New to tortoises!

[ColorfulTortoise]

I am a herp enthusiast in New England, USA.

I have a salmon columbian boa constrictor, "Four"
A normal ball python, "Tori"
A cornsnake, "King Slinky"
A fireskink, "Carter"
A leopard gecko, "Lola"
a poison dart frog.

I saw the tortoises adorable little faces in the Local Petstore a while back and couldn't resist. I started researching all I could about tortoises, and this forum has been a HUGE help to all my research! Thank you TFO!

Today I came home with my handsome new tortoise, a male russian. He is so beautiful and attentive! I went to help my cousin settle in his newly- purchased horned mountain dragon. After I put my tortoise in his cage and when I came back I fixed some kale and collared greens for him to eat and I saw him munching away!

His setup is in half a reptarium (Temporarily until tomorrow or the day after when I will rearrange my setups and then he will have the whole reptarium to himself. The setup substrate is coco husk fiber, a heat light, a water bowl, a shoe box hide out, and an exo terra food dish. I also have a UVB light I'm going to set up. Next I will get busy on building him an outdoor enclosure!

Now he just needs a name...

If you have any advice about things I can do to care for him please let me know.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[pam]

Welcome Russians are Awesome

 

[wellington]

Hello and WELCOME. Get him outside as much as possible. They are escape artist, so make sure the outdoor enclosure is secure on the bottom so he can't tunnel out and that the sides are high enough and made where he can't climb out. Other then that, sounds like you got it going good so far.

 

[Jacqui]

Hi and welcome! How did you decide on a Russian?

 

[Momof4]

Welcome!! He looks happy!!

 

[kanalomele]

Welcome to TFO, and to the adventure that having a Russian brings! I'm crazy for mine, big tort in a small package

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome.

 

[ColorfulTortoise]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I decided on a russian because of their outgoing temperaments and because you can take them outside and interact with them, and just watch them be a tortoise.
What do you guys think I should name him?

 

[Jacqui]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I decided on a russian because of their outgoing temperaments and because you can take them outside and interact with them, and just watch them be a tortoise.
What do you guys think I should name him?

Is having him so far, like you thought it would? Most common are Russian type names, names from current movies/TV programs, and Olympic medal winners are pretty common.

 

[blafiriravt]

Welcome Congrats on the russian!

 

[mctlong]

Those adorable little faces are addictive! Welcome to the forum!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Cool little guy. I'm sure thanks to your experience with other herps, you will get the hang of tortoise-keeping in no time.

 

[ColorfulTortoise]

Cool little guy. I'm sure thanks to your experience with other herps, you will get the hang of tortoise-keeping in no time.

Thanks

I took my tortoise outside for some fresh air and he walked along happily exploring the garden. We have a very shallow brook by our house and I placed him in the water and watched him crawl across the brook. Here are some pics!

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Welcome!

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Welcome!

 

[leonardo the tmnt]

Welcome!

 

[ColorfulTortoise]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I decided on a russian because of their outgoing temperaments and because you can take them outside and interact with them, and just watch them be a tortoise.
What do you guys think I should name him?

Is having him so far, like you thought it would? Most common are Russian type names, names from current movies/TV programs, and Olympic medal winners are pretty common.

I've decided on a name for my russian! I'm going to call him "Shorty"

 

[ColorfulTortoise]

Hi everyone! Earlier this morning I soaked Shorty in warm water for fifteen minutes and prepared his food (Beet greens, kale, broccoli, and lettuce). Then I put him in his new outdoor enclosure (5.5' x 4'). He walked around it once and then chowed down on the kale.