Hello! I haven't posted in years, but check the forums often. The Humane Society I work for just received a stray Russian tortoise. Usually, I have no problem sexing Russians but for some reason, this little one is playing tricks on all of us. I'm leaning towards male since his tail is so thick, but the cloaca is round and not a slit, and it's also fairly close to the body. The tail also isn't as long as most other males I've seen, and it's not always tucked. Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have of him right now.
I have an approximately 16-year-old female at home who is the love of my life. I've been considering getting another Russian for about 3 years now, and this little one is tempting me. My girl has a large indoor enclosure with lots of hides and spots for digging and she also has an outdoor enclosure for the warmer months. I'm wondering if any of you have had experience introducing Russians and if you think they maybe enjoy having another one around. I've read a lot about males vs. females, enclosure size for multiples, etc. and I'd definitely quarantine a new tortoise and take him/her to the vet. I think I might be putting people thoughts on my tortoise, but I just feel bad having such a long-lived creature be by herself. How do you all feel about having multiples?
I have an approximately 16-year-old female at home who is the love of my life. I've been considering getting another Russian for about 3 years now, and this little one is tempting me. My girl has a large indoor enclosure with lots of hides and spots for digging and she also has an outdoor enclosure for the warmer months. I'm wondering if any of you have had experience introducing Russians and if you think they maybe enjoy having another one around. I've read a lot about males vs. females, enclosure size for multiples, etc. and I'd definitely quarantine a new tortoise and take him/her to the vet. I think I might be putting people thoughts on my tortoise, but I just feel bad having such a long-lived creature be by herself. How do you all feel about having multiples?