Russian tortoise potty training?

[Happy Tortoise]

Hi guys I'm back! Ugh. This was not the first time Torti did this, but once again, he went to the bathroom in his bowl. I clean it out, wash it and put his food in it again. Some days later he pees in the bowl. Is there a way to potty train a tort? I mean leopard geckos are naturally potty trained- Spotty the leopard gecko went in a small corner of the cage. I think Torti would be smarter than a gecko- maybe? If there is a way please tell me how?

 

[wellington]

Don't know of a way and haven't heard of one either. Try putting his food on a paper plate or a flat rock. Maybe not being in a bowl will help. Just a thought. good luck

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

 

[ascott]

Pee'g and poo'g on their food is something that torts just do....most will finish their food and then eat the poo if they so feel the desire....don't know that you are going to be able to "potty train" the tort....but if he keeps up his training you will be really quick and changing the plate out and giving him more new food....lol....

 

[icenine]

Not sure if there are rules on "gravedigging" threads but this one isn't too old so I thought I'd offer my two cents on this matter.

It seems as though I may have unintentionally managed to potty train my tort in a sense... I put him on the dirt in the patio to feed him every morning (or afternoon as time permits) and he usually eats, then poos/pees. By decreasing how often I feed him in his enclosure, it seems he defecates in there much less. I don't know if I'm reading into it too much or if its an individual tort basis sort of thing or what, but I rarely see him go in his enclosure, maybe once a week, and he always goes outside when I put him out with food. He'll do a 5 minute romp, eat, then sometime in the next half hour he'll go, during his romp.

 

[wellington]

Not sure if there are rules on "gravedigging" threads but this one isn't too old so I thought I'd offer my two cents on this matter.

It seems as though I may have unintentionally managed to potty train my tort in a sense... I put him on the dirt in the patio to feed him every morning (or afternoon as time permits) and he usually eats, then poos/pees. By decreasing how often I feed him in his enclosure, it seems he defecates in there much less. I don't know if I'm reading into it too much or if its an individual tort basis sort of thing or what, but I rarely see him go in his enclosure, maybe once a week, and he always goes outside when I put him out with food. He'll do a 5 minute romp, eat, then sometime in the next half hour he'll go, during his romp.

I think it has more to do with routine. I have had my leopard since May last year. He is now 20 months. I have never cleaned poop out of his enclosure. He either is eating it right away, or he is only doing it in his soaks. Last year I soaked him every day and he would poop every day. When he got to be about a year old, I started soaking him every other day. He now poops in his every other day soaks.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[SAS]

Why don't you just put the food somewhere else and use the bowl as a bathroom with another saucer for the water.