Introduction and question about hiding

Brandi0509

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Hi! I am a new tort owner. Tomorrow will be a week that we’ve had him. He is a Russian and he’s 7 years old. We have him indoors in a large homemade enclosure (6’ by 2 1/2’). We have Cyprus mulch and coconut fiber substrate mixed in. There’s enough bedding to fully bury himself. He has a Reptisun 10.0 UVB/UVA bulb paired with a heat bulb.

Now to my concerns. He goes straight to the deep end and will bury himself. He will NOT come out. We take him out daily for a warm soaking he will poop/pee in the water. Then we put him back in his cage with leafy greens and he will eat. But once he’s done, he goes back to his corner and buries himself for the next 24 hours.

Do I need to be concerned that he’s not getting the rays since he’s buried all the time? Should we take out the substrate so he can’t bury himself until he’s more comfortable?

If you have any tips to help us with him please let me know!

Thank you in advance!
 

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jsheffield

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I'm still new to the tortoise world, but I think he'll be fine in the short term, and hopefully in a few weeks he'll get used to you and his new home.

Jamie
 

drew54

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What's the temps?
What's your enclosure look like?
 

Brandi0509

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Cheryl Hills

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Ok, your lighting is wrong, substraigt in wrong, theses things will effect your tortoise this way also. What type of bulb is in that fixture? If it is a coiled bulb, that can and will damage his eyes, which will cause him to keep them closed. Russians like to burro. There is nowhere for him to burro. What is your heat, four spots. Daytime, nighttime, basking, warm side, cool side? If these are not right he will also suffer. You need to make changes to your enclosure for him to thrive. Everything is explained in the sticky section. You also should have a moist substraight. You asked why he will not keep his eyes open, well, these are just some of the things I see that will cause this.
 

Tom

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Hello and welcome! :)

There can be a lengthy adjustment time when moving an adult Russian. This is also the time of year that they want to hibernate. What you are doing with the daily soaks and putting him by the food is perfect. Here is what I see that needs to change:
  1. Get rid of that food bowl. Too difficult for them to use. Replace it with a simple tray, or a terra cotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate.
  2. Add another terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate for water.
  3. Since your enclosure is right under that window, it is bright enough, BUT... having so much access to natural light is definitely telling the tortoise that due to light color, intensity and duration: It is time to hibernate and get underground. Adding a bright florescent UV tube or LED strip over the entire enclosure and setting it on a timer for 13-14 hours will help convince the tortoise that its not sleepy time.
  4. Those coil type UV bulbs you are using sometimes burn tortoise eyes. Get rid of it ASAP. This may be why he runs away from it to the other side of the enclosure and hides his eyes from it. Use a long tube for UV. These are the best I've found: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/48...arcadia-12-and-6-5k-day-light-bulbs-included/
  5. The other bulb in that double hood is probably a "spot" bulb. Those concentrate too much heat into too small of an area. Replace it with a flood bulb, or two, and adjust the height of the fixture to get the correct basking temp under it. I like to use regular 65 watt floods from the hardware store.
Check these out for more tips:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
 

Brandi0509

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Dallas
Hello and welcome! :)

There can be a lengthy adjustment time when moving an adult Russian. This is also the time of year that they want to hibernate. What you are doing with the daily soaks and putting him by the food is perfect. Here is what I see that needs to change:
  1. Get rid of that food bowl. Too difficult for them to use. Replace it with a simple tray, or a terra cotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate.
  2. Add another terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate for water.
  3. Since your enclosure is right under that window, it is bright enough, BUT... having so much access to natural light is definitely telling the tortoise that due to light color, intensity and duration: It is time to hibernate and get underground. Adding a bright florescent UV tube or LED strip over the entire enclosure and setting it on a timer for 13-14 hours will help convince the tortoise that its not sleepy time.
  4. Those coil type UV bulbs you are using sometimes burn tortoise eyes. Get rid of it ASAP. This may be why he runs away from it to the other side of the enclosure and hides his eyes from it. Use a long tube for UV. These are the best I've found: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/48...arcadia-12-and-6-5k-day-light-bulbs-included/
  5. The other bulb in that double hood is probably a "spot" bulb. Those concentrate too much heat into too small of an area. Replace it with a flood bulb, or two, and adjust the height of the fixture to get the correct basking temp under it. I like to use regular 65 watt floods from the hardware store.
Check these out for more tips:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/



Thank you for being so helpful! We are making the changes ASAP! So I’m guessing we shouldn’t remove the substrate so he won’t burrow? We just need to make the changes that will encourage him not to?
 

drew54

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You're making changes to better his living quarters and to keep him from hibernating. They are burrowing animals I don't think you want to keep him from burrowing as they burrow to create the micro climate they desire. The warmer and brighter you make his enclosure the less he will wnt to hibernate.
 

Brandi0509

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You're making changes to better his living quarters and to keep him from hibernating. They are burrowing animals I don't think you want to keep him from burrowing as they burrow to create the micro climate they desire. The warmer and brighter you make his enclosure the less he will wnt to hibernate.

That makes sense! Thank you!
 

Brandi0509

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Today is a week that we’ve had him and he just came out on his own for the first time so he’s making progress! :)
 

drew54

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Oh that's great news!

Remember, the key to a happy tort is a spoiled tort! Give them all the warmth, variety food, humidity, space, and light they desire.
 

Pearly

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Hi Brandi and warm welcome from Texas to you and your cutie! It looks like you have invested some time/money into creating your tort enclosure. Looks very nice! Now just some adjustments here and there and you are off to long happy years of tortoise keeping! I will not be able to offer much advise as my 3 yrs of experience is in the Redfooted species, the only thing I could throw out there is perhaps adding some live plants around the enclosure? Like some plants that are safe for torts in case they get munched on or straight up tort food type plants. Just don’t use anything straight from garden stores bcs those may have been treated with chemicals
 

Yvonne G

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I doubt he's going to eat those pellets I see in the food dish. Russian tortoises eat dark, leafy greens, weeds and plants. If you want to feed the pellets, you'll need to moisten them so they fall apart then mix them in with the greens.
 

Tom

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Thank you for being so helpful! We are making the changes ASAP! So I’m guessing we shouldn’t remove the substrate so he won’t burrow? We just need to make the changes that will encourage him not to?
Definitely keep the substrate. Its okay if he wants to dig in for the night or other times.
 

Brandi0509

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Definitely keep the substrate. Its okay if he wants to dig in for the night or other times.

That’s where I’m hoping to get him, where he just burrows at night and is more active during the day. We are attaching his new lights now. What is the proper height for the UVA/UVB bulb? Is it 12 inches? Or can it be higher?
 
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