Excited to join the community

[Minniemuch]

So, I unexpectedly (but not unpreparedly) became keeper of the noms to a Russian tortoise last week. I'm not unfamiliar with the care of reptiles, but this is my first tort. I've read all of the care sheets and done a ton of research. I thought I'd introduce myself to the community since it's been such a great resource for me. I'm Ashley, the tiny dinosaur is Ozymandias. I was told that he is a male, around 3 years old, but I can't speak to the accuracy of that statement. I'm pretty confident he is male though. I ended up with him in a very roundabout way, so I have almost no background information about him. From what I've observed, he seems healthy and pretty laid back. The only question I currently have is about the minor shell damage. Is there anything I could be doing for that? I look forward to being part of such a great community.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Welcome. Awesome looking little guy!

 

[Tim Carlisle]

And BTW.... not much can be done about those scuffs, although they might lighten up a bit through the years.

 

[Billna the 2]

Welcome to the Forum[emoji4] your Russian tortoise look nice[emoji108][emoji217]

 

[Gillian M]

Welcome to the forum to you and your cute tort.

 

[LaLaP]

Welcome! I'm a new tort parent to a Russian too. Mine has a pretty scuffed up shell as well. A couple times I put coconut oil on it. I read that some others do it and it's safe. The scuffs peel and chip around them and it seems like the oil either keeps it from peeling and chipping or just hides it and keeps me from thinking about it! Either way... win!

 

[Yvonne G]

. . . and we're very excited to have you! Welcome!

 

[Minniemuch]

He's quite the little model.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome.
Many Russian tortoises arrive to us banged up.
They're a tough a rough species.
Think of it as a beauty mark.

 

[SweetGreekTorts]

Very handsome Russian Tortoise! Congratulations! These are one of my favorite species (I currently have 9 of them myself). [emoji173][emoji217]

 

[Viola B]

Welcome. This is a great place for information.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. You have what appears to be a wild caught adult male. This is what the pet stores usually sell. Age is likely somewhere between 6 and 30 years old.

Here is some care info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/