Russian Tortoise to rehome

JoesMum

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Nice yard you have there, but I think you are looking for a bigger tortoise than a russian tort. Russian torts are only 5 to 6 inches.
:confused:
Russians are very active torts and will use all the space you give them. The more the better.

They have uvb lighting and heating requirements.
All torts have UVB and heating requirements. They are cold blooded and must have external heat to be active and digest food. The sun is the best source of both and Russians do very well outdoors as long as the sun shines.

They do not eat vegetables or fruit, but only certain greens and weeds.
They eat a wide range of greens. You are correct that they should not eat fruit

My tort has never hybernated. He has never been outside overnight in his enclosure because we have possums and raccoons that will eat him during night hours. He spends nights and winters inside, protected. Only during hot summer days will I put him out in his enclosure, but then returning him back inside by late afternoon
It is true that any outdoor enclosure should be predator proof. Which predators you have depends on your location. Many keepers use a nightbox to keep their torts safe overnight outdoors. There are examples in the Enclosures forum.
 

fabfourgirl1964

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For those that are wondering about outside enclosure substrates.
You have to make sure no fertilizer or other chemicals are in the soil. No white moisture balls either!
I have Ace Top Soil, Premier Sphagnum Peat Moss, and Sandy Loam in my outdoor enclosure. Russian torts dug and are escape artist so you have to have your enclosure blocked at the bottom and top. I have layers of dirt, thick landscape plastic then river rock, then my mixture of the Ace Top Soil, Sphagnum Peat Moss and Sandy Loam. I have russian tort edible greens I planted as seeds I got from www.carolinapetsupply.com
I also use their Tortoise TNT nutrition powder that you sprinkle on their food.
The top of my enclosure has hardward fabric (plastic fencing). I also have red landscaping bricks around it to make it look nice.
Inside his habitat, I use coconut bark mixed with one tex rex coconut bricks.
 

fabfourgirl1964

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JoesMum- Thanks for the additional info, I know all this stuff personally as I've had my russian tort for 6 years now, but couldn't text everything here. I am still looking for a forever home for Bear, my russian tort. His safety and well being is my only concern. My young daughter just passed away from cancer and I have a husband in dialysis 3x a week. My time is wearing thin, and I feel Bear needs a good home where he will be well cared for.
 

JoesMum

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JoesMum- Thanks for the additional info, I know all this stuff personally as I've had my russian tort for 6 years now, but couldn't text everything here. I am still looking for a forever home for Bear, my russian tort. His safety and well being is my only concern. My young daughter just passed away from cancer and I have a husband in dialysis 3x a week. My time is wearing thin, and I feel Bear needs a good home where he will be well cared for.
I cannot imagine what you're going through and hope everything is swiftly resolved for you. Electronic hugs are all I can offer
 
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Well for me, I took out the wood chips and now I have coco fiber and coco coir. But when I did have the wood chips I used repti bark but I took it out to try something new. I would use coco coir mixed with wood chips. Just me. See if your Tort likes it but no sand
 
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