Not sure if this health...but what do you do for enrichment?

[Kimberly Erickson]

Hey guys,

On July 18th of 2015 I purchased a Russian tortoise from PetCo (I know, terrible, but I couldn't help it seeing her so miserable). They told me she was three-years-old. When I took her to a well-known exotics vet, she guessed that she was maybe a year and a half this September of 2016. She had spots of infection in her shell when I purchased her and was littered with worms. I have since fixed her up and helped rehabilitate her as best as I can. My veterinarian said not to use choir or substrate because they tend to inhale it and get blockages.

I keep her in a 70 gallon tote with indoor/outdoor carpet, rocks, a water bowl she can climb in, and a log that she climbs on top of to sun her self. I have just a few questions to start:

1. Is there a way to help her become more friendly? She will not let me pet her, hisses at me, and retracts into her shell every time I pick her up to soak her or put food in her bowl. She has never been a friendly tortoise, which is understandable considering her background, but if I'm going to have her for fifty years I'd like to work on her to help her enjoy her life.

2. She is very food-dominant and aggressive toward other tortoises, and one day I'd like to get another Russian. Is there a way to work on this?

3. Lastly, my question is enrichment. Since she can no longer burrow, is there a way to provide her with interesting things to do?

I would appreciate it if you would share your tortoise experiences! Please remember I'm a novice owner yet

 

[JoesMum]

Hey guys,

On July 18th of 2015 I purchased a Russian tortoise from PetCo (I know, terrible, but I couldn't help it seeing her so miserable). They told me she was three-years-old. When I took her to a well-known exotics vet, she guessed that she was maybe a year and a half this September of 2016. She had spots of infection in her shell when I purchased her and was littered with worms. I have since fixed her up and helped rehabilitate her as best as I can. My veterinarian said not to use choir or substrate because they tend to inhale it and get blockages.

I very much doubt any petco tort is as young as that. They're usually much older. Not surprised about the worms.

Coir should be kept damp. Tortoise noses are not like human ones. They don't inhale the coir and get blockages.

I keep her in a 70 gallon tote with indoor/outdoor carpet, rocks, a water bowl she can climb in, and a log that she climbs on top of to sun her self. I have just a few questions to start:

Photos of the enclosure will help us to help you here. You need proper substrate.

1. Is there a way to help her become more friendly? She will not let me pet her, hisses at me, and retracts into her shell every time I pick her up to soak her or put food in her bowl. She has never been a friendly tortoise, which is understandable considering her background, but if I'm going to have her for fifty years I'd like to work on her to help her enjoy her life.

It takes time and patience. They're not social like dogs and don't want lots of handling. Establish a routine so your tort learns what to expect snd when. Something like: lights on, soak, replace in enclosure with food, walk away and don't watch (you're intimidating at the moment)

2. She is very food-dominant and aggressive toward other tortoises, and one day I'd like to get another Russian. Is there a way to work on this?

Normal for Russians. They never live well as pairs. If you want a second one then they should live separately. Groups of 3 or more may succeed in a very large outdoor enclosure, but there's no guarantee.

3. Lastly, my question is enrichment. Since she can no longer burrow, is there a way to provide her with interesting things to do?

I would appreciate it if you would share your tortoise experiences! Please remember I'm a novice owner yet

Read the Russian Care Sheet and give her a properly set up enclosure where she can browse and burrow. Vets aren't experts in everything and I have my doubts about yours.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[Yvonne G]

I agree with mum's assessment of the tortoise's age. Because of our 4" rule (businesses aren't allowed to sell turtles and tortoises under 4" from front to back), a Russian tortoise over 4" is about 6 or 8 years of age, and maybe even older.

Russian tortoises are great burrowers. After they're finished being out and about, they dig down into the substrate to hide until the next time they feel like coming out to eat. Many, many of our members use coco coir and have never let us know about a problem with the tortoises breathing in the particles. Try using small grade orchid bark. That's my favorite.

 

[Tortoise_Wrangler]

2. She is very food-dominant and aggressive toward other tortoises, and one day I'd like to get another Russian. Is there a way to work on this?

You can't directly work on this, and if you're keeping it indoors, it's pretty much impossible. If you want a second tortoise, then I recommend just having two separate indoor enclosures. The Russian tortoise, in my opinion, is the most aggressive tortoise species. My males chase me and bite my toes, so I'm glad they're not 300 pounds.

If you're planning to eventually move them outdoors, then you can keep them together with enough space and a few tricks. I breed Russians and have my breeders in a recently remodeled and expanded enclosure that is 16ft x 14ft. I keep 8 individuals in this with no issues, but I believe sight blockers are an absolute must. I have rocks, branches, bricks, and plants scattered all over so from no one point can my tortoises see to the other end of the enclosure. This limitation in sight enriches their behavior by giving them a greater range of privacy. Add dozens of hides with sight blockers, you open up their world to a more natural setting.

Now another thing I do for all my tortoises in my outdoor enclosure that you can do with your indoor set up, is spread their food around. Nature doesn't cut up a variety of plants and place them in a nice pile for tortoises because they're natural grazers. Nibble some here, move along, nibble here, move on. Your tortoise will explore and eventually find all the food. Only thing you want to consider is where you're placing the scattered food, I try to avoid placing scattered food for my indoor hatchings on their substrate. I found small flat stones that could fit small individual pieces for food and scattered them randomly, creating variety in their environment but utilizing it as a food plate as well. Two ways you can enrich your indoor enclosure, and if you eventually do move your tortoises outside, the sight blocker method is used by pretty much everyone who raises Russians.