New russian tort.

[Patjava30]

2 or so weeks a go I rescued a russian tortoise. He was living in less than ideal living conditions, his enclosure had never been cleaned, he was not being soaked. He wasn't being fed the right foods, lots of broccoli and spinach. I started him on a proper diet, spring mix, turnip and dandelion greens, he has a cuttle fish bone and a tortoise block. He's in a decent enclosure, exo terra 36x18x18, he tank sides are covered with brown paper because of the glass, and he has a nice sized outdoor enclosure. I screwed up his UVB light and bought "the bad one" so I axed that. His shell was kind of pealing when I got him, I'm working to get him back on track, he seems to like me a lot, when I talk to him he gets very excited. He eats like a dinosaur, but only for 20 min at a time. Any advice would be great! Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!!

Best thing for your new tortoise would be for you to make him a safe and secure outdoor habitat. They really do much better outside. In the wild Russian tortoises wander great distances to find food, so this wanderlust is hard-wired into their brains, and when you have them in a small tub or table, they are stressed.

Take a look at the care sheet at http://russiantortoise.net/care_sheet.htm . It's a pretty good one.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Pat welcome to the TFO from AZ, USA . Russians are something else ! Have a great tort day


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum

 

[lismar79]

Welcome & enjoy! Russians are very spunky. Do a lot of research on escape proof outside enclosures. Russians are very good at climbing and digging!

 

[Blakem]

Welcome and congrats on your Russian! I have one as well, he's quite the acrobat. What I mean by that is, I ONCE had a chicken wire fence and he climbed up it about 1.5 feet high! I found him hanging by the arms. So, now have rubber pond liner around the edges of the enclosure, which has been effective for the last 4-6 months. Also, no matter how much space I've given my guy, he seems to pace the edges of the fence. I even let him roam the whole backyard at one point and he went straight to the fence. Good luck!


———-------------------------

Here's some great plant identification websites I use.

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/diet.htm#plantlist

http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

 

[Teacup]

Welcome to the forum! Your Russian is very cute.

Check out the Russian Tort section of this forum for lots of really informative information!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome to TFO!

 

[pam]

Welcome Russians are awesome

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and Welcome. Good to have you here and looks like you are doing lots things right. Good for you.

So share some picture to us again when you build that secure outdoor habitat for your little Russian tortoise.

Welcome.

 

[kanalomele]

Welcome to TF. I love my Russians they are a great species and perfect for a beginner.

 

[ChloeCrull]

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!

I'm Chloe—a 15 year-old girlie from Canada, but I'm currently residing in Fresno, California. I received my first tortoise for Christmas. She was purchased from an online website (unfortunately, she passed away two months later).

Before you set up a new enclosure, please be aware that see-through terrariums are very bad for tortoises. Animals do not understand the concept of "glass" or "plastic" and often get stressed while trying to walk through it. Unfortunately, pet stores around the world advertise these poor structures through YouTube videos, display shelves, care sheets, and other sources.

Once their enclosure is properly set up and maintained, the price of upkeep dramatically decreases—greens are a lot cheaper than dog food!

* * *​

Moving on.

Tortoises (especially Russians) love to burrow underneath their substrate. Mine do it so often that I have to given them little "showers" instead of "baths" to rinse off the dirt from their shells! If you're finding that substrate is terribly expensive, @Tom , a very, very intelligent member of the forums here suggested a very cheap, yet useful, substitute for the $30 bag of dirt at the pet store. Here's the link—you can find it at Lowe's.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_58586-78212-GT00023_0__?productId=3731889

It's currently $3.71 in the US.

Being a teenager, I understand the frustration of not being able to run out to the stores willy-nilly to purchase the mandatory supplies. However, there are some cheap alternatives, such as plastic tubs (and even kiddie pools). Fortunately, you are a hard worker and have some funds saved up, which can definitely make life easier for you and your parents.

* * *​

Moving on again.

Tortoises are solitary, independent animals. Reptiles don't necessarily have "emotions" or "feelings" towards you, but there are some arguable situations. For example, over the first few months of raising my tortoise, he was very shy and cautious. However, he eventually felt comfortable around me and situated me with food and warmth. He seems to recognize my scent—or something of that matter—as he is much more comfortable around me than any other person or being in my household.

Your tortoise will definitely warm up to you. Don't make sudden movements or move your hands near him too much. Hovering over him and casting a shadow across his shell and head will often frighten him and he'll duck into his shell. Tortoises are grumpy, but sweet, little creatures!

* * *​

Concluding this intimidating block of text.

In all fairness, I learned most of my "skills" and gained most of my (or lack of) "knowledge" from experience. Watching my tortoises and connecting their behavior to previous concerns and posts I had read allowed me a deeper understanding of my little shells. Don't be afraid to make a thread and ask a question, even if it has an obvious answer. Chances are, you're bound to be taught a revolutionary trick or two. However, before making a new thread, always check the related ones to see if you're question is already answered.

Even if you've mastered the most advanced skills of caring for your tortoise, you should always refresh your mind with the appropriate (not PetSmart or Petco) caresheets.




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Helpful links:


Enclosures:


1. Cheap, Easy, Simple Sunning Enclosure (Thank you, @Tom !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/cheap-easy-simple-sunning-enclosure.14680/



2. SUGGESTION for Setting Up a Baby Habitat (Thank you, @Yvonne G !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/suggestion-for-setting-up-a-baby-habitat.105903/#post-997616



3. New Setup - Good read for beginners (Thank you, @TestudoGreek )

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/new-setup-good-read-for-beginners.661/



4. Ideas for Indoor Enclosures (Thank you, @Jacqui !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/ideas-for-indoor-enclosures.65798/



5. Ideas for outdoor enclosures (Thank you again, @Jacqui !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/ideas-for-outdoor-enclosures.65797/









Lighting


1. Summary: Lighting for Russian Tortoises (and most others) (Thank you, @biochemnerd808 !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/summary-lighting-for-russian-tortoises-and-most-others.90826/









Substrate


1. Indoor substrate for Horsefield (dust free!) *Note: Read all of the posts. @Tom provides some excellent information in multiple posts).

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/indoor-substrate-for-horsefield-dust-free.106177/









Health


1. Tortoise Vet List (Thank you, @Josh !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-vet-list.126/



2. How to find a good tortoise vet (and maybe an excellent one!) (Thank you, @@biochemnerd808 !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...ortoise-vet-and-maybe-an-excellent-one.97523/









Diet and Food


1. Pictures of common plants - both edible and toxic for tortoises (Thank you, @Yvonne G !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...ts-both-edible-and-toxic-for-tortoises.14564/









Other Important Links:


1. Beginner Mistakes (Thank you, @Tom !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/


2. Why not to keep 2 tortoises together - a lesson learned the hard way (Thank you, @@biochemnerd808 !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...together-a-lesson-learned-the-hard-way.94114/



3. Why does my Russian tortoise stay buried? (Thank you, @Yvonne G !)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/why-does-my-russian-tortoise-stay-buried.59575/




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A lot of useful threads pop up in the forum section that is specifically for Russian tortoises here:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/russian-tortoises.81/









I hope this helps.