Hello! New Russian Tortoise owner - Morty

[CraigIN]

Hello Everyone! I'm new to the tortoise business. I was really working on finding the perfect companion for my family and decided to purchase a Russian tortoise. His name is Morty! They told me is about 4 years old but they are unsure. I decided to buy at a pet store because I can't stand the thought of him living in that condition for any length of time. He seems active and loves to run around in backyard (while the weather is still nice - I live in Indiana.) I currently have him house in a 40gal terrarium but I'm currently working on a much larger indoor enclosure (10ft wide by about 3 feet deep). I noticed he hasn't eaten yet and is consistently hiding. Even when he was roaming outside, if I sat down, he would try to burrow under my legs. Is this typical? From my research I saw that it can be but I wanted to make sure. I have attached images of his current living space and a picture right after I purchased him! I have owned Morty for 2 days now and I'm super excited for our future together!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

Morty is a lot older than 4. He's almost full grown. Because the Russian tortoise is such a small species, pet stores figure they're younger than they actually are. In order for pet stores to be able to legally sell tortoises, the animal has to be at least 4" front to back. It takes a small species, like a Russian, quite a few years to gain that size.

Tortoises are territorial. They are very stressed when moved to a new territory, and thus will stay hidden most of the time. It will take about 2 or 3 weeks for him to finally realize he's in a good spot and the food god has found his new home. Try to keep him in one place until he gets used to being there. Right now, even though outside is a very good idea, you want him to settle down and get used to his new 40 gallon home. (Unless, of course, you can make his outside enclosure be his new home)

 

[Yvonne G]

I just noticed that your light is sitting on the mesh top of the aquarium. Mesh material effectively filters out the good UVB rays. You need to cut a hole in the screen for the light.

 

[CraigIN]

Thank you for the reply! Is there any way to tell how old he is? I'm hoping he will outlive me! I will cut those holes out as soon as I get home - thank you for the advice!

 

[Yvonne G]

Probably around 10 years. That seems to be about the average age of pet store Russians.

 

[CraigIN]

Probably around 10 years. That seems to be about the average age of pet store Russians.

That's very interesting - so I'm guessing the quality of life for 10 years wasn't the best. It just goes to show what these little creatures are capable of. Welp - I'm glad he is in a loving home now!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Craig

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Craig, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and Monty.
He's lovely.
He's probably wild caught and certainly won't have lived in pet store conditions for long.
Have a look at http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
for the best up to date care information.

 

[Gillian M]

Hi @CraigIN and a very warm welcome to the forum.