Hi everyone, thank you so much for your responses! They are so helpful and I truly appreciate the advice. It sounds like the consensus is that the dirt/clay that's already in the planter box is a suitable substrate, that I should probably cover the enclosure (we have rodents and many coyotes in...
Hello all!
I have had my Russian tortoise for 15 years, and she has lived most of her life in a 6'x2' indoor enclosure. I have always hoped to build her a larger, hopefully outdoor enclosure, but being a student and moving frequently for most of those years prevented this. Now, I am in a rental...
Thank you all so much for your responses, and apologies for the late response! I just got back from traveling and here are a few pics of my tort :). Her beak is always growing a bit long and she's due for a trimming, but she seems unaffected by all her strawberries!
Thank you all so much! My mind has been set at ease. ☺️ At least she enjoyed eating the most strawberries she will ever eat in one sitting lol. @wellington I know :/ this was a family friend who has watched me feed a small amount of strawberry as a treat and interpreted that to mean that...
Hi guys, I have had a Russian tortoise for the past 14 years and she typically eats a mix of grocery store greens and weeds that I grow for her. However, I have been out of town and the person who I had taking care of her fed her 4 large strawberries thinking that they were common food for them...
Ah, okay - thank you so much! Is there a better alternative that is similar? I've noticed that she likes to dig under a "mat" of stuff to completely bury herself. I will definitely keep an eye on it for mold and will check her eyes/nostrils/behavior while it's in her enclosure
Hi guys! Quick update - I think I might have discovered one of the reasons for my tort's frequent digging. I should have clarified this in the original post, but she is typically digging down, like she's trying to make a burrow, and not up, like she's trying to escape. I did some more reading on...
Thanks so much for the response! Same - my Russian is insanely active in the summer (she tends to chill out and spend more time in her hides in the winter but right now she is ON something). You're definitely right about the wire lined bottom - because I'm not allowed to do any yard...
Thank you so much for this response! It's good to know that the indoor/outdoor switching might not be too stressful if I'm keeping her schedule consistent. I got the chicken coop because I knew that her indoor space was too small, so my hope was for exactly what you mentioned - give her some...
Thank you so much for this! I really appreciate the tips about the temp gun, the water dish, and the aspen - I will switch the water dish and the aspen bedding asap and will order a temp gun! I actually have noticed that the last week or so we've had a cool spell and she's barely scratched at...
Thank you so much for your response! I am sadly aware that my indoor inclosure is too small (6'x2') - it's the best that I've been able to do with constant moves and living in apartments, but I am hopeful that I will be able to house her outside year-round after I move this summer. The outdoor...
Also, she has never been with another tortoise as far as I know - there was one time where she escaped my yard and I found her a YEAR later a mile from my house (crazy story) but that was ~7 years ago.
Thanks to all of you for your responses! All of that information is very helpful. I am currently renting my place and am not allowed to do any modifications in the backyard, but am moving again this summer (hopefully for the last time in the near future) and my new place has a fence in the...
Hello!
I am new to this forum, but have had my Russian tortoise for about 14 years. I got her when she was young and I was 12, and we have grown up together. Throughout this time, I've learned a lot more about how to care for her and have always tried to give her as big and as good of...