Researching to become Russian tortoise owners

[Grfox1]

Our family currently has two cats, dart frogs, mourning geckos, a tarantula, a southern painted turtle, and lots of fish. We are really excited about adding a captive bred or rescue Russian tortoise or box turtle to our family. We have a great place to build an outdoor enclosure along our foundation. Right now we are researching to see what species and age is best for our family. We live in Frostburg, MD if that helps. Also, my ex husband is a vet. He doesn’t work with too many tortoises/turtles in his practice but has always loved them and is excited for our children, 7 and 10, to experience these amazing creatures first hand.

 

[MichaelL]

Russian tortoise all the way! We have many breeders here that sell healthy, captive bred babies so you should look into that. Make sure you know all about hatchling requirements if you get a hatchling. They need some pretty specific care. Also, a helpful hint. When you get your tortoise, never have a staple food and your tortoise will never become picky. I did this with my most recent female russian I got. She will eat anything I give her, because from right after I got her, she has been eating something different or a variety of stuff every day. Don't fall into the trap of giving romaine every day. Good luck!

 

[Grfox1]

We definitely do not want to go the route of anything wild caught. Every addition to this house has always been either captive bred or rescue. That being said, I know that leaves us with a young and fragile tort. I have been reading up on the different levels of care between hatchlings, yearlings, and juvies. Particularly temps and humidity levels. I am a teacher and just found out this past week we will not be returning to school so I thought this would be an ideal time for us to take on this venture.

I think a juvie would be ideal for us but they seem to be hard to find. I want to have his/her home well prepared before arrival but need to know what to prepare for. Feels like a what comes first, the chicken or egg, scenario.

 

[turtlebean]

We definitely do not want to go the route of anything wild caught. Every addition to this house has always been either captive bred or rescue. That being said, I know that leaves us with a young and fragile tort. I have been reading up on the different levels of care between hatchlings, yearlings, and juvies. Particularly temps and humidity levels. I am a teacher and just found out this past week we will not be returning to school so I thought this would be an ideal time for us to take on this venture.

I think a juvie would be ideal for us but they seem to be hard to find. I want to have his/her home well prepared before arrival but need to know what to prepare for. Feels like a what comes first, the chicken or egg, scenario.

It’s definitley tough to try and setup an enclosure if you’re not quite sure what to put in there! I had that same problem and procrastinated making an enclosure for weeks for that same reason. But I started with the simple things that would probably not change and went from there.

I would start with building or finding an enclosure first. The minimum space required for an adult RT is 8x4 ft so even if you have a baby and start off with a small space you will eventually need to increase the size, so if you have the resources and room for the bigger table I would go that route first. Making sure the table is lined and setup for the proper lighting requirements might be a good next step. Figuring out where to hang the lights and CHE’s and thermostats and all that stuff is all an interesting adventure on its own.

Little by little you’ll have an enclosure build perfectly to spec for your incoming little tort and hopefully it can be all tested and set up with correct humidity and temps before he arrives!

I know it all seems overwhelming at first but it’ll pay off when you see your new little tort inside his enclosure all happy and cute!

-Julia R

 

[Grfox1]

With young tortoises needing a higher humidity level, would something like this be a good solution? I was hoping to find the larger ones for Christmas trees but they are not shippable due to size and most stores are closed down right now. I can probably find larger plastic tubs but wasn’t sure if the plastic thickness would make it harder to heat the sleeping area from underneath. Plus, I wasn’t sure if having a lid with vent holes would be beneficial to use at night to keep humidity at the right levels.

I was thinking maybe spray paint the bottom 5-6 inches on the outside to create a visual barrier. This would allow us to see in at all times and the tort to be able to see us as we approach so not to scare them.

 

[Grfox1]

It’s definitley tough to try and setup an enclosure if you’re not quite sure what to put in there! I had that same problem and procrastinated making an enclosure for weeks for that same reason. But I started with the simple things that would probably not change and went from there.

I would start with building or finding an enclosure first. The minimum space required for an adult RT is 8x4 ft so even if you have a baby and start off with a small space you will eventually need to increase the size, so if you have the resources and room for the bigger table I would go that route first. Making sure the table is lined and setup for the proper lighting requirements might be a good next step. Figuring out where to hang the lights and CHE’s and thermostats and all that stuff is all an interesting adventure on its own.

Little by little you’ll have an enclosure build perfectly to spec for your incoming little tort and hopefully it can be all tested and set up with correct humidity and temps before he arrives!

I know it all seems overwhelming at first but it’ll pay off when you see your new little tort inside his enclosure all happy and cute!

-Julia R

I didn’t think young torts were to be kept in turtle tables to better control temps, humidity and air flow. Most of what I have seen suggested aquariums or deep plastic tubs for hatchlings and yearlings. I wasn’t 100% sure when they move from a baby enclosure to a more open enclosure, which is why I decided to come here to communicate directly with experienced owners. This is why I am not really sure what to prepare for.

 

[LasTortugasNinja]

Go to your local feed store. They usually have HUGE 65-100gal storage bins for horse stuff... mine has them for a measly $55! They are a great deal, come with lids, and can accommodate a tortoise for quite a while.

 

[MichaelL]

I didn’t think young torts were to be kept in turtle tables to better control temps, humidity and air flow. Most of what I have seen suggested aquariums or deep plastic tubs for hatchlings and yearlings. I wasn’t 100% sure when they move from a baby enclosure to a more open enclosure, which is why I decided to come here to communicate directly with experienced owners. This is why I am not really sure what to prepare for.

Yeah, babies shouldn't be kept on open top. That tub would work great!

 

[Grfox1]

Go to your local feed store. They usually have HUGE 65-100gal storage bins for horse stuff... mine has them for a measly $55! They are a great deal, come with lids, and can accommodate a tortoise for quite a while.

I will check this out for sure! I wasn’t sure if we needed to keep a hatchling/ yearling in a smaller enclosure to better control the environment though. Everyone keeps talking about 4x8 for adults but then I read that is dangerous for young torts. I do not mind upgrading enclosures as needed.

 

[Grfox1]

Yeah, babies shouldn't be kept on open top. That tub would work great!

How long should they be kept in a smaller enclosure like this? Do I stick with a similar style enclosure but increase size as they grow? At what age or size are they ready for an open top table? have no idea what their rate of growth is.

 

[MichaelL]

I will check this out for sure! I wasn’t sure if we needed to keep a hatchling/ yearling in a smaller enclosure to better control the environment though. Everyone keeps talking about 4x8 for adults but then I read that is dangerous for young torts. I do not mind upgrading enclosures as needed.

Don't go too big for the baby though, as you said you can just upgrade

 

[MichaelL]

How long should they be kept in a smaller enclosure like this? Do I stick with a similar style enclosure but increase size as they grow? At what age or size are they ready for an open top table? have no idea what their rate of growth is.

I would say that until they get to be around 4 inches SCL at probably around two years, they should be living in the humid tub. Upgrade probably twice before moving them to the big open top. (Big open top at 4 inches) The hatchling enclosure should probably last until around 3 inches, then at 3 inches upgrade to something bigger. Then at 4, the adult enclosure.

 

[Grfox1]

Thank you so much for the info. These are some of the sites I have been using for research to prepare. Just so nervous.

Russian Tortoise hatchling care

This site is dedicated to providing exchange of ideas and information to create a better understanding of the care and breeding of the Russian Tortoise. (Testudo horsfieldii, horsfield, Agrionemys, Steppe)

www.russiantortoise.org

Baby Russian tortoise care sheet (also for other herbivorous tortoise species)

This is a care sheet for baby tortoises of any herbivorous species, such as Russian tortoises, Greek tortoises, Marginated tortoises, etc.

tortaddiction.blogspot.com

 

[MichaelL]

Thank you so much for the info. These are some of the sites I have been using for research to prepare. Just so nervous.

Russian Tortoise hatchling care

This site is dedicated to providing exchange of ideas and information to create a better understanding of the care and breeding of the Russian Tortoise. (Testudo horsfieldii, horsfield, Agrionemys, Steppe)

www.russiantortoise.org

Baby Russian tortoise care sheet (also for other herbivorous tortoise species)

This is a care sheet for baby tortoises of any herbivorous species, such as Russian tortoises, Greek tortoises, Marginated tortoises, etc.

tortaddiction.blogspot.com

Great job with all the researching. It can be stressful, especially with a hatchling. But don't worry, you'll get through this and have a happy little tortoise.

 

[Tom]

You are going to get very confused and frustrated by reading and following multiple sources of info. It will lead to mistakes. You are already talking about undertank heaters, and that is a big no no for tortoises.

Here are a few tips:

• Russians don't need night heat in a normal house. Not adults or babies. They need a temp drop at night.
• You don't need a tank or closed chamber for a baby Russian. Damp coco coir substrate and a humid hide will work just fine. Add a basking lamp on a timer, and you are all set.
• You might want UV over the long frozen winter there, so get an HO type tube. No cfl type bulbs.

These might help clarify a few things:

Beginner Mistakes

To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...

tortoiseforum.org

Russian Tortoise Care Sheet

Russian tortoises have great personalities, are very hardy, tolerate a wide variety of enclosure parameters, stay small, and are generally a good "starter" tortoise in my opinion. Here is how I like to set them up: Indoor Enclosure type and size: Most people want to know the minimum size...

tortoiseforum.org

I recommend @Carol S and @kanalomele as excellent sources to get a CB baby from. I would contact them and follow their recommendations. They are both very experienced with breeding and raising baby Russians, and both of them produce super healthy well started babies. Let them tell you how best to set up their babies.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Blackdog1714]

Have you read any Tolstoy--Anna Karenina? gives you good insight into how you will be treated! Welcome