This is ok. A little heavy on the cabbage, so I wouldn't feed it as a staple, but once a week would be ok. Peppers are high in vitamins, and are ok to feed occasionally.
I have no idea what I'm doing.
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Yes, you can sprinkle the flowers over his food, and add a few moistened pellets to his food. But mainly dark, leafy greens and weeds.
Yes, that looks ok, but you said "they". Do you have a pair? Watch out for aggression of one towards the other. Also, newspaper isn't a good substrate. They need something they can dig down into. The wet newspaper probably looks like something to eat. You won't have this problem with a dirt type substrate.
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I am using 'they' as a gender neutral pronoun. Don't want to think of them by a sex until I know what it is.
The newspaper is temporary until some £30 dirt gets delivered and their is still some pine pellets, it doesn't spend too much time on the pellets and it's given 30 minute long soaks (the water being replaced every 10 minutes) so I believe the risk of it dehydrating before we get the new substrate is minimal.
I have a somewhat accurate thermometer (I've checked and it's been 2c (3.6f) lower then it should and another test at slightly less frozen temperatures had it 1c (1.8f) lower then it should be) checking the temperature of the air closeish to Dr. Speedy's basking area and it reads as 85.6f. I shouldn't be worried should I?
I used the pellets. Joe would never touch the dried flowers.
Carrot not suitable
Red cabbage not suitable
White cabbage not suitable
Look the ingredients of these things up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database
https://www.thetortoisetable.orguk/
You have poop, pee and urate (the white stuff) there. It looks OK
Your basking temp should be 95 to 100f for a russian
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Well, hopefully it is. The thermometer I have is slightly inaccurate.
That's a a very useful website, thanks.
If your thermometer is off, I would suggest you get a new one. If the temps are not right in the basking area, your tortoise can not digest its food and will stop eating. They need the higher temps to digest.
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Noted. My tortoise is eating and pooping fine so I believe the temperature is okay. Will invest in a better thermometer anyway though.
Also, what is the margin of error? Like is 101f, what about 89f?
I use an Inkbird Temperature controller and it maintains the temp +\- 1 degree of the temp I set
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Is a russian tort being completely underground worrying?
Tortlelover65
New Member
Aww, your tortoise is so cute.
Just remember that Humidity is good between 60 and 50% and 70% at the highest. Try to get a thermometer to know the temp and humidity.
Also, make sure that the tortoise has a varied diet and plenty of calcium or his shell will start pyramiding.
The substrate is very important too and it's good if you research which ones are the best for the Tortoise and which ones are poisonous. Sand is really bad because it's poisonous to them and they can't walk in it.
Hope I helped a little bit. Your little guy is so cute.
Just remember that Humidity is good between 60 and 50% and 70% at the highest. Try to get a thermometer to know the temp and humidity.
Also, make sure that the tortoise has a varied diet and plenty of calcium or his shell will start pyramiding.
The substrate is very important too and it's good if you research which ones are the best for the Tortoise and which ones are poisonous. Sand is really bad because it's poisonous to them and they can't walk in it.
Hope I helped a little bit. Your little guy is so cute.
Just so you know, calcium has very little if anything to do with pyramiding. Pyramiding is caused by being to dry, not enough humidity when growing
Tortlelover65
New Member
It can start it though. And pyramiding can be caused by many more things then the area being dry and low in humidity.
CALM Pythons
New Member
Strange you say that. Most people make sure to research a species fully before they bring it home. However the OP got a gift so that changes things.
Tortlelover65
New Member
True and I would think that if you know that you're going to get one that you would do the proper research.
At least that's what I did before I even thought about getting one to see if I was able to properly take care of one.
Seems to me that from reading the original post, the gift of a tortoise was a complete surprise...so the OP came here to get help, and that's what we are here for.
Miniman8
New Member
Hi Planck's Ambassador,
Can I ask where you got your Russian tortoise from?
We have a Horsefield (the other name for Russian) which we were given from a rescue centre to adopt, We were told that he was at least 20 years old, so prepare to have yours for a long time.
All the advice you have been given about substrate is great, we use coco coir, we brought blocks from pets at home, stuff you buy online may have additional stuff added ( for use in gardening) which is bad for your tort, also remember that in the wild Russians love to dig & yours will be no different so ensure you have enough depth of substrate so that they can dig into it, they are also great climbers so your indoor table will need to have things they can climb over, just make sure that they cannot get high sided & tip over & not be able to right themselves, our tort ( lightning mcqueen is his name) has a very flat shell due to being fed wrong food when he was young & so we have to be careful to ensure that there is no way he can tip himself over as he struggles to right himself.
Horsefields can be very grumpy, they don’t like other torts, lightning seems to like having us about so he can see & hear us, if we pick him up he used to hiss but since he came in for the winter (not hibernating) he is much happier with being handled, it also makes it easier to have a god look at him to ensure he is healthy.
This site is brilliant, gave us all the information we were struggling to get anywhere else, can I ask if you don’t mind what town you live in in England.
Tom
Can I ask where you got your Russian tortoise from?
We have a Horsefield (the other name for Russian) which we were given from a rescue centre to adopt, We were told that he was at least 20 years old, so prepare to have yours for a long time.
All the advice you have been given about substrate is great, we use coco coir, we brought blocks from pets at home, stuff you buy online may have additional stuff added ( for use in gardening) which is bad for your tort, also remember that in the wild Russians love to dig & yours will be no different so ensure you have enough depth of substrate so that they can dig into it, they are also great climbers so your indoor table will need to have things they can climb over, just make sure that they cannot get high sided & tip over & not be able to right themselves, our tort ( lightning mcqueen is his name) has a very flat shell due to being fed wrong food when he was young & so we have to be careful to ensure that there is no way he can tip himself over as he struggles to right himself.
Horsefields can be very grumpy, they don’t like other torts, lightning seems to like having us about so he can see & hear us, if we pick him up he used to hiss but since he came in for the winter (not hibernating) he is much happier with being handled, it also makes it easier to have a god look at him to ensure he is healthy.
This site is brilliant, gave us all the information we were struggling to get anywhere else, can I ask if you don’t mind what town you live in in England.
Tom
