Russian Behavior

[jlyoncc1]

Ok, I have had my new russians a little bit now and I have a few questions. The male is much more outgoing than the female and a much bigger eater. When I got him he came a bit deformed but eyes and nose look clear and seems to be healthy. The girl is much shyer and always burrows under the grass. When I put their food in, I usually pick them up and put them in front of the dish which Boris just dives into. Natasha just sits there and does not seem to eat as much. He is always lounging under the heat emitter and she is usually in the cooler area. Is this just a personality thing?

Thanks! Dee

 

[cvalda]

Natasha sounds just like Carmine was for the first few weeks! Right down to a tee! But now Carmine is soooo outgoing, is always out of her shell, and is a chow hound!!! So it just could be Natasha's personality, or maybe she'll "come out of her shell" in a couple weeks!

 

[Jacqui]

I second what Cvalda said. Refresh my memory how long have you had them? These were also from a rescue correct? So they have been moved around a bit right? Could just be taking her longer to adjust.

Torts are like kids, each is so very different from the rest. As long as she isn't loosing weight or acting sick I would not worry too much.

That said I have two questions or thoughts:

Is he being a bully at the food dish in any way? Might want to try feeding her separately and see if that helps. Plus does he bother her when she tries to bask and she then goes to the cool side to get away from him?

Another thought is this, is she maybe thinking of trying to hibernate?

 

[jlyoncc1]

He does climb on the food dish sometimes, I noticed that today for the second time. But I have not seen him even go near her. I did wonder about the hibernation thing. They supposedly have never hibernated and I have never had a tort that I have had to hibernate. She is burrowing under the sod that is under the basking light. It seems to be her place of choice. I guess I should get a grams scale and make sure she doesn't lose weight. She has only been here about a week.

 

[Jacqui]

If it's a week, she is still adjusting most likely. She's still going to the warm spot then right, just she is burrowing once there?

 

[jlyoncc1]

Right, she is burrowing right beneath the grass under basking spot. He usually sprawls out wherever his little heart desires. It's funny, his little legs will be all stretched out.

 

[Jacqui]

Is doing that dead tortoise thing? Lays there like he is lifeless and all rubbery? My ancient male Russian does that and I could wring his little neck. He is so old and I am so paranoid he will die and then I will have to tell the lady who gave him to me. Not something I ever want to do.

Any how Yuri has been doing that to me off and on all summer. You'll go by and he is flopped there, you pause but think he's ok. Go back by a bit later, still the same look. He is still exactly in the same spot. Okay panic creeps in just a bit more, but you try to ignore. You wait a little while longer, thinking and rehearsing ways to tell somebody you killed their favorite tort. Finally, you can wait no longer. With a heavy heart, you go back and see him still laying like a ragdoll. You mumble (okay it was louder then a mumble), "Gosh Darn It!"....okay so those aren't quite the words, but sorta a clean close wording of what was said. Finally about to cry, you pick the ancient one up. He then opens his small eyes and glares at you for disturbing his nap in the sun. I swear I heard all the other Russians snickering at me as I left the enclosure. Worse thing is he did it to me several times....and I always fell for it.

 

[cvalda]

oh my, for a week or two after one of my torts mysteriosly died, i freaked out everytime one of the others spread out like that! i scared the crap out of some of them a couple of times because i panicked! LOL! i hate that "dead" look

 

[jlyoncc1]

So true! I give him a little rub on the shell and he cracks his eyes open like I am really disturbing him. I can't help it though. Although he looks relaxed all stretched out it is a little unsettling.