I'm recently got my new Russian a couple weeks ago and I have a few questions. First off, if they go into hibernation why do they have to come in if it's below 50? I live in SW FL where some night's may get below 50 but warms up in the 70's or 80's during the day. Do I still have to bring him in? Also I've been feeding him twice a day and he eats like a pig but yet I'm reading to feed him every other day. He's 5 1/2' so maybe still young and that's why? I don't want to overfeed him but I don't want him to be hungry either.
Two Questions (feeding & hibernation)
- Thread starter toocrazy
- Start date
RE: Two Questions
The majority of members here feed every day enough that they can feed a couple times a day with a little left over. As they would do in the wild. I can't answer your other question. I house mine inside a heated shed for our winters. However, 50 is not really all that cold for a Russian as long as he can warm up the next morning under a basking temp of 95+
The majority of members here feed every day enough that they can feed a couple times a day with a little left over. As they would do in the wild. I can't answer your other question. I house mine inside a heated shed for our winters. However, 50 is not really all that cold for a Russian as long as he can warm up the next morning under a basking temp of 95+
RE: Two Questions
If they come out of hibernation and thenights get very cold or sort of cold with rain, then I would say bring him in. When it is 50 he will dig in and be just fine as long as in gets back in the 70 - 80 range. mine have a large tub inside that is not ideal, but if it is wet and cold I would rather cramp their style for a day or two than have them get sick. They are used to it now and don't seem to mind when I move them in and out.
If they come out of hibernation and thenights get very cold or sort of cold with rain, then I would say bring him in. When it is 50 he will dig in and be just fine as long as in gets back in the 70 - 80 range. mine have a large tub inside that is not ideal, but if it is wet and cold I would rather cramp their style for a day or two than have them get sick. They are used to it now and don't seem to mind when I move them in and out.
RE: Two Questions
Also, about the food. The advice to feed every other day is taken from the fact that food is hard for them to find in their natural habitat. I don't know about others, but I feed mine everyday and I feed them all they will eat (a handful the size of the tort is about what mine will eat) and they seem to enjoy it. I have not seen any of the obesity some warn about. Mine get plenty of exercise even when I am forced to keep them inside.
Also, about the food. The advice to feed every other day is taken from the fact that food is hard for them to find in their natural habitat. I don't know about others, but I feed mine everyday and I feed them all they will eat (a handful the size of the tort is about what mine will eat) and they seem to enjoy it. I have not seen any of the obesity some warn about. Mine get plenty of exercise even when I am forced to keep them inside.
Two issues:
1. The food thing: In the past people thought that too much food made tortoises pyramid. It doesn't. Growth in conditions that are too dry is what causes pyramiding. This was not widely known up until just a few years ago, and arguably, one could say it is still not widely known. If your russian is in a large outdoor pen most if the time, I would let him eat as much as he wants. This is especially true if your diet is good and made up of lots of fibrous weeds and leaves.
2. Temps: Your climate is VERY different than where they come from. The problem you might encounter is cold wet conditions, and an occasional spell of 50 degree nights followed by warm sunny days, should not be a problem, but if it gets cold all of a sudden, and stays too cool and overcast for a period of days, you might have a problem. See when we officially "hibernate" them it is a long process of gradual cooling, no food, many soaks, and gradually reducing photoperiod. We do all this to prepare them mentally and physically and to empty their guts of food before hibernation. You don't just pick them up one day and plop them in the fridge. The problem with YOUR climate, and mine too, is that it doesn't get consistently cold enough or long enough for all this to happen "naturally" in an outdoor enclosure. When our cold spells hit, it might make them want to hibernate, but they really aren't "prepped" for that. If they do go down, when it warms up in a few days it really can mess with their head. It can put them into a sort of limbo. Its not really consistently warm enough to "operate", but not consistently cold enough to hibernate either. This is where the consistency of a fridge comes in handy. Or consistency can be maintained by keeping them inside in a warmed up enclosure on cold days, and outside on nicer days.
1. The food thing: In the past people thought that too much food made tortoises pyramid. It doesn't. Growth in conditions that are too dry is what causes pyramiding. This was not widely known up until just a few years ago, and arguably, one could say it is still not widely known. If your russian is in a large outdoor pen most if the time, I would let him eat as much as he wants. This is especially true if your diet is good and made up of lots of fibrous weeds and leaves.
2. Temps: Your climate is VERY different than where they come from. The problem you might encounter is cold wet conditions, and an occasional spell of 50 degree nights followed by warm sunny days, should not be a problem, but if it gets cold all of a sudden, and stays too cool and overcast for a period of days, you might have a problem. See when we officially "hibernate" them it is a long process of gradual cooling, no food, many soaks, and gradually reducing photoperiod. We do all this to prepare them mentally and physically and to empty their guts of food before hibernation. You don't just pick them up one day and plop them in the fridge. The problem with YOUR climate, and mine too, is that it doesn't get consistently cold enough or long enough for all this to happen "naturally" in an outdoor enclosure. When our cold spells hit, it might make them want to hibernate, but they really aren't "prepped" for that. If they do go down, when it warms up in a few days it really can mess with their head. It can put them into a sort of limbo. Its not really consistently warm enough to "operate", but not consistently cold enough to hibernate either. This is where the consistency of a fridge comes in handy. Or consistency can be maintained by keeping them inside in a warmed up enclosure on cold days, and outside on nicer days.
Thanks Tom for the explanations. Since I'm new to him I wasn't even going to attempt the hibernation yet but your explanation helped me understand better. Our rainy season is in the summer when the heat and humidity is high but in the winter we don't get much rain. I'm down far enough in FL where the winter low temps are generally in the mid 50 to 60's range and the days are pretty sunny. I have a place for him if I have to bring him in so bringing him in won't be a problem. As far as eating I'm still going to feed him the way I am until more weeds get growing in the enclosure or until I see he's leaving a lot. He loves watercress greens, turnip greens, mustard greens and kale so I know his diet is good. Thank y'all for your help for this newbie! 
