Setting up for a Russian Tortoise - Constructive comments welcome

[David Steere]

@Tom @SinLA @wellington @Alex and the Redfoot @Ink @Cathie G @Yvonne G @jaizei @Pippen's Pal @Kala @ecachuh @The_Four_Toed_Edward @TechnoCheese @_The_Beast_ @EppsDynasty @LanaJoy @Jillgp @Anastasia 22 @SocialD @ZEROPILOT @Daffodil

Sandy and I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! We would not know what we would of done without all of your help and support!

The greatest present of all is waking up each morning and spending a little time with Sandy. Never gets old!

Thanks Once Again!!!!!

 

[David Steere]

@Tom @SinLA @wellington @Alex and the Redfoot @Ink @Cathie G @Yvonne G @jaizei @Pippen's Pal @Kala @ecachuh @The_Four_Toed_Edward @TechnoCheese @_The_Beast_ @EppsDynasty @LanaJoy @Jillgp @Anastasia 22 @SocialD @ZEROPILOT @Daffodil @Myrna the RES @er9m

Please let know if you notice any concerns or questions concerning Sandy.

Surprised only 10.5 grams this month. Usually weighs in more each month. Any concerns?

January 2025
Monthly Checking: Sandy gained 10.5 grams and grew 1/4 inch this month!
Weight: 335 grams
Length: 4 1/2 inches +/-

 

[wellington]

Looking great. As long as they gain it's a good thing. They won't always gain or grow the same each month, specially the older they get.
You're doing a great job.

 

[_The_Beast_]

This little bat signals keep looking gorgeous and so cute! Sandy's doing just great. My hatchling's growth and weight gains have slowed as he reached (and passed) the one year mark. As long as you're still trending upwards and not trending downward, you're doing great

 

[David Steere]

@Tom @SinLA @wellington @Alex and the Redfoot @Ink @Cathie G @Yvonne G @jaizei @Pippen's Pal @Kala @ecachuh @The_Four_Toed_Edward @TechnoCheese @_The_Beast_ @EppsDynasty @LanaJoy @Jillgp @Anastasia 22 @SocialD @ZEROPILOT @Daffodil @Myrna the RES @er9m

Happy New Year Sandy!!!!!

 

[zolasmum]

It's lovely to see Sandy looking so alert and interested in everything - she looks great, too.
Happy new year to her and to you.
Angie

 

[_The_Beast_]

Happy New Year Sandy

 

[Anastasia 22]

Happy New Year to Sandy and you!!!! Thank you for doing a great job raising this little cutie!!!!!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Happy New Year!

 

[EppsDynasty]

When weighing torts it is very hard to get an 'Accurate' weight. They may/may not have water/food in their system. We weigh only after a good warm soak, this seems to help them poop and pee, which help us get a more accurate weight.

Just an example .... We were weighing a Desert Tortoise almost everyday to track for proof of absorption and processing of nutrients. We would get days where her weight would go down for days but she was eating tons. This was a result of weighing at different times and not doing it on a regular schedule.

 

[David Steere]

@Tom @SinLA @wellington @Alex and the Redfoot @Ink @Cathie G @Yvonne G @jaizei @Pippen's Pal @Kala @ecachuh @The_Four_Toed_Edward @TechnoCheese @_The_Beast_ @EppsDynasty @LanaJoy @Jillgp @Anastasia 22 @SocialD @ZEROPILOT @Daffodil @Myrna the RES @er9m

What I do is weigh and measure Sandy the beginning of each month right after his 30 to 40 minute soak in the morning.

I plan on soaking Sandy each morning FOREVER. I figure...

1. Really keeps the enclosure clean. Sandy as far as I can see never goes to the bathroom in enclosure. Once in a while in the food dish while he is eating. Sandy does all his business when soaking. Spot cleaning each day finds nothing.
2. Sandy gets use to being picked up. I pet his head and neck every morning. My quality time with him. Just in case I need to take him to vet he is use to being handled.
3. Inspect Sandy, clean his top and bottom with a soft tooth brush every morning. Check him over and report to forum anything I see that might be a concern.
4. My enclosure is not 80% humidity. Bugs me to this day. It is enclosed and warmer and more humid than the room outside. I put my hand inside and it feels like a New England humid summer day. Just checked and the range is from 40% to 80% outside humid hide ( got 6 temp gauges ). While outside the room is 25%. So by soaking I figure Sandy will drink and stay hydrated. Never see Sandy in terracotta water dish in enclosure.

Any sign of pyramiding? I think I see some but figured I would ask.

 

[Ink]

Have you tried putting a green house over the enclosure to keep the humidity in? Do you water the substrate to get more humidity?

 

[David Steere]

Have you tried putting a green house over the enclosure to keep the humidity in? Do you water the substrate to get more humidity?

The enclosure is sort of like a greenhouse but enclosure is very high ( which is the issue I think ) so I can clean enclosure easier and hang the lights and such. Enclosure is 6'x4' and 4' high.



I going to replace plastic with 1/8" or 1/4" white vinyl veneer to tighten up and make inside the enclosure brighter. Black construction trash bags does have some leakage I think.

I do put water in corners also but not daily. More like weekly.

Sometime I want to put a drain on the side that is lower to get rid of extra water. Nervous about have standing water on bottom if I put to much water.

 

[wellington]

Yes s/he has pyramiding. Keeping humidity up and not using mercury, halogen or spot bulbs and it should grow new smooth growth.

 

[_The_Beast_]

Any sign of pyramiding? I think I see some but figured I would ask.
View attachment 384993

It looks like the newer growth is a lot smoother than the growth he came with. I'm not able to tell from this photo, but is the new growth along the sides and back shell smooth? The top scutes can take longer to show the new growth evening out.

If it's helpful, I can share how my Russian's growth is going and you can compare his to Sandy's? I think he's only two months younger than Sandy and when he arrived at three months old there was already very noticeable pyramiding. Now all the new growth is really smooth and the difference is quite dramatic. If you're still getting ridges throughout the new growth, than increasing humidity should help.

 

[David Steere]

@Tom @SinLA @wellington @Alex and the Redfoot @Ink @Cathie G @Yvonne G @jaizei @Pippen's Pal @Kala @ecachuh @The_Four_Toed_Edward @TechnoCheese @_The_Beast_ @EppsDynasty @LanaJoy @Jillgp @Anastasia 22 @SocialD @ZEROPILOT @Daffodil @Myrna the RES @er9m @zolasmum

Quick question. Something new happened today and now I am worried like a mom with her first child.

I caught Sandy flashing in the enclosure today. When I picked Sandy up I notice Sandy had dragged his privates through some exposed Coco Coir and it was covered with it. Than Sandy retracted it back in side his tail area. I soaked Sandy again and Sandy flashed and privates was clean. I expected Coco Coir in water but that was clean as well.

1. Should I be concerned that Coco Coir is still inside Sandys privates?
2. Privates look very sensitive, should I be concerned that Orchid Bark might hurt Sandy's privates?

Sandra digs literally all over the enclosure now when she sets up for sleeping for the night. If I did not cover them up there would be holes everywhere. When I cover the hole sometimes I do not separate the Orchid Bark and Coco Coir so the hole is mixed with both. I been meaning to ask.

3. Do you just leave the enclosure as the Tortoise shapes it, leave the soil as is or should you clean up, separate and make the area like it was before the Tortoise dug the area up?
4. If you cover hole should I take more care in separating the Coco Coir and Orchid Bark?

 

[wellington]

Not to worry. In the wild they would get sand, leaf matter, etc stuck to it too. Most probably fell off as it was retracted.and that's why you didn't see it in the soak.

 

[_The_Beast_]

@Tom @SinLA @wellington @Alex and the Redfoot @Ink @Cathie G @Yvonne G @jaizei @Pippen's Pal @Kala @ecachuh @The_Four_Toed_Edward @TechnoCheese @_The_Beast_ @EppsDynasty @LanaJoy @Jillgp @Anastasia 22 @SocialD @ZEROPILOT @Daffodil @Myrna the RES @er9m @zolasmum

Quick question. Something new happened today and now I am worried like a mom with her first child.

I caught Sandy flashing in the enclosure today. When I picked Sandy up I notice Sandy had dragged his privates through some exposed Coco Coir and it was covered with it. Than Sandy retracted it back in side his tail area. I soaked Sandy again and Sandy flashed and privates was clean. I expected Coco Coir in water but that was clean as well.

1. Should I be concerned that Coco Coir is still inside Sandys privates?
2. Privates look very sensitive, should I be concerned that Orchid Bark might hurt Sandy's privates?

Sandra digs literally all over the enclosure now when she sets up for sleeping for the night. If I did not cover them up there would be holes everywhere. When I cover the hole sometimes I do not separate the Orchid Bark and Coco Coir so the hole is mixed with both. I been meaning to ask.

3. Do you just leave the enclosure as the Tortoise shapes it, leave the soil as is or should you clean up, separate and make the area like it was before the Tortoise dug the area up?
4. If you cover hole should I take more care in separating the Coco Coir and Orchid Bark?

You don't need to worry about separating them, it's just tidier to have orchid bark be primarily on the top.

My Russian also enjoys digging. In his humid hides, I generally leave the holes but sometimes top them up a bit. However, when digging results in complete "redecoration" of an area (plants knocked over, making basking rocks unstable) I fix it as I worry he'll flip or get stuck or cause an unplanned cave in of the surrounding rocks/food bowl/etc. This could be a completely unfounded fear, but it gives me peace of mind. Also, I question Walter's artistic vision.

PS. Glad to see I'm not the only one whose little Russian needs a flasher trenchcoat

 

[David Steere]

@Tom @SinLA @wellington @Alex and the Redfoot @Ink @Cathie G @Yvonne G @jaizei @Pippen's Pal @Kala @ecachuh @The_Four_Toed_Edward @TechnoCheese @_The_Beast_ @EppsDynasty @LanaJoy @Jillgp @Anastasia 22 @SocialD @ZEROPILOT @Daffodil @Myrna the RES @er9m @zolasmum

Sandy chilling on rock and walking around enclosure.

 

[zolasmum]

I think you could spend hours just watching Sandy, wondering what he is thinking as he moves around !
Angie