We recently obtained my step-son's tortoise from his mom's house. This thing barely had much of a terrarium and had a poor eating schedule/diet. I also don't think she was handled very much. But now she is with us. We already cleaned her aquarium squeaky clean, bought her new stuff to enjoy her new environment. She is very scared, I think. When we come in the room she hides in her shell. We've popped in several times to check on her and she is very skiddish. When we've also tried to pick her up she automatically pees. Do they do this when stressed or scared? We are talking every time she is picked up= pees. We only had her for a couple of days. Anyone can offer suggestions to get her to come out of her shell so to speak? And is the peeing related to fear? I want her to trust us and that she is in the best care she will ever experience.
Russian Tortoise behavior question
- Thread starter Nesha
- Start date
Hi Nesha, and welcome to the Forum!
You've got a pretty scared little tortoise on your hands. The very best thing you can do for her is set her up in a LARGE habitat (outside would be best), and leave her alone.
I would place the food at the feeding station, then gently move her in front of the food, then get out of her sight. It will take a long time for her to learn to trust the food goddess, but Russian tortoises are spunky little animals and she will be your best buddy as soon as she figures out that the food is coming from you and you mean her no harm.
We have a good care sheet pinned at the top of our Russian section here on the Forum.
You've got a pretty scared little tortoise on your hands. The very best thing you can do for her is set her up in a LARGE habitat (outside would be best), and leave her alone.
I would place the food at the feeding station, then gently move her in front of the food, then get out of her sight. It will take a long time for her to learn to trust the food goddess, but Russian tortoises are spunky little animals and she will be your best buddy as soon as she figures out that the food is coming from you and you mean her no harm.
We have a good care sheet pinned at the top of our Russian section here on the Forum.
Poor baby is terrified. Moving is very stressful. She will calm down as stated. She needs a large enclosure and time to adjust. I agree leaving her alone as much as possible will help.
Yes, probably. Mine poops if I pick her up. Once they get use to you and rec you as the one that brings the food she will calm down a bit. Read up on good diets for them, I'm guessing she might not have had a good one and also make sure you have a source of calcium and a water dish....
My Tidgy was seriously abused and terrified of everything, particularly of people when i took her away from her previous owners.
The others above have far more experience than I in these matters, but in darling Tidgy's case, i found it different.
because she was physically abused and needed treatment I spent all my waking time with her, coaxing and cajoling her, tempting her with food, but ensuring she had time to explore her new environment unmolested (I was still watching from a distance) and sleeping only when she did.
She soon came to realize that i was not going to eat her or hurt her in any way and was the provider of food, ease from pain and her protector and wifey also.
Soon she was quite happy in our company and now actively seeks us out, and not just when she wants food, but also to go to the toilet, go outside, have a neck rub, go to bed etc.Sometimes she just wants to sit near me, I guess 'cos she feels safe.
I understand that some will ridicule this and that most people can't afford to spend the whole day, most days with their tortoise, but luckily I and wifey between us can.
Be patient. She will come round to your presence when she knows you are not a threat. Improve her diet and she will like it more and get better.
And the rewards for you too will be beyond measure.
The others above have far more experience than I in these matters, but in darling Tidgy's case, i found it different.
because she was physically abused and needed treatment I spent all my waking time with her, coaxing and cajoling her, tempting her with food, but ensuring she had time to explore her new environment unmolested (I was still watching from a distance) and sleeping only when she did.
She soon came to realize that i was not going to eat her or hurt her in any way and was the provider of food, ease from pain and her protector and wifey also.
Soon she was quite happy in our company and now actively seeks us out, and not just when she wants food, but also to go to the toilet, go outside, have a neck rub, go to bed etc.Sometimes she just wants to sit near me, I guess 'cos she feels safe.
I understand that some will ridicule this and that most people can't afford to spend the whole day, most days with their tortoise, but luckily I and wifey between us can.
Be patient. She will come round to your presence when she knows you are not a threat. Improve her diet and she will like it more and get better.
And the rewards for you too will be beyond measure.
All wild tortoises void urine when they are lifted off the ground. It is a tactic employed not only by tortoises, but also by many species of toad and snake. Cloacal excretion is generally unpleasant, and most critters that would be lifting these beasts into the air would do so with their mouths in an effort to consume them. If some large wild dog or other such warm blooded monster gets a mouth full of pee and poop, that monster is going to be temporarily incapacitated, too busy trying to spit out the pungent taste of tortoise urine, allowing a window in which the tortoise might escape with its life.
Your tortoise will eventually come to tolerate your presence, especially when it associates said presence with food. However, you must first correct the enclosure problem you're facing. Tortoises require space. Lots and lots of space. My Greek tortoise Graecus is only seven inches, gular to anal scute. And yet I recently enlarged his enclosure to twenty two feet long by ten feet wide. Now, his enclosure was already eighteen by six before, and he would cover every inch of that to the point of forming little tortoise trails. Now that I've expanded it, he covers even more ground and is quickly carving new trails.
Russians, similar to Greeks (maybe even more so than Greeks), require lots of space. In the wild, these animals' actual territory can cover hectares, and they traverse miles and miles of ground during the spring months when the monsoons hit. Once you provide her with a great big space with plenty of hiding places, you will see her blossom and reach her full potential. All of the advice given so far has been great. If there's one thing I can't stress enough, it is that your Russian tortoise is going to take time to acclimate. And when I say time, I mean that with a capital T. I used to foster both wild caught Russians and Hermanns, and let me tell you, they take time to adjust. Many of them didn't start to inhabit the memory of their former selves for years. And none of them were any match, stature wise, for my Graecus, whom I've kept for over twenty years, or my captive bred margies, the oldest of whom I got twelve years ago.
But I must say, when you see them outdoors for the first time in a long while, taking in that sun while resting their legs upon well drained soil, I mean, there's just nothing like it. You know they are still full of fear, but when that happens and the animal isn't too far gone, they may not know it, but you know that things can and will turn around. Well, I do, because I've seen it. Try to consider it from the tort's perspective. Keep in mind that these beasts spent their formative years in an inhospitable environment, one in which they were likely the sole survivor of a clutch of eggs, a precarious existence filled with innumerable near misses and narrow escapes, intestinal worms and ticks creeping around every dark corner, survival within a near constant state of hiding as a hatchling, finally growing into an adult with enough moxy to step into the world and challenge a dominant animal in a quest to carve out a well irrigated little piece of steppe to call his/her own, a territory upon which he/she may offer to his/her descendants the same opportunity for survival, all of this, only to end up captured by some insane, hairless apes intent on imprisoning him/her in a glass cage, having random weird green stuff dropped into said glass prison every so often, feeling forced to eventually eat the stuff to keep from starving to death. I mean, if that doesn't sound terrifying, I don't know what does.
So anyway, I would start by reading the Russian care sheet. Tom and the others have really covered their bases with those, and they are a good jumping off point to what I hope you will find to be a years long learning experience in understanding the nuanced and wonderfully complex yet extraordinarily gratifying work that goes into keeping a tortoise. If you're like those of us on this forum, it will become a passion that will consume your free hours, making you stop during trips to the hardware store to imagine how you might improve your outdoor enclosure, experiencing the funny looks the lady at the nursery gives you when you tell her that flowering maple you just bought is producing those ever so beautiful flowers so they may meet their end in the belly of your tortoise. You might actually reach a point when you stay up at night thinking man, I totally should have grabbed those dandelion seeds off Mitchelson's lawn yesterday. I mean, he takes such terrible care of his lawn. I bet he doesn't use pesticides. But I don't know. I feel kinda weird just walking onto his lawn and taking something that isn't mine, even if he probably wouldn't care that I was taking a bunch of dandelion seeds. I mean really, I'm doing him a favor, making his lawn look better by ensuring that fewer dandelions are spreading seed over it, and I'd be growning some dandelion for my tortoises. It's a win win. I guess I need to ask him. But then he'll think I'm weird. I guess I could just tell him they're for my garden, that I like a little dandy in the salad once in a while. But then he might ask me why I don't just buy the stuff overpriced at Wholefoods. Regardless, I will have to talk to Mitchelson about this tomorrow. Now what to say...
T.G.
Your tortoise will eventually come to tolerate your presence, especially when it associates said presence with food. However, you must first correct the enclosure problem you're facing. Tortoises require space. Lots and lots of space. My Greek tortoise Graecus is only seven inches, gular to anal scute. And yet I recently enlarged his enclosure to twenty two feet long by ten feet wide. Now, his enclosure was already eighteen by six before, and he would cover every inch of that to the point of forming little tortoise trails. Now that I've expanded it, he covers even more ground and is quickly carving new trails.
Russians, similar to Greeks (maybe even more so than Greeks), require lots of space. In the wild, these animals' actual territory can cover hectares, and they traverse miles and miles of ground during the spring months when the monsoons hit. Once you provide her with a great big space with plenty of hiding places, you will see her blossom and reach her full potential. All of the advice given so far has been great. If there's one thing I can't stress enough, it is that your Russian tortoise is going to take time to acclimate. And when I say time, I mean that with a capital T. I used to foster both wild caught Russians and Hermanns, and let me tell you, they take time to adjust. Many of them didn't start to inhabit the memory of their former selves for years. And none of them were any match, stature wise, for my Graecus, whom I've kept for over twenty years, or my captive bred margies, the oldest of whom I got twelve years ago.
But I must say, when you see them outdoors for the first time in a long while, taking in that sun while resting their legs upon well drained soil, I mean, there's just nothing like it. You know they are still full of fear, but when that happens and the animal isn't too far gone, they may not know it, but you know that things can and will turn around. Well, I do, because I've seen it. Try to consider it from the tort's perspective. Keep in mind that these beasts spent their formative years in an inhospitable environment, one in which they were likely the sole survivor of a clutch of eggs, a precarious existence filled with innumerable near misses and narrow escapes, intestinal worms and ticks creeping around every dark corner, survival within a near constant state of hiding as a hatchling, finally growing into an adult with enough moxy to step into the world and challenge a dominant animal in a quest to carve out a well irrigated little piece of steppe to call his/her own, a territory upon which he/she may offer to his/her descendants the same opportunity for survival, all of this, only to end up captured by some insane, hairless apes intent on imprisoning him/her in a glass cage, having random weird green stuff dropped into said glass prison every so often, feeling forced to eventually eat the stuff to keep from starving to death. I mean, if that doesn't sound terrifying, I don't know what does.
So anyway, I would start by reading the Russian care sheet. Tom and the others have really covered their bases with those, and they are a good jumping off point to what I hope you will find to be a years long learning experience in understanding the nuanced and wonderfully complex yet extraordinarily gratifying work that goes into keeping a tortoise. If you're like those of us on this forum, it will become a passion that will consume your free hours, making you stop during trips to the hardware store to imagine how you might improve your outdoor enclosure, experiencing the funny looks the lady at the nursery gives you when you tell her that flowering maple you just bought is producing those ever so beautiful flowers so they may meet their end in the belly of your tortoise. You might actually reach a point when you stay up at night thinking man, I totally should have grabbed those dandelion seeds off Mitchelson's lawn yesterday. I mean, he takes such terrible care of his lawn. I bet he doesn't use pesticides. But I don't know. I feel kinda weird just walking onto his lawn and taking something that isn't mine, even if he probably wouldn't care that I was taking a bunch of dandelion seeds. I mean really, I'm doing him a favor, making his lawn look better by ensuring that fewer dandelions are spreading seed over it, and I'd be growning some dandelion for my tortoises. It's a win win. I guess I need to ask him. But then he'll think I'm weird. I guess I could just tell him they're for my garden, that I like a little dandy in the salad once in a while. But then he might ask me why I don't just buy the stuff overpriced at Wholefoods. Regardless, I will have to talk to Mitchelson about this tomorrow. Now what to say...
T.G.
Bit rambly bonkers at the end, but sound advice.
I want to thank you all for your replies. Every one of these has helped a lot. I have enhanced her terrarium. I can tell she is exploring all her new stuff. We are renovating a part of out house. So as soon as that is done, we are going to build her one that is more suitable. I never thought I would be taking care of a tortoise. Thank you for answering the pee question. That makes complete sense and I figured there was a reason. I've been repositioning her when I fill her food bowl. Last night I noticed she was sleeping completely sprawled out. But when I enter the room, she tucks her head back in her shell a little. Enough to see and watch what I am doing. I've been giving her space, but checking on her often.
It does two things:
1. It keeps her hydrated. This is very important. The peeing is a survival mechanism, but it can leave them dehydrated. Also, if the tortoise was somewhat neglected before you got it, there is a good chance it is dehydrated. Daily soaks for a couple of weeks will help rehydrate and keep it rehydrated.
2. The gentle handling to get the tortoise in and out of the soaking tub should desensitize the tortoise to your handling and get it used to you. While it may be a little stressful up front, the desensitization will ensure less stress down the road.
Another tip: Hand feeding colorful tasty treats can help get them to have a positive association with you too. Hibiscus and dandelion flowers are favorites. Also try thin strips of red bell peppers or carrot, but use those only in moderation. If they tortoise will take its normal foods from you, that works too.
Thirdly, they often poop and pee while soaking, which reduces the chances of her peeing on you!
It's so sad. I know she is getting somewhat use to me. But she pokes her head back in her shell with her front legs hiding her beak. I know she will poke out again a little but enough I think to see what I am doing. I touch her lightly and she fidgets. I can't help but feel so bad for her. When she goes back into her shell does it let out hair or is that a hiss? Like I said. I have never owned a reptile. Never thought I'd ever have one. So I am trying to learn as much as I can so I can provide the best for her. All this is so helpful.
Her pulling in her legs and head causes compression of the lungs causing air to be forced at velocity through the nostrils.
So it is air and a hiss.
It does means she is unhappy and trying to defend herself against what she perceives as an attack and the noise is, in part a warning and in part to frighten aggressors.
Be patient, Tidgy used to do this, but, given time she will come to understand you are not going to eat her and are her supplier of food.
She will come to trust you, but it may take a while.
So it is air and a hiss.
It does means she is unhappy and trying to defend herself against what she perceives as an attack and the noise is, in part a warning and in part to frighten aggressors.
Be patient, Tidgy used to do this, but, given time she will come to understand you are not going to eat her and are her supplier of food.
She will come to trust you, but it may take a while.
