kjw_14
New Member
Hello I have a Russian Tortoise that I received from Tortoise Town around the beginning of August. I purchased a well started 6 month old Russian. He was perfect when I received him and he has been doing fine as far as I can tell. I just have a few concerns that I would like to share, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
He's not very big about 34 grams I was wondering if this is a normal weight? He has been eating spring mix and usually eats quite a bit if he gets out of his burrow. What other foods should I give him? He's kind of picky he will not eat the soaked Mazuri pellets and isn't interested collard greens or mustard greens either. He does like romaine and spring mix. He usually only poops if he's out and walks around for a little bit but today he pooped in his soak for the first time. He hasn't peed in a few days though as far as I know which worries me that he is dehydrated I never see him open his mouth and drink water when he is soaking, he just bobs his head in the water usually. I purchased calcium powder but wasn't sure if it was safe for him to have it yet? On the tortoise town website It says they have given their well started Tortoises calcium but then I read somewhere else on their page not to give it to them until they're 18 months or something?
He also sleeps a majority of the day. I try not to mess with him much because I don't want to scare him or stress him out but I worry if he doesn't eat all day or if I need to soak him. He usually stays burrowed under his coco substrate and sphagnum moss but I assume that babies just like to hide and sleep a lot. He usually comes out in the morning when I turn on his UVB bulb and get his food ready but usually goes back to sleep around 2-3 pm. The substrate is really dry though, I have him in the zoo med tortoise house but it's hard to keep the coco substrate moist. Some forums say not to have a very humid enclosure while others say it's necessary. The overall humidity of the enclosure stays around 50-60 but the substrate is bone dry. I try to spray at least once a day. It stays about 74 on the cool end and 80-95 degrees under the basking light. He burrows near the basking light under some moss and it usually stays damp I try to keep the moss damp but the basking light seems to dry everything out. Sorry for the long post but thanks in advance!
He's not very big about 34 grams I was wondering if this is a normal weight? He has been eating spring mix and usually eats quite a bit if he gets out of his burrow. What other foods should I give him? He's kind of picky he will not eat the soaked Mazuri pellets and isn't interested collard greens or mustard greens either. He does like romaine and spring mix. He usually only poops if he's out and walks around for a little bit but today he pooped in his soak for the first time. He hasn't peed in a few days though as far as I know which worries me that he is dehydrated I never see him open his mouth and drink water when he is soaking, he just bobs his head in the water usually. I purchased calcium powder but wasn't sure if it was safe for him to have it yet? On the tortoise town website It says they have given their well started Tortoises calcium but then I read somewhere else on their page not to give it to them until they're 18 months or something?
He also sleeps a majority of the day. I try not to mess with him much because I don't want to scare him or stress him out but I worry if he doesn't eat all day or if I need to soak him. He usually stays burrowed under his coco substrate and sphagnum moss but I assume that babies just like to hide and sleep a lot. He usually comes out in the morning when I turn on his UVB bulb and get his food ready but usually goes back to sleep around 2-3 pm. The substrate is really dry though, I have him in the zoo med tortoise house but it's hard to keep the coco substrate moist. Some forums say not to have a very humid enclosure while others say it's necessary. The overall humidity of the enclosure stays around 50-60 but the substrate is bone dry. I try to spray at least once a day. It stays about 74 on the cool end and 80-95 degrees under the basking light. He burrows near the basking light under some moss and it usually stays damp I try to keep the moss damp but the basking light seems to dry everything out. Sorry for the long post but thanks in advance!
