Please help me with my first tortoise.

[Lemmy the tortoise]

hello everyone, I bought my first tortoise from petsmart store 3 days ago. i named him Lemmy. he is a year and 3 months old. i am unsure what breed is my tortoise. petsmart says my tortoise is testudo tortoise but after watching a lot of videos and pics i think its a russian tortoise. as its my first time with a tortoise i would like you guys to tell me if my tortoise look healthy and what more can i do about taking care of him. i am a student so i am lil tight on budget right now but i still got him like 30 gallon of terrarium(which after reading a lot i know is small for him) but i am going to buy a big one soon. i have a dish for water and a bowl of water in there and i am using uvb light. i am not sure about the temp in the terrarium but i keep the light on for 14 hrs every day. i feel it does't create the optimal temp in there so i am going to buy a heat emitter soon. i fed him the zoomed tortoise food but he does not like it because i thing he is fed up with it as the guys in petsmart were giving it to him on daily basis. yesterday i gave him some wheatgrass and today he ate curly kale. i soak him everyday 20 mins in luke warm water and sometime spray him a bit in the day. i have not seen him drinking water at all but i think its because its not hot enough for him in there. i will post a few pics here please help me take care of my tortoise. i want him to live good with me. thanks everyone.

 

[Markw84]

Your tortoise is indeed a Russian, or Horsefields tortoise. However, It is not 1 yr old, but an adult. Probably at least 8-10 yrs old.

If you have not already, please read the care sheet and other posts that are on the top of our Species specific section on Russian tortoises.

Here is the care sheet to get started -

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Come back with any questions, and Welcome to the Forum!

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome. You do have a Russian. It is one of Testudo species - there are several -Testudo horsfeldii

I am guessing their care advice was equally vague and inaccurate. Take a look at these, compare them with your setup and ask questions

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

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

Baby Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome! Because the Russian tortoise is a small species, some of the uneducated clerks at the pet store assume it's a young tortoise. It's ok. . . they don't know any better. Lemmy is a very nice-looking tortoise. If you'll allow us to see his tail, we can tell you if he's a boy or a girl.

 

[Lemmy the tortoise]

Your tortoise is indeed a Russian, or Horsefields tortoise. However, It is not 1 yr old, but an adult. Probably at least 8-10 yrs old.

If you have not already, please read the care sheet and other posts that are on the top of our Species specific section on Russian tortoises.

Here is the care sheet to get started -

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Come back with any questions, and Welcome to the Forum!

hi, thanks for replying, it is a bit shocking to know my tortoise is 8-10 yrs old i was told he is a year and 3 months. but, i think they just did not know any better. do you think he is fully grown? or he is going to grow more?

 

[Lemmy the tortoise]

Hello and welcome. You do have a Russian. It is one of Testudo species - there are several -Testudo horsfeldii

I am guessing their care advice was equally vague and inaccurate. Take a look at these, compare them with your setup and ask questions

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

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

Baby Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

hi there, yes their advice was just to keep him in dry environment because he is a desert tortoise. i did not know any better so i nodded along everything they told me. now, after reading a lot i know some good stuff. i was actually told it's a mix species. but he look so Russian.

 

[Lemmy the tortoise]

Hi, and welcome! Because the Russian tortoise is a small species, some of the uneducated clerks at the pet store assume it's a young tortoise. It's ok. . . they don't know any better. Lemmy is a very nice-looking tortoise. If you'll allow us to see his tail, we can tell you if he's a boy or a girl.

hi, i was told that he is a male tortoise but i will attach a pic so you can confirm it. do you think he has a shell rot goin on? thanks.

 

[Salspi]

Looks like a females

 

[JoesMum]

I agree - looks female. Ignore everything they told you and go with our guidance!

 

[Markw84]

hi, i was told that he is a male tortoise but i will attach a pic so you can confirm it. do you think he has a shell rot goin on? thanks.

No way to know for sure how old your tortoise is. Certainly looks like a female as well. appears to be adult and from your picture about 5" long. She will grow but might not get too much bigger. An adult female is normally about 6" - 8". Her shell looks good. There is no shell rot.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and Lemmy.
No shell rot; no worries, nice looking girl you have there.

 

[Lemmy the tortoise]

Looks like a females

thanks everyone. i really had no idea its a female or i was not gonna name it lemmy. but, ain't gonna change it now

 

[JoesMum]

thanks everyone. i really had no idea its a female or i was not gonna name it lemmy. but, ain't gonna change it now

We have several tortoises on TFO whose names have stuck, eg Lyn W’s Leopard Tortoise called Lola turned out to be male... and Moozillion’s Mud Turtle called Jacques is female

 

[MrMarg&me]

And my Margie who I always call Miss Marg is actually Mr Marg! But I still call him Miss Marg to the consternation of my family.

 

[TammyJ]

Lemmy (what's the reference with that name?) is very welcome here and so are you! A lovely little tortoise.

 

[JoesMum]

Lemmy (what's the reference with that name?) is very welcome here and so are you! A lovely little tortoise.

Motörhead at rough guess

Head banging tort

 

[Lemmy the tortoise]

And my Margie who I always call Miss Marg is actually Mr Marg! But I still call him Miss Marg to the consternation of my family.

Lemmy has joined the club too.

 

[Lemmy the tortoise]

Lemmy (what's the reference with that name?) is very welcome here and so are you! A lovely little tortoise.

I love Mötorhead and always wanted to name my pet dog lemmy, i just moved to USA from england 2 months ago so i can not get a dog for now because of the small space where i live and then i decided on a tortoise and hence the name lemmy.

 

[Lemmy the tortoise]

Motörhead at rough guess

Head banging tort

Only time i see him banging his head is when eating ( i can not get used to the fact that its a female tortoise )

 

[Lemmy the tortoise]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and Lemmy.
No shell rot; no worries, nice looking girl you have there.

thanks i am trying to take good care of her.