Russian tortoise suggestions

Beetle_Rain

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2021
Messages
35
Location (City and/or State)
Winter Park FL
I very unexpectedly was put into a situation where I needed to rescue a recovering Russian tortoise. He had a tough run in with shell rot and the owner didn’t want to take care of it anymore I suspect it was due to the enclosure he was kept in as it was pretty much fully enclosed and very tiny for a full grown adult. That being said along with continuing medicating him I built him a significantly larger enclosure out of a book case with a significant amount of ventilation and proper lighting. I also have a slate for him to bask and grind his nails on, a slate for him to eat from, a water dish he can lay in and a hide on his cool side. I will be adding a hide on the warm side as well but I haven’t found one big enough yet. Besides that hide does anyone have any ideas on adding more for enrichment or if I am missing anything please let me know as I am very attached to this old man already! It’s crazy that he is most likely older than me! I included a picture that really shows the scarring on his shell if anyone sees anything strange about that as well please let me know!!! Oh and his name is Mulligan!
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Alex and the Redfoot

Well-Known Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 21, 2023
Messages
5,331
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
Hello to you and Mulligan! Thanks for helping him out!

You can make him a hide just by digging under the slate (if substrate is deep enough such bunker/burrow should work).

You can add some enrichment by placing visual barriers - plant pots, walls, substrate hills.. So he could not see whole enclosure from a single point. Some plants like boston fern, pothos or tradescantia make a nice hide, when pot is placed on the wall and you let fronds/vines to go down. The best enrichment is an outdoor enclosure, though...

I would add an overhang lip along the perimeter - Russian tortoises are incredibly skilled climbers. With added decorations it's easy to miss a potential escape route...

You may also add an ambient LED light to his enclosure - neither UV tube nor basking lamp are bright enough.
 

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