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Hi Yvonne, thanks for popping in. Yes I am about ready to move to coconut oil (even though I hate coconut lol) and see how it goes. There just isn't a wealth of information for this issue out there.

If this is an adult Russian 18x36 is WAY too small, they require 4 feet by 8 feet minimum. Also glass is a big no no because they don't understand why they can see through it but not GO through it, and they will stress and keep trying. Drive you batty too...a shell on glass gets annoying fast...

You can't tell her size in the pic, but TRUST me when I tell you this lady is getting big. She seems to have quite a few stuck scutes, she isn't pyramiding and is in good shape considering she was wild caught and bought at a show. Everything was even at 4.5 inches in size, but now with a LOT of...

Why not use a box lined with metal wire mesh? They have it in small square sizes, I used it when I made my enclosure top and to prevent digging escape outdoors. Strong and dig proof. Just put a good 5 inches of substrate for burrowing.

Yea my male want's to hibernate, the female though, you can almost hear her cutting a rap album, "eat, bask, poo, sleep, repeat. These are my laws, interfere and deal with my claws".

If you feel someone lurking around this thread it's me spying on the replies because I'm terrified of trying this and having to tell people I froze a pet.

Try putting his hide in the yard, he may go to it. I'm betting you will see him again...along with any other ones that hear the mating call lol. Best of luck.

I am SO flipping jealous right now.... Congrats :)

I would glue a couple rails to that ramp to prevent falling/flipping over...but that is a nice corner table you got going. As for moistening the substrate being a struggle, I find using a 2 liter bottle with a hole drilled in the cap does the job well and drizzles it out at a rate allowing you...

The distance on that lamp looks suspect to me, either so far away it isn't providing a good basking temp or so powerful that even at that height it is causing the whole enclosure to be too hot in turn causing the tort to seek a cooler area. I would take readings with a temp gun all over the...

That dark one is a wicked cool looking Russian...I would be proud.

Thing sprouted wings in my teens, goes off on it's own, usually around mean people. Pet smart, people who call tortoises turtles JUST to make me mad and almost any ex also trigger it at will.

See I didn't know that, I figured it was normal and every one didn't have to have growth between it. I normally only brush her shell to remove feces and urine (yes don't ask me HOW, but she gets it on there) because she is less than receptive to it withdrawing repeatedly sounding like a pissed...

I'm kinda bummed because I was going to use this as a proud update on my females progress and growth in my own thread...but it is of more use putting a worry to rest I think. It is indeed normal growth.

No, not confused lol. Reptibark is pure fir, now granted I have only used that brand so far, but it stinks to me when wet. Cypress never really gave me trouble scent wise, my issue with cypress is it doesn't stay moist for long and I don't want a bone dry environment. I stopped using cypress...

Yea as I said, I have been to places like Home Depot and Lowes home improvement and crapped out. Where are you going to get those prices? Cypress is better in my opinion, fir stinks to high heaven and all the way back down to me when wet. Which is odd, it smells great when dry.

How do you afford that? Just a rough guess on the repti brand is pushing a hundred bucks...coco coir is the only affordable substrate I can find. Lowes and Home Depot basically look at me like I'm speaking a different language when I ask for it.

I had such trouble with this when I was new...I mean I was sweating this question, some are harmful, some even fatal. To this day I use coco coir with no issues. It is digestible, is not ungodly muddy like top soil when wet (messy still but not bad) and it lasts a LONG time if kept clean. Cost...

My own opinion on this is simple, any tort male or female that is under 4 inches isn't likely to be older than 5 years from what I have seen. Beyond 5 inches it gets virtually impossible to tell...especially with males. Looks to be in great shape for wild caught.

I want an updated thread on subspecies myself, I am almost certain my male and my (rapidly growing) female are different subspecies. I'm worried they won't be able to produce viable offspring. Reports of MY disappearance have been greatly exaggerated :)