My CB Russian Hatchling

[TortoiseWarrior]

This is my new cb baby russian tortoise Max. She is only four weeks old. She is very healthy and very strong.I give her a good Russian tortoise variety diet of greens ,weeds and lettuce. She has a big appetite. I soak her daily even though she has a water dish.(pictured). Urates are a must in my opinionfor baby torts, either where you soak them or in the enclosure. And I make sure I keep an eye for them. Sometimes she buries herself for a day or two in her y of 4 inch thick moist coconut fiber. Her baby chamber is 3feet by 4feet. With the uvb strip 15 watt and a 45 watt flood lamp. I just followed Tom and friends advice and care sheets, learned some do's and dont's of what my particular tortoises like, to create my own style of habitat

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

Hello & welcome! I also have a russian named Max! He is not a baby though hes 3.5"-4" long. I wanted a hatchling but was too impatient so got a bigger one at the pet store. Lol
Im glad you found the care sheets! They're super helpful .

 

[TortoiseWarrior]

Hi Linhdan,
Thank you for the welcome.
Did you really get a tort from the pet store? You are brave. Wild caught I suppose ? Well if you're on this forum your max will be just fine. What state are you in? I'm in Minnesota harsh winters but I get them outside a lot in the summer though. What are some of your routines with Max? He looks really good.

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

Hi Linhdan,
Thank you for the welcome.
Did you really get a tort from the pet store? You are brave. Wild caught I suppose ? Well if you're on this forum your max will be just fine. What state are you in? I'm in Minnesota harsh winters but I get them outside a lot in the summer though. What are some of your routines with Max? He looks really good.

Yes i did. I didnt find the forum til after I got him. I actually got 2 cause the guy at the pet store said they get lonely.. Which is not true. The other one is Khalessi, she's a bully, and shes the one in my picture.
I suppose wild caught also since Max had a HUGE load of worms when i got him. This forum REALLY helped me out while Max was sick. Yvonne, a very experienced member, actually suspected it was worms before the vet did. I end up spending hundreds on blood tests and all until I found out the issue. But it shows how helpful the forum and the members are. You really learn alot on here.
Im in Maryland. Im not a winter person so harsh or not I cringe at the thought of winter. Lol
Their light turns on at 7am . I feed Max and Khaleesi around 9:30a and then again around 3:30p. They get soaked twice a week usually around 1, when theyre done eating & have had enough time to bask and digest. Their light turns off at 7:30p and usually by 7-7:15 they've already started to burrow to get ready to sleep.
Hows your Max doing so far?

 

[TortoiseWarrior]

I too found this forum after I bought my first Russian tortoises from a pet store. I was feeding them mixed vegetables but not anymore.
Max is doing great. She Had some collard greens yesterday for the first time. She don't liked to be watched when she eats. I wanted to see her reaction to them but she walked away. So when I looked in on her today I only saw small stems. Im gonna soak her soon then feed her. But she'll probably eat later on her own. One time I stuck a whole dandelion plant in her enclosure roots n all. I burried the roots in the substrate so the leaves and flower were stuck up. She ate that thing like a champ. After a few days I threw the roots out. Now I'm gonna try a broad leaf plantain plant in there. Hopefully I'll get her outside this week for some good rays and exercise.
Tell me more about your vet experience. I've never been to one. Well I went once for a feces test and they wanted more money and some other crap. So I just walked out. I've been lucky so far, but I want to be prepared. Did the vet misdiagnose your tortoise? Did they give you medicine and dosage? Do you still use that vet? Plus all the money behind it.I would have been mad at that vet. Is there a thread for that?