New parents need advice for Southern California home

[ocflyfish]

Hello everyone,

We just adopted a female desert tortoise a few weeks ago. We are in the process of setting up our side yard as a suitable habitat for Chloe and need advice specifically for the Southern California area.

The side yard measures 13.5 feet wide by 27 feet long. I have attached two pictures of the yard. We will be planting various tort friendly plants, weeds, etc in there for her to snack on. We will be installing a fence were the cinder blocks are now. The cinder blocks will be buried below the fence to prevent a digging escape.

Our three immediate questions are:

1. The soil in the yard is predominately clay and does not drain well when it rains. We are going to have a landscaper rototil the area with a mixture of sand to allow for better drainage. What specific type of sand do you recommend and what percentage of clay/sand do you recommend?

2. During the summer we typically hit the 90s with brief peaks into the 100s. We want to setup an approriate burrow and don't know if we should create an underground one or above ground. We are concerned that she not get too hot in the summer. In the winter we are planning to put her in a safe location in the garage.

3. We could scrap the idea of sand in item one and instead put about 2-3 inches of pea gravel over the clay instead with fabric below to block weeds. Obivously this will improve drainage but we are concerned that she will not be able to borrow if she wants to.

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

Bryan & Larina

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I'm going to let someone else advise you about the soil, but I think I would leave the soil the way it is, and I wouldn't do anything about the weeds as that is what grazing tortoises eat, weeds and grasses. I think the side yard is a great place to keep her as long as there is shade from the hot summer sun.
I would think about planting some sort of a tree for shade and I personally would leave the soil/weeds just the way they are. If it were me using that area, I'd make shade and set up a dogloo or something like that for a house. Someplace I have directions on making a 'burrow' using half of a galvinized trash can, cut in half and set on the ground. Congrats on getting my favorite tortoise and welcome to the forum...and don't forget a mud hole or something for her to drink and soak in...I have a mud hole for my tortoises

 

[Candy]

How big is she? Is she big enough so predators won't get to her? I love her name. I have a Cherryhead and we live in CA also and we have to think about predators getting to Dale. Just a thought. Candy

 

[ocflyfish]

How big is she? Is she big enough so predators won't get to her? I love her name. I have a Cherryhead and we live in CA also and we have to think about predators getting to Dale. Just a thought. Candy

I just measured her and she is 5 inches from the front of her shell to the back. How old does that make her?

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Congrats on getting my favorite tortoise and welcome to the forum

Here is a picture of Chloe the day we adopted her.

 

[shelber10]

you have a russian tortoise not a desert tortoise

 

[ocflyfish]

you have a russian tortoise not a desert tortoise

How sure are you? Our friends who have had tortoises for years were sure she was a desert tort.

In referencing this site (http://www.deserttortoise.org/answeringquestions/appendix3.html) she appears to have the nuchal (or cervical) scute that is present in desert torts.

 

[richalisoviejo]

How big is she? Is she big enough so predators won't get to her? I love her name. I have a Cherryhead and we live in CA also and we have to think about predators getting to Dale. Just a thought. Candy

I live in South Orange County, Ca. we have raccoons, opossums, and hawks. I was sitting outside with my 4 month old Sulcata and a hawk was flying above us for half an hour. I believe if I wasn’t there that hawk would have swooped down and taken off with him in a minute.

 

[galvinkaos]

I am no expert but doesn't look desert to me. These are the DT kids I have.

Dawna

 

[egyptiandan]

You most definately have a Russian tortoise, Testudo horsfieldii

Danny

 

[ocflyfish]

You most definately have a Russian tortoise, Testudo horsfieldii

Wow, thanks everyone for the input on the correct type of tort.

What are the distinguishing marks, colors, whatever that allowed you to determine that she was russian?

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I live in South Orange County, Ca. we have raccoons, opossums, and hawks.

Hehehe. We live just a few miles away from you in Trabuco Canyon right up against Saddleback Mountain.

 

[shelber10]

well I am sure because I have had 4 Russian tortoises and they look exactly like the one in the picture you posted

 

[richalisoviejo]

You most definately have a Russian tortoise, Testudo horsfieldii

Wow, thanks everyone for the input on the correct type of tort.

What are the distinguishing marks, colors, whatever that allowed you to determine that she was russian?

---

I live in South Orange County, Ca. we have raccoons, opossums, and hawks.

Hehehe. We live just a few miles away from you in Trabuco Canyon right up against Saddleback Mountain.

---

That is pretty close. You have the same predators as I do. I wouldn’t have him outside being that small. Also many field mice and rats. Cute little tortoise

 

[Laura]

Well I agree with Maggie.. leave the yard the way it is. You can put in some drainage ditches.. French Drains I think they call them.. avoid the gravel as torts will ingest.
Now that we know she is a russian.. she is full grown and wont grow much more.. You might want to go with a smaller area, provide hides and some sort of cover to keep predators out.
Or get a few more russians.. OR keep her AND adopt a Real Desert tort!
How disappointing to find that out... however several years back ,, when I saw my first russian.. i thought it was a young desert tort and got excited as well. Wandered down the street...
maybe plant some Hibiscus for food and shade.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

you have a russian tortoise not a desert tortoise

How sure are you? Our friends who have had tortoises for years were sure she was a desert tort.

In referencing this site (http://www.deserttortoise.org/answeringquestions/appendix3.html) she appears to have the nuchal (or cervical) scute that is present in desert torts.

That's a Russian tort not a desert tort...there's no doubt

 

[Jentortmom]

Congrats on your new russian, www.russiantortoise.org has a large list of edible plants. A few that I use are holyhock vines, grape vines, and hibiscus. Mine love all three and hide under them as well. A dog house works for shelter, or you can use fake rocks and cut out an opening. If you have a female then she may grow a few more inches (mine range 6-7"). You can get a seed mixes @ www.carolinapetsupply.com they have a russian mix, weedy flower mix, and many different indiviual seeds. They love dandelions as well, and the hibiscus flowers. I would not put her outside without a cover over the top to protect her from predators. Also if you post a pic of the tail we can tell you if you have a female or a male. Congrats and welcome.

Here are some pics of my russian enclosure
I used shade cloth and chicken wire, but you might need to use a smaller wire cloth like 1/4"

you can kinda see the fake rock behind the grapevine

I also have a few hides dug in the ground, one is a half of a plant pot, & the other is a wood house buried under the soil

Another idea for an enclosure is a box with a lid,

 

[Candy]

I thought Russians got bigger than that. What is the biggest they can get? And what is the biggest a Cherryhead can get? Congratulations on your new Russian I hear they're great torts to have a lot of personality and all. Candy

 

[Yvonne G]

Now that we know that you have a Russian tortoise and not a desert tortoise, you should go with your first idea, except that before you hire the roto tiller guy, spray the whole side yard with Round-up to kill the grass. Russian tortoises don't eat grass and it will soon be so tall and overgrown that it will be a lot of work for you to keep it mowed. Then grade it so it slopes slightly downward to the outside yard. Also, Russian tortoises are great diggers, and they don't just dig to escape the heat, they dig to escape. They are also great climbers and can climb that cinder block wall in no time at all...so you need to put some sort of lip on it that over hangs into the pen to discourage climbing.

Its kinda' scary to hear that a tortoise person adopted this animal to you as a desert tortoise. If you look at Dawna's (galvinkaos) pictures of her two desert tortoises soaking then look at your picture, you can plainly see the difference between the two species. Your Russian tortoise is full grown and Dawna's two tortoises, about the same size as Chloe, are just babies.

Yvonne

 

[egyptiandan]

It depends on the subspecies of Russian Candy, but the biggest they get is 9 1/2". Cherryheads can get up to 14" or 15".

Danny

 

[ocflyfish]

Well I just got another shocker... I think Chloe isn't a Chloe at all.

Correct me if I am wrong but don't the male Russians have a tail that is long and carried to one side?

 

[tortoisenerd]

Yes, typically. Tail and backside photos will get a confirmation.