New tortoise parent - any and all help is desperately needed

[Throckmortok]

-For context let me tell you every bit of information about my very weird situation that lead to me to getting him and what I have/what I’m doing for him currently that I can possibly offer. This way it may give you a better idea as to what advice I’ll need and what advice I won’t. I’m desperate to know my rights and wrongs, I want to give this little guy the best life possoble. Strap in, this’ll be a long post.

-How I got him: I got my russian tortoise, Throckmorton, five days ago. I went to the home of a family friend and she told me about this tortoise her son owns but doesn’t really take care of. She told me they were desperate to get rid of him, and offered him to me. Now I had not the slightest clue about tortoise care at that time, but something looked not right to my eyes. I could tell he just wasn’t getting a good life, so I said yes to taking him. Little did I know, his situation really was worse than I thought. He was in a very very small tank with extremely old dirty substrate, he had clearly never been bathed, his food and water bowl were bone dry and empty so god only knows when either of those were last filled, he had never been outside before, there were no things for him to chew on to shave his beak, and he was clearly deficient in calcium because his shell isn’t the best looking (some small divots and chips here and there). They have no idea how old he is, and the only reason I’m saying he is because I guessed based off of his tail which gender he is.

-The things I bought for him: After I did my research, I bought him this habitat https://a.co/d/h64BVXj, these decorations https://a.co/d/hfbp1IS & https://a.co/d/6uo2KGn (he has two others that were in his tank), this tent so he can roam outside without me hovering over him https://a.co/d/3SeTQKx, a leash and carrier for walks https://a.co/d/eyLODDJ & https://a.co/d/bm3YOl4, some natural medications to keep him healthy https://a.co/d/0Gg9fHX & https://a.co/d/6DtnatQ, three different kinds of substrate (he loves to dig, thought it would be fun and engaging for him to have layers) https://a.co/d/2VD4mVn & https://a.co/d/c3xvquR & https://a.co/d/f4wxIi5, some things to help his calcium levels and beak growth https://a.co/d/18gV8c4 & https://a.co/d/0DqXrij, and lastly some pellets to keep him healthy as far as nutrition https://a.co/d/aEUveXG.

-What I’ve been doing for him, and some of the questions I have: every day I’ve been feeding him a handful of some leafy greens plus some of those pellets I mentioned earlier. Apparently I’ve just found out that I may be doing this wrong? I read just a few moments ago on Google that I actually should be letting him eat as much as he possible can within the span of twenty minutes, is that true? Anyways, I’ve been letting him roam around his cage, dig, and perch on his little cove like he loves to do. Just today a huge tent I bought for him to roam around in outside came today and he loved itttt!!! I also let him roam around on the grass but it made me too anxious. I tried putting the leash on him but he just pooped on me then slipped right out LOL. I gave him a few strawberry tops tonight as I read that I can do that as long as it’s a very rare treat, so hopefully that’s okay. I gave him a very half-assed bath the second day I had him because he was very dirty and I didn’t want to risk him getting a fungal infection any longer than he needed to. It was half assed because I was too anxious to do anything! Any advice with that would be appreciated, too. I had someone over on Reddit say that I should be letting him soak in a warm shallow bath every morning to help him poop. Honestly, that would explain as to why he’s been pooping in his water bowl bahaha. Do any of you do this, too? Also, while we’re on the topic of food, I read that I should starve him for two days. That makes me so nervous! I also read I should only feed him every other day. Which one is right, if either of them even are? Is there anything that I mentioned that you noticed that is a red flag aka something I’m doing wrong? Is there anything that I mentioned that I should be doing but from what you’ve read I’m not? Any thoughts or opinions you may have would be so unbelievably appreciated. Thank you so much!

 

[Lyn W]

That's a very long post to read, can you make it easier for us to see what you have by posting some pics of the enclosure and the lamps you have? You'll get good feedback.

It's great you've rescued him - sounds like he was badly neglected but hopefully now things will improve for him and this the most up to date caresheet you need to follow to help get him back on track.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Forget what you've read elsewhere on the internet or in social media there is still a lot of old and incorrect information being passed around. Tort welfare has moved on and you'll only find up to date care information here from people who have kept torts for decades and even been involved in research.

Torts should have fresh water and food available daily. I was told to think of his shell as an upturned bowl and to feed an amount to fill that to start with, but if he eats all of it, offer more, if he leaves some, offer less - they will stop eating when they've had enough. They are grazers though so may eat a little, wander off but return later. So best to leave plenty of food available for them and remove any uneaten at the end of the day. You should feed everyday. Fruit should never be fed because tort systems can't handle the sugars.

The caresheet covers diet and recommends food, and you may also find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk a useful guide to tort safe foods and IDing weeds. It's based on UK plants but USA has many on common.

Yes, torts need luke-warm shallow soaks for hydration. The water should only come up to where the carapace and plastron meet and should never cover his head. If he tries to climb out let him do it for a while - the exercise is good for his digestion; it will encourage him to poop and it makes it easier to dispose of, but keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't tip over and drown. Some have a second container of clean water ready to transfer him to after defecating.

A photo would help explain what you mean, but you don't need a tent for a tort just a secure enclosure safe from predators and something he can't climb or dig out of (russians are expert escape artists) something in which he can get some supervised outside time and the uvb he needs but with shelter and water so he doesn't overheat.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome.
It sounds like you've done a lot.
In that link that Lyn sent you you'll see the correct temperature. Humidity and foods to give your Russian. You can feed him on a Tera Cota plate or a piece of slate....something rough. It'll help with beak maintenance.
He also needs UVB light for his shell and bones. Either real sunlight or uvb in the form of a T5 HO florescent strip light.
(Not sold at most pet shops)
Most of what a tortoise keeper needs is not sold at pet shops. Most pet shops are selling outdated, useless and even dangerous products for them.

 

[Tom]

-For context let me tell you every bit of information about my very weird situation that lead to me to getting him and what I have/what I’m doing for him currently that I can possibly offer. This way it may give you a better idea as to what advice I’ll need and what advice I won’t. I’m desperate to know my rights and wrongs, I want to give this little guy the best life possoble. Strap in, this’ll be a long post.

-How I got him: I got my russian tortoise, Throckmorton, five days ago. I went to the home of a family friend and she told me about this tortoise her son owns but doesn’t really take care of. She told me they were desperate to get rid of him, and offered him to me. Now I had not the slightest clue about tortoise care at that time, but something looked not right to my eyes. I could tell he just wasn’t getting a good life, so I said yes to taking him. Little did I know, his situation really was worse than I thought. He was in a very very small tank with extremely old dirty substrate, he had clearly never been bathed, his food and water bowl were bone dry and empty so god only knows when either of those were last filled, he had never been outside before, there were no things for him to chew on to shave his beak, and he was clearly deficient in calcium because his shell isn’t the best looking (some small divots and chips here and there). They have no idea how old he is, and the only reason I’m saying he is because I guessed based off of his tail which gender he is.

-The things I bought for him: After I did my research, I bought him this habitat https://a.co/d/h64BVXj, these decorations https://a.co/d/hfbp1IS & https://a.co/d/6uo2KGn (he has two others that were in his tank), this tent so he can roam outside without me hovering over him https://a.co/d/3SeTQKx, a leash and carrier for walks https://a.co/d/eyLODDJ & https://a.co/d/bm3YOl4, some natural medications to keep him healthy https://a.co/d/0Gg9fHX & https://a.co/d/6DtnatQ, three different kinds of substrate (he loves to dig, thought it would be fun and engaging for him to have layers) https://a.co/d/2VD4mVn & https://a.co/d/c3xvquR & https://a.co/d/f4wxIi5, some things to help his calcium levels and beak growth https://a.co/d/18gV8c4 & https://a.co/d/0DqXrij, and lastly some pellets to keep him healthy as far as nutrition https://a.co/d/aEUveXG.

-What I’ve been doing for him, and some of the questions I have: every day I’ve been feeding him a handful of some leafy greens plus some of those pellets I mentioned earlier. Apparently I’ve just found out that I may be doing this wrong? I read just a few moments ago on Google that I actually should be letting him eat as much as he possible can within the span of twenty minutes, is that true? Anyways, I’ve been letting him roam around his cage, dig, and perch on his little cove like he loves to do. Just today a huge tent I bought for him to roam around in outside came today and he loved itttt!!! I also let him roam around on the grass but it made me too anxious. I tried putting the leash on him but he just pooped on me then slipped right out LOL. I gave him a few strawberry tops tonight as I read that I can do that as long as it’s a very rare treat, so hopefully that’s okay. I gave him a very half-assed bath the second day I had him because he was very dirty and I didn’t want to risk him getting a fungal infection any longer than he needed to. It was half assed because I was too anxious to do anything! Any advice with that would be appreciated, too. I had someone over on Reddit say that I should be letting him soak in a warm shallow bath every morning to help him poop. Honestly, that would explain as to why he’s been pooping in his water bowl bahaha. Do any of you do this, too? Also, while we’re on the topic of food, I read that I should starve him for two days. That makes me so nervous! I also read I should only feed him every other day. Which one is right, if either of them even are? Is there anything that I mentioned that you noticed that is a red flag aka something I’m doing wrong? Is there anything that I mentioned that I should be doing but from what you’ve read I’m not? Any thoughts or opinions you may have would be so unbelievably appreciated. Thank you so much!

Thank goodness for people like you that rescue animals in need and try so hard to give them a better life. I commend you. You are awesome.

As ZEROPILOT explained, most of the care info found out in the world, on FB, YT, in pet stores, and online is just plain wrong. The link that Lyn left for you will get you squared away, and here is a simplified breakdown of heating and lighting:
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

While that enclosure is probably a terrific upgrade from what he was in, you'll need four of them conjoined to make enough room for this guy.

That tent is a great idea, but tortoises need a visual barrier around the bottom. Try it and see if he continually paces the perimeter rubbing agains the walls. You'll soon see if it will work or not. Also be careful about where you put him when outside. Toxic yard chemicals seem to be used everywhere now.

The chipped and dented shell sounds typical of a wild caught Russian tortoise. We can look at a pic to verify, but that sounds pretty normal.

Your questions are welcome. I hope we can help you with your goal of giving this tortoise a great life.

 

[Throckmortok]

That's a very long post to read, can you make it easier for us to see what you have by posting some pics of the enclosure and the lamps you have? You'll get good feedback.

It's great you've rescued him - sounds like he was badly neglected but hopefully now things will improve for him and this the most up to date caresheet you need to follow to help get him back on track.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Forget what you've read elsewhere on the internet or in social media there is still a lot of old and incorrect information being passed around. Tort welfare has moved on and you'll only find up to date care information here from people who have kept torts for decades and even been involved in research.

Torts should have fresh water and food available daily. I was told to think of his shell as an upturned bowl and to feed an amount to fill that to start with, but if he eats all of it, offer more, if he leaves some, offer less - they will stop eating when they've had enough. They are grazers though so may eat a little, wander off but return later. So best to leave plenty of food available for them and remove any uneaten at the end of the day. You should feed everyday. Fruit should never be fed because tort systems can't handle the sugars.

The caresheet covers diet and recommends food, and you may also find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk a useful guide to tort safe foods and IDing weeds. It's based on UK plants but USA has many on common.

Yes, torts need luke-warm shallow soaks for hydration. The water should only come up to where the carapace and plastron meet and should never cover his head. If he tries to climb out let him do it for a while - the exercise is good for his digestion; it will encourage him to poop and it makes it easier to dispose of, but keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't tip over and drown. Some have a second container of clean water ready to transfer him to after defecating.

A photo would help explain what you mean, but you don't need a tent for a tort just a secure enclosure safe from predators and something he can't climb or dig out of (russians are expert escape artists) something in which he can get some supervised outside time and the uvb he needs but with shelter and water so he doesn't overheat.

Ah thank you so much!!! You’re the sweetest - thank youuuu!!! Since you said tort systems can’t handle sugar, will he be ok? Do I need to give him anything to counteract the strawberry tops? I have a uvb light, though I can’t provide a link to it due to the fact that I got it from the family friend who had him so I have noooo idea what brand or anything it is. It also doesn’t have any brand name on it for some weird reason!?? Also, the reason he doesn’t have an outside enclosure is because we live right outside of a forest with a CRAZY amount of predators such as coyotes, hawks, and sometimes even bears. It makes me anxious to think of leaving him outside without an enclosed space! Is there any way for me to protect him with an enclosure without having to use the tent? I’ll go take a picture of my uvb light and show it in a few

 

[Throckmortok]

Welcome.
It sounds like you've done a lot.
In that link that Lyn sent you you'll see the correct temperature. Humidity and foods to give your Russian. You can feed him on a Tera Cota plate or a piece of slate....something rough. It'll help with beak maintenance.
He also needs UVB light for his shell and bones. Either real sunlight or uvb in the form of a T5 HO florescent strip light.
(Not sold at most pet shops)
Most of what a tortoise keeper needs is not sold at pet shops. Most pet shops are selling outdated, useless and even dangerous products for them.

Thank you !!!!!!!!! Ah, I don’t have a terracotta bowl for him!! I can’t order it online since I’ve been banned from turtle spending (I’ll have to find a way to buy it in person) from my parents, is there any way that the calcium block and cuttlefish shells I bought are enough in the meantime until I can find a way to buy him one?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Thank you !!!!!!!!! Ah, I don’t have a terracotta bowl for him!! I can’t order it online since I’ve been banned from turtle spending (I’ll have to find a way to buy it in person) from my parents, is there any way that the calcium block and cuttlefish shells I bought are enough in the meantime until I can find a way to buy him one?

The cuttlebone is for minerals and calcium. It doesn't replace the rough surface for beak maintenance.
Cuttlebone (and a good diet) and UVB help produce D3 that is vital for overall health. The correct temperature is also important for digestion. It all works in conjunction.
BTW that Tera Cota plate is less than $3 at any Home Depot type hardware store or in the garden department of most variety stores. The brownish/red clay ones.
No. You don't need to counteract the strawberries. He's probably never had one before and you will make sure he doesn't eat them regularly.

 

[Throckmortok]

That's a very long post to read, can you make it easier for us to see what you have by posting some pics of the enclosure and the lamps you have? You'll get good feedback.

It's great you've rescued him - sounds like he was badly neglected but hopefully now things will improve for him and this the most up to date caresheet you need to follow to help get him back on track.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Forget what you've read elsewhere on the internet or in social media there is still a lot of old and incorrect information being passed around. Tort welfare has moved on and you'll only find up to date care information here from people who have kept torts for decades and even been involved in research.

Torts should have fresh water and food available daily. I was told to think of his shell as an upturned bowl and to feed an amount to fill that to start with, but if he eats all of it, offer more, if he leaves some, offer less - they will stop eating when they've had enough. They are grazers though so may eat a little, wander off but return later. So best to leave plenty of food available for them and remove any uneaten at the end of the day. You should feed everyday. Fruit should never be fed because tort systems can't handle the sugars.

The caresheet covers diet and recommends food, and you may also find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk a useful guide to tort safe foods and IDing weeds. It's based on UK plants but USA has many on common.

Yes, torts need luke-warm shallow soaks for hydration. The water should only come up to where the carapace and plastron meet and should never cover his head. If he tries to climb out let him do it for a while - the exercise is good for his digestion; it will encourage him to poop and it makes it easier to dispose of, but keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't tip over and drown. Some have a second container of clean water ready to transfer him to after defecating.

A photo would help explain what you mean, but you don't need a tent for a tort just a secure enclosure safe from predators and something he can't climb or dig out of (russians are expert escape artists) something in which he can get some supervised outside time and the uvb he needs but with shelter and water so he doesn't overheat.

The cuttlebone is for minerals and calcium. It doesn't replace the rough surface for beak maintenance.
Cuttlebone (and a good diet) and UVB help produce D3 that is vital for overall health. The correct temperature is also important for digestion. It all works in conjunction.
BTW that Tera Cota plate is less than $3 at any Home Depot type hardware store or in the garden department of most variety stores.
No. You don't need to counteract the strawberries. He's probably never had one before and you will make sure he doesn't eat them regularly.

thank you! I'll try to sneak out of the house today and get my buddy that terracotta plate.

 

[Throckmortok]

Thank goodness for people like you that rescue animals in need and try so hard to give them a better life. I commend you. You are awesome.

As ZEROPILOT explained, most of the care info found out in the world, on FB, YT, in pet stores, and online is just plain wrong. The link that Lyn left for you will get you squared away, and here is a simplified breakdown of heating and lighting:
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

While that enclosure is probably a terrific upgrade from what he was in, you'll need four of them conjoined to make enough room for this guy.

That tent is a great idea, but tortoises need a visual barrier around the bottom. Try it and see if he continually paces the perimeter rubbing agains the walls. You'll soon see if it will work or not. Also be careful about where you put him when outside. Toxic yard chemicals seem to be used everywhere now.

The chipped and dented shell sounds typical of a wild caught Russian tortoise. We can look at a pic to verify, but that sounds pretty normal.

Your questions are welcome. I hope we can help you with your goal of giving this tortoise a great life.

thank you so much, youre seriously so sweet!!!

 

[Lyn W]

Ah thank you so much!!! You’re the sweetest - thank youuuu!!! Since you said tort systems can’t handle sugar, will he be ok? Do I need to give him anything to counteract the strawberry tops? I have a uvb light, though I can’t provide a link to it due to the fact that I got it from the family friend who had him so I have noooo idea what brand or anything it is. It also doesn’t have any brand name on it for some weird reason!?? Also, the reason he doesn’t have an outside enclosure is because we live right outside of a forest with a CRAZY amount of predators such as coyotes, hawks, and sometimes even bears. It makes me anxious to think of leaving him outside without an enclosed space! Is there any way for me to protect him with an enclosure without having to use the tent? I’ll go take a picture of my uvb light and show it in a few

No need to counteract the strawberry he's had, just stop feeding fruit (including tomatoes) and make sure he has a varied diet from the foods recommended.
You could just take him out for short supervised outdoor time in the sun so that you can stay with him and keep an eye on him - some people use kiddie or dog paddling pools as temp enclosures but you would need to make some sort of a cover for it out of something like chicken wire if big birds are a problem - it only takes a second for a beady eyed bird! I'm not sure a tent would keep a bear or other forest mammals out!!
Some uvb lamps are unsafe for torts and depending on what sort they are they can damage eyes or shells i.e. coiled, cfl type and all in one heat light and uvb bulbs (MVB - Mercury vapour balanced). If it is quite old the chances are the uvb has faded too. Many of us use T5 HO uvb tube kits - Tom's post explains all about heating and lighting.