Russian Tortoise Eating

[Mr. Blueberry]

Hello All!
I'm new to the forum. We just got our Russian Tortoise a week ago. I know that the transition from pet store to home can be very stressful and can cause the little guys to lose their appetite. My tortoise has not been eating much if anything at all for the week. I've provided a variety of greens like dandelion, nastursium, mustard greens, plantains, and even dried and fresh flowers (all on the approved list). I've put in large chunks, cut up small, medium...I'm not sure what to do. He has mostly normal activity, he is digging, he does crawl up the sides of the enclosure sometimes. He can't get out. The temperature in the basking area is from 88 - 90 degrees. Humidity around 50%, in the cooler area it is around 72-75 degrees and humidity is around 60%. Could the temperatures be an issue?
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback.

 

[Tom]

Hello All!
I'm new to the forum. We just got our Russian Tortoise a week ago. I know that the transition from pet store to home can be very stressful and can cause the little guys to lose their appetite. My tortoise has not been eating much if anything at all for the week. I've provided a variety of greens like dandelion, nastursium, mustard greens, plantains, and even dried and fresh flowers (all on the approved list). I've put in large chunks, cut up small, medium...I'm not sure what to do. He has mostly normal activity, he is digging, he does crawl up the sides of the enclosure sometimes. He can't get out. The temperature in the basking area is from 88 - 90 degrees. Humidity around 50%, in the cooler area it is around 72-75 degrees and humidity is around 60%. Could the temperatures be an issue?
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback.

Hello and welcome!

What you are feeding him is ideal, but he has probably never seen any of that and has no idea what it is. New foods have to be introduced gradually over weeks or months. Check in with the seller and see what he was eating before. Probably lettuce. Mix in small amounts of these new food all chopped up and mixed in with the tortoise's old favorites.

What size is the enclosure? They need 4x8 feet as a minimum, but they are often restless even with a large enough enclosure.

Basking temperature should be around 100 directly under the flood bulb. 88-90 is a little too cool, but all else sounds good.

Are you soaking daily? Soaks will keep the tortoise hydrated while it's not eating much, and it helps keep the GI tract moving, which should increase appetite. Soak in warm water in a tall sided opaque tub for 30-40 minutes daily for a couple of weeks. Don't worry about it if the tortoise scrambles to get out the whole time. We call that the tortoise treadmill and its good exercise. All that locomotion also help keep the GI tract moving.

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[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Welcome to the forum!