Female young Russian Tortoise Wanted

[Copperdog41]

Hello,
I have a hermaphrodite (vets think primarily male) Russian tort and he has been diagnosed with depression from loneliness. I would like to get him a friend and cannot afford to have teo males that fight.

 

[dmmj]

Tortoises do not get lonely, something else is wrong.

 

[Copperdog41]

He has spent most of his life with his siblings and was then removed. ‍♀️

 

[dmmj]

He has spent most of his life with his siblings and was then removed. ‍♀️

They still do not get depressed. Something else is WRONG. Trust me on this

 

[Copperdog41]

I'm pretty new only been doing this for 4 years I took him to the vet and they said he was also dehydrated so I have been soaking him 2 to 3 times a day. But he hasn't started eating. In really worried.

 

[dmmj]

Ok but it is not depression pics of the enclosure will help. Describe your setup

 

[Copperdog41]

I have a 50 pound tank with moisture locking bark kind of chips but ones that dont give splinters

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Whatever vet you went to that diagnosed your tortoise with depression needs their license revoked. Definitely do not go back there.

 

[Ben02]

Tortoises do not like other tortoises, they see them as a threat and competitors for food, best basking spot and hides. Your vet seems to be putting mammal emotions on to a reptile which do not apply to them.

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Please go to the frequently asked questions section and read “why not to keep torts in pairs”. We just had a case on here about one Russian biting the head off another’s. There are many documented cases of the trouble keeping two torts together. Also, please find a new vet. Tortoises do not get depressed or lonely, they are loners, do not like company. Sometimes you can get away with a group of torts in a very large enclosure but two is never a good idea.

 

[Yvonne G]

Whoa. . . that vet knows absolutely nothing about tortoises. Adding another tortoise to your tortoise's enclosure would be like adding a male lion from a different area into a male lion's territory. You would end up with a pretty big fight on your hands and one or the other could be injured or killed. DO NOT GET ANOTHER TORTOISE FOR YOUR TORTOISE!!! If you want another tortoise, fine, but make a whole new, separate enclosure for it.

He has spent most of his life with his siblings and was then removed. ‍♀️

Are you saying that this is a captive bred tortoise?

I'm pretty new only been doing this for 4 years I took him to the vet and they said he was also dehydrated so I have been soaking him 2 to 3 times a day. But he hasn't started eating. In really worried.

So you've had him for 4 years? and he hasn't eaten in that time? On your introductory thread you said you've had him for 5 years.?????

Very confusing.

I'm going to go with what we usually see on the Forum and give you information that may not apply until you clue us in better: Wild caught russian tortoises are hard to acclimate. If you got him from a pet store, he's wild caught (and the tortoises in the same display case as he was in were not his siblings, but other wild caught tortoises from different areas of their native country).

Russian tortoises really don't seem to like to be put in water. Having a water dish in his enclosure, and soaking him a couple times a week is good enough. You can spritz water over his food to get some added moisture into him.

What was the previous keeper feeding him? Sometimes it's hard for a new-to-you-tortoise to understand that what you're putting out for him to eat is actually food, if it's not the same thing he's been fed before.

It will help us to understand better if you can post pictures of his enclosure, lights, and tortoise.