' enclosure. Substrate is a combo of coconut fiber and Cyprus mulch. (I...

Thanks!

Just to clarify on the heat bulb...it doesn't have to be specifically for reptiles?

Awesome, thanks! I haven't started the table yet so I can plan to make it bigger. I haven't even found a Russian yet so unsure about age. I have sent messages to a few people on Craigslist and put out a message to someone who knows a connection through a local feed store. It's actually a lot...

Hello all, I am in the beginning stages of getting a Russian tortoise and I plan to custom build my own table. I have been researching lighting and it appears that the community advises against coil/compact fluorescent UVB lighting. I currently have Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Fluorescent 24 inch...

Hey I am in the beginning stages of getting a Russian tortoise and saw your post. I don't want to make the same mistake and I am wondering what fluorescent light you ended up going with? Thanks so much for sharing your experience and for any advice!

Hi there, I am in Bremerton and looking for a Russian tortoise. I see you are in Tacoma and would love to discuss further details if he/she is still available! Thanks, Brittany