New russian tortoise

[rtmomma]

Hi all! New to the forum though I've been lurking and researching.... We just got our new RT Toetoe on Wed and she's doing very well.... Very shy but she's coming around we are keeping her in a 50 gallon tote with cypress mulch substrate a slate tile for her food, a heat lamp, a UVB lamp, a pot bottom for water and a log looking hidey hole... We are currently having her sleep in her tote and every day we take her out to our fenced in garden while we are in the backyard for a few hours of exercise and sun... Couple questions.... When she's in the garden should we have water available to her? Do you think it stresses her to bring her in and out like that? Also while it's still warm enough for that should we bother with the indoor UVB lamp? She's out about 2-3 hours a day... I should add she from petsmart but given a clean bill of health by my neighbor who's a vet... Convenient I know lol

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome, rtmomma!

Tortoises soon get used to the routine of going out in the a.m. and being brought back inside in the evening.

If it were me, I wouldn't bother with a UV light if the tortoise were going outside every day.

 

[kanalomele]

Welcome to TFO and the wonderful world of Russians!

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

You are going to cherish your Russian forever!

 

[rtmomma]

Thanks for the welcome.... She's a joy so far!

 

[Reserchbeforecommitment]

Hi
Lotus my RT and I have been together 8 days and I cant speak for her but I'm smitten! Every day she becomes more out going she is amazing! Nothing fazes her I live in south Florida so she is outside all the time her hide is on the porch and the fence for her enclosure leads off the porch onto the lawn and garden she walks back to her hide to sleep when the sun is too hot and again when it goes down she has plenty of shade and other hides but seems to prefer to sleep or nap in her hide box on the porch. She will follow your feet around the lawn and loves to sneak up the step Into the kitchen to explore. 8 short days ago she had never been outside before and had only eaten a freeze dried re-constituted tortoise diet, not that she isn't healthy she just was very reluctant to try anything new. Then a day or two off eyeing everything suspiciously she finally toook a bite of kale!..... She has not looked back she will try anything your fingers present her with!
Sometimes she doesn't like it, she helped herself to a snatch of cilantro growing in a tub on the porch and literally spat it out and stalked off in disgust! She is hysterical. Then yesterday after watching her sit staring thoughtfully at the grass under her feet for the last week, she took a snatch of grass. For the next 35 minutes she didn't raise her head! She ate like it might disappear any moment! I had to gently encourage her to move her feet as she ate everything she could reach down to the earth! Ok so I am very proud and relieved as I had told my husband she will help with the lawn and weeds and yet all he has witnessed is the bill from the organic grocery store! My question is this is there a particular grass that is best suited to Russian tortoises as I will purchase some seed. Currently in our garden is burmuda grass mix.

 

[pandiculator]

Hi all! New to the forum though I've been lurking and researching.... We just got our new RT Toetoe on Wed and she's doing very well.... Very shy but she's coming around we are keeping her in a 50 gallon tote with cypress mulch substrate a slate tile for her food, a heat lamp, a UVB lamp, a pot bottom for water and a log looking hidey hole... We are currently having her sleep in her tote and every day we take her out to our fenced in garden while we are in the backyard for a few hours of exercise and sun... Couple questions.... When she's in the garden should we have water available to her? Do you think it stresses her to bring her in and out like that? Also while it's still warm enough for that should we bother with the indoor UVB lamp? She's out about 2-3 hours a day... I should add she from petsmart but given a clean bill of health by my neighbor who's a vet... Convenient I know lol

Welcome! My wife and I are new owners also, and it's our understanding that they should always have access to water Congrats on your new friend!

 

[Reserchbeforecommitment]

Lotus my RT and I have been together 8 days and I cant speak for her but I'm smitten! Every day she becomes more out going she is amazing! Nothing fazes her I live in south Florida so she is outside all the time her hide is on the porch and the fence for her enclosure leads off the porch onto the lawn and garden she walks back to her hide to sleep when the sun is too hot and again when it goes down she has plenty of shade and other hides but seems to prefer to sleep or nap in her hide box on the porch. She will follow your feet around the lawn and loves to sneak up the step Into the kitchen to explore. 8 short days ago she had never been outside before and had only eaten a freeze dried re-constituted tortoise diet, not that she isn't healthy she just was very reluctant to try anything new. Then a day or two off eyeing everything suspiciously she finally toook a bite of kale!..... She has not looked back she will try anything your fingers present her with!
Sometimes she doesn't like it, she helped herself to a snatch of cilantro growing in a tub on the porch and literally spat it out and stalked off in disgust! She is hysterical. Then yesterday after watching her sit staring thoughtfully at the grass under her feet for the last week, she took a snatch of grass. For the next 35 minutes she didn't raise her head! She ate like it might disappear any moment! I had to gently encourage her to move her feet as she ate everything she could reach down to the earth! Ok so I am very proud and relieved as I had told my husband she will help with the lawn and weeds and yet all he has witnessed is the bill from the organic grocery store! My question is this is there a particular grass that is best suited to Russian tortoises as I will purchase some seed. Currently in our garden is burmuda grass mix.