Julesfirebright
New Member
Hey there! I’m a new tortoise owner in UK and 4 weeks ago inherited a Russian 5ish year old female from a friend who couldn’t cope. she had been kept on sand in vivarium with heat and UVB tube on timer and fed courgette and carrot and tortoise food. She also had a lot of roaming around, not very safely. Anyway since I’ve had her I’ve had soooo much conflicting advice on habitat, diet, substrate, lighting, just everything really. I was told to get her out of vivarium and onto tortoise table, which I did, and to change her lighting to 100w mercury vapour D3 basking lamp, which I did. Anyway I live in a cold cottage and it is winter. So I have made a kind of tent above the enclosure to keep her out of draughts. But I don’t think she’s warm enough and is basically sleeping in her hide most of the time but most worryingly has Not eaten anything more than couple of nibbles in 2 weeks. Please help! Everyone says about not giving store bought greens etc but she is not eating any of the wild food eg plantain and dandelion I’ve offered daily. I just don’t know what to do that is best for her. She is pretty active and alert when awake and I am bathing her. Her basking area is 30 degrees but I think I should put ceramic heater for rest of area - what wattage though? She is in 2 x 4 foot table.
I do plan on her going outside in the summer
thanks for any help and sorry for long email!
I do plan on her going outside in the summer
thanks for any help and sorry for long email!