I want to switch my russian's substrate to a mix of 70/30 topsoil/playsand. However, I don't know what to look for to be sure it isn't harmful. I can't get the soil out of my yard since I have two dogs, so I need to buy it. Am I looking for sterilized top soil? And sterilized playsand? Does...
Currently, I am unable to put my Russian in an outdoor enclosure, though now that it is summer I will be taking her outside a lot to get some sunshine. Its getting hot here, in the 90s, and I don't have air conditioning so its about the same inside. In her indoor enclosure she gets her uv from a...
My russian tortoise doesn't seem to use her soaking dish when she is in her indoor enclosure. I was wondering if that is because of where I have it. It is on the cool side, because I figured it would just dry up on the hot side. Is the water too cold? Should I put it in the middle maybe? Also...
So, i use no pesticides on my yard, but i worry that whille my tortoise is grazing she will eat something she shouldn't. Is this a possibilty, or will she not eat anything harmful on her own?
Okay, so I feel like I need a better substrate for my tortoise. Currently, it's just coconut fiber. There are a few problems I had with it, though. First of all, I feel like she is getting buried in it when she walks. Also, sometimes she "bulldozes" over her food dish when I feed her and the...
Okay, so I have had my female tortoise since february and I still haven't named her! I was torn between Stella and Daisy for a while but now I am not sure about either one. Any suggestions for what to name her would be awesome! I kind of wanted something dignified or unusual...
Okay, so I started out feeding my RT a huge handful of her spring mix/other green every morning. But, in the afternoon when I open the cage she comes running looking for food and even tries to bite my fingers thinking I have food. Well I think this means she is hungry so recently I have been...
So, I got my Russian Tortoise! I'm not sure about its gender, but I'm going to say "him" for now. Please look at the pics below and see if you can tell what it is... He hasn't been named yet either. I was thinking Rudy but now I'm not sure. My brother suggested Sputnik. :P Also, any guesses on...
Sorry I'm bothering everyone with so many questions as I'm a bit paranoid! Anyways, I'm setting an indoor Russian Tortoise enclosure up and the only heat light I found did not have UVB, just UVA, which I got, figuring I'd get another UVB light as I knew they'd need it. So, my brother has a...
Okay, I'm not quite sure why, but my dad is insisting I get a captive bred RT. Now, I will be a first time tortoise owner, so I kind of want an adult. Is it possible to get an adult captive bred tortoise? If it is an adult and they still have it, is it probable that there is a reason why it has...
For an indoor enclosure, I have limited space. So, I thought I might create a 2 level enclosure for a Russian Tortoise. However, instead of having double the basking areas, could I have one floor have the heat/UVA/UVB light, and one regular lighting where the water and food would be? Thanks! I...
I am a bit confused... I know (or at least assume) there are some things you would do differently for a baby rt, and I am thinking of getting one. Before I do, I want to know everything about caring for them. I have been able to find information about caring for an adult, but not a baby...
Question about an indoor cage for a Russian Tortoise
Okay, so I am thinking of getting a russian tortoise, and I am not sure what to do for his indoor enclosure. First off, I know the best things are tortoise tables, but the problem is, I have cats, one of which can open the door to the room...