Is she digging to China?! I can't SLEEP!

[shesdisarming]

Hi Everyone!

I'm not sure how many bought the calendar, but Miss March "Crush" has a wee bit of a problem. My Russian tort scratches at the corners of her home EVERY night as if she were digging to China! (We live in Southern California).

She is plenty healthy, and drinks plenty of water, veggies fruit and tort food and has the poop to prove it. I am just wondering how I can get some REST!

This happens as soon as the sun goes down (I turn her light off around sunset, which here is about 7pm) and she starts scratching almost immediately. It seems like she's trying to get herself comfortable, as she would maybe in a desert setting or something.

She will usually scratch for maybe 20 minutes, but has been known to scratch for almost 2-3 hours. I try to re-arrange her tank to put things in the corners so she'll avoid it, but nope.. she knocks over whatever rocks, plants or whatever else I put in the corners.

I do watch TV at night, and try to remember to turn off my room light when I can, because it will cause her to wake up (she doesn't usually sleep in her house for some reason) but sometimes I need some light!

I am not sure if I should just cover her cage somehow.. Anyone know if this is normal? And if there's a solution to this? Thanks in advance. :]

 

[chadk]

Well, torts like to dig and feel safe\secure in a nice cozy hide and\or buried under substrate.

What is your substrate? What do you have setup for hides? What are the temps? Humidity?

Also, fruits and veggies are not staples for russians.

 

[tortoisenerd]

With more info we may be able to provide more detailed answers. Torts like to burrow and butt up against something to feel safe, so too constant of rearranging can throw them off. My best idea is to find a place outside your room for your tort. Scratching at enclosure walls is quite normal and besides increasing enclosure size, providing new and exciting cage furnishings and arrangements, and not allowing your tort the freedom of going outside an enclosure (outside is best!), there isn't much you can do about it. My tort spends the same amount of time as yours with the scratching. I always remark how I thought a tort would be a quiet pet! Between the scratching, jaw squeaking, farts lol...he is rather noisy.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

My tort spends the same amount of time as yours with the scratching. I always remark how I thought a tort would be a quiet pet! Between the scratching, jaw squeaking, farts lol...he is rather noisy.

Trevor trumps?

 

[shesdisarming]

Well, torts like to dig and feel safe\secure in a nice cozy hide and\or buried under substrate.

What is your substrate? What do you have setup for hides? What are the temps? Humidity?

Also, fruits and veggies are not staples for russians.

I guess I misspoke about the fruits and veggies, she is only given them sparingly, but I meant to say that she has no problems eating anything.

I use repti-sand, and I have a very large wooden house for her that my boyfriend made, thats about 4 times the size of her little body. Also she has plants for shade and other rocks and such to climb on.

I don't recall the temp and/or humidity, but I'll be sure to check on that tomorrow when her lamps are on.

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I always remark how I thought a tort would be a quiet pet! Between the scratching, jaw squeaking, farts lol...he is rather noisy.

Haha! So true, I was just thinking that. But we all wouldn't have it any other way would we? They have such a personality for something so small! She has more character than most people I go to college with!

 

[DonaTello's-Mom]

If yours gets to China, my tortie will be there to meet her! Lol

 

[Meg90]

Get her off the repti sand. That is an entirely unnatural substrate. She wants to BURROW which is why she digs in the corners over and over. If you want to use a light, dry substrate, get a bale of Aspen. Pet stores sell it, feed stores sell it. OR you can use a 70/30 mix of moist eco earth and play sand (not the calci sand you are using). Its quite unfair to prevent a tortoise from burrowing, don't you think? Its an activity they all do, almost on a daily basis.

It doesn't matter if she has a hide. All of my torts have them and 2/3 prefer to burrow down into their substrates for the night, and even for naps during the day.

I'd switch her as soon as you can.

 

[DonaTello's-Mom]

Right on Meg! Mines LOVES to burrow!

 

[chadk]

Please read this site for a good overview of Russian Tort care:
http://russiantortoise.org/

They need humidity from their substrate. Sand is not good for many reasons. I use either eco-earth\coir mixed with organice garden soil, or just plain garden soil (mixed with a little peat and or spag. moss).

Either way, you need several inches of diggable substrate that will 1) hold moisture and 2) allow for decent burrowing.

Imagine having an animal that is a climber, but never putting anything in it's cage to climb on? Many torts, Russians one of them, love to dig and sleep tucked in to some nice soil.

As for hides, mine LOVE their hides. Their hides have lots of moist diggable soil inside. They feel secure and warm inside and can dig and make a big torty mess. They nap and sleep in their hide. And they also get the humidity they need while in their hides, so I dont' have to worry about misting or providing humidity other ways.

That said, not just any old box or pot makes a good hide. A hide should not be like walking into a massive cavern for you and me. Think of what it would be like in the wild. You may not even notce one if you walked past it. Just a little spot under a clump of grass or at the base of a tree - just big enough to climb into. A place to go to get out of the direct sunlight, feel safe, and get some warmth and humidity while sleeping.

 

[GBtortoises]

I can't add a thing to what Chad just said--pretty much nailed it!

Except that you can't really dig to China, I tried it as a kid, only got about two feet before I got bored and went back to throwing rocks at dragonflys.

 

[terracolson]

HAve you thought about just making a outside area? Being from so cal and in yuciapa for a visit right now.. i know after next week its ok to let him/her stay out IF you provide the right setting...

whats you outside area like?

 

[shesdisarming]

Please read this site for a good overview of Russian Tort care:
http://russiantortoise.org/

I use either eco-earth\coir mixed with organice garden soil, or just plain garden soil (mixed with a little peat and or spag. moss).

This is a great idea, thanks! I have tons of organic soil, and I can get some eco-earth no problem. This will be great for the tort table I have yet to create.. this is a step in the right direction! :]

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HAve you thought about just making a outside area? Being from so cal and in yuciapa for a visit right now.. i know after next week its ok to let him/her stay out IF you provide the right setting...

whats you outside area like?

I would like to put her outside, but right now all I can do is put her out for a few hours. We have a lot of strays (coyotes, dogs, chickens, and who knows what else) in my area and I just don't trust it outside.

I have a organic garden for her to wander around in with black seeded simpson (loose leaf lettuce) that she can eat whenever she wants.

 

[terracolson]

i would use cinder blocks and create a chicken wire top to cover it..

 

[shesdisarming]

OK SO! Here's an update. I took the wonderful advice of this forum ( which has been OH so helpful ) and bought some organic soil and mixed in some coconut coir. The mix is around 70 (organic soil)/30 (coconut coir), and she LOVES this stuff, shes digging and exploring like crazy! This stuff makes my room smell like my garden (which I don't mind at all, reminds me of the lettuce/squash I have growing).

So thanks so much for the advice everyone, its been mega helpful! Crush says thanks too.. well she would if she wasn't running around so much with excitement...jk

 

[chadk]

Awesome!!