Meet Tabitha!

Lark_Tortoise · Mar 25, 2018

This is Tabitha, my new Russian Tortoise! :<3:

I got her today, and I am unsure of her age. She is about the size of my hand, maybe a little bigger. She is very adventurous and I love her already. Her full name is:
Tabitha (It sounds so cute!)
Basilton (Everyone deserves a silly middle name.)
Winans (My mom's maiden name.)
Cooper (My last name.)

Maro2Bear · Mar 25, 2018

Good luck with your new tort!

Lark_Tortoise · Mar 25, 2018

Maro2Bear said:
Good luck with your new tort!

Thanks!

DARKFIRE007 · Mar 28, 2018

A tort with 4 names, that is a first for me haha. Looks like a roomy enclosure, a plant, some slate, coco or peat, you have either done this before or have been browsing the forum lol. Doing better than I did at first that's for sure. She's a cutie...very colorful. I can't guess at her age, but the size of your hand is 4 or 5 inches, I don't know if certain sub species females vary in size or not, but I would expect another 4 inches in growth since it is a female.

Rusky · Mar 28, 2018

Hello and congrats! Probably a wild-caught adult, but she still has some growing to do. I assume you've checked out the care sheets, etc.?

RosemaryDW · Mar 28, 2018

Rusky said:
Probably a wild-caught adult, but she still has some growing to do. I assume you've checked out the care sheets, etc.?

She looks a bit smooth to be a wild caught?

Very pretty either way!

Rusky · Mar 28, 2018

RosemaryDW said:
She looks a bit smooth to be a wild caught?

Very pretty either way!

I'm assuming you mean damage-wise rather than pyramiding-wise. You could definitely be right. I've probably gotten too used to jumping to conclusions. @Lark_Tortoise Where did you get Tabitha?

Lark_Tortoise · Mar 28, 2018

DARKFIRE007 said:
A tort with 4 names, that is a first for me haha. Looks like a roomy enclosure, a plant, some slate, coco or peat, you have either done this before or have been browsing the forum lol. Doing better than I did at first that's for sure. She's a cutie...very colorful. I can't guess at her age, but the size of your hand is 4 or 5 inches, I don't know if certain sub species females vary in size or not, but I would expect another 4 inches in growth since it is a female.

It's my first time so, thank you, and you guessed it! Browsing the forum!

Lark_Tortoise · Mar 28, 2018

Rusky said:
I'm assuming you mean damage-wise rather than pyramiding-wise. You could definitely be right. I've probably gotten too used to jumping to conclusions. @Lark_Tortoise Where did you get Tabitha?

I got her at an expo near me, they said she was captive breed, but you never know. I'm not sure if I trust them.... They gave me an age range for her of 3-13 which seemed a little suspicios as well.... I have read and reread the caresheets.

Thanks!

Lark_Tortoise · Mar 28, 2018

RosemaryDW said:
She looks a bit smooth to be a wild caught?

Very pretty either way!

Thanks! I'll tell her you said so!

RosemaryDW · Mar 28, 2018

Rusky said:
I'm assuming you mean damage-wise rather than pyramiding-wise. You could definitely be right. I've probably gotten too used to jumping to conclusions.

My expertise is exactly zero but no, it’s more the smoothness of the growth lines and their size. I think even captive Russians get a little bumpy? I’ve seen so few, though.

RosemaryDW · Mar 28, 2018

Lark_Tortoise said:
I got her at an expo near me, they said she was captive breed, but you never know. I'm not sure if I trust them.... They gave me an age range for her of 3-13 which seemed a little suspicios as well.

I think it would be very odd to have a thirteen year old captive bred in this country.

Now I’m really curious! How much does she weigh?

DARKFIRE007 · Mar 28, 2018

RosemaryDW said:
I think it would be very odd to have a thirteen year old captive bred in this country.

Now I’m really curious! How much does she weigh?

Why is that? Do captive bred's not live as long? Or are they just hard to find because of being someones pet for so long?

Lark_Tortoise · Mar 28, 2018

RosemaryDW said:
I think it would be very odd to have a thirteen year old captive bred in this country.

Now I’m really curious! How much does she weigh?

I want to know her weight but are not sure what to buy so I can weigh her. Her shell length is between 7 and 8 inches. Should I just wait for a vet appointment or buy something to weigh her? If so what do I buy?

Lark_Tortoise · Mar 28, 2018

DARKFIRE007 said:
Why is that? Do captive bred's not live as long? Or are they just hard to find because of being someones pet for so long?

Most captive bred are babies and people keep the adults as pets or breeders so it's hard to find older ones. I haven't heard of a shorter life expectancy.

RosemaryDW · Mar 28, 2018

Lark_Tortoise said:
I want to know her weight but are not sure what to buy so I can weigh her. Her shell length is between 7 and 8 inches. Should I just wait for a vet appointment or buy something to weigh her? If so what do I buy?

An electronic scale, something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C465Y8U/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20. Something with “zero reset” and that can weigh in grams. She’s going to put on weight in grams pretty quickly and you aren’t going to see the vet that often.

I don’t think her straight length can be seven inches, although who knows in a captive bred. You measure by the straight length of the shell, not over the top. http://www.tlady.clara.net/measure.htm.

RosemaryDW · Mar 28, 2018

DARKFIRE007 said:
Why is that? Do captive bred's not live as long? Or are they just hard to find because of being someones pet for so long?

Because we haven’t been breeding them in the US for that long, I don’t believe. They have done in the UK, or at least it’s more common there. You can’t legally import them to the UK.

Rusky · Mar 29, 2018

RosemaryDW said:
My expertise is exactly zero but no, it’s more the smoothness of the growth lines and their size. I think even captive Russians get a little bumpy? I’ve seen so few, though.

WC is usually pretty smooth from what I've seen. 3-13 years is very suspicious if they said she was CB - I don't really buy it. I once saw a Russian for sale at an expo as a Greek, so there are people who have no idea what they're talking about or don't really care.

Rusky · Mar 29, 2018

That is a very shiny shell though lol ... can you see yourself in it?

RosemaryDW · Mar 29, 2018

Poor Tabitha, we might have her worried.

It’s a healthy looking shell, however it came about!

Meet Tabitha!

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