Walking into walls repeatedly.

[RobinGillam]

My Russian Tortoise is brand new, he's been in his tank since yesterday now. He has moved around his food and water dish a lot, and he repeatedly keeps walking and bumping into the walls. He also is always in a corner. Is this normal? Will he settle down? I put some plants around outside of the tank, but he's still doing it.

 

[Sulcataman]

He is physically fine. Your enclosure may be too small, if it is a glass tank, he may be getting too hot. Avoid glass, and give him the biggest enclosure you can. Also, make sure he has sufficient places to hide and his den is cool enough. If everything I listed is taken care of, he may just be figuring out and getting used to his new home.

 

[Yvonne G]

Besides what sulcata man said, they do this all the time. He's trying to dig his space in the corner and make it comfortable for him. In the real world, they bury themselves so they're totally covered. That's all he's trying to do in the corners.

 

[RobinGillam]

He is physically fine. Your enclosure may be too small, if it is a glass tank, he may be getting too hot. Avoid glass, and give him the biggest enclosure you can. Also, make sure he has sufficient places to hide and his den is cool enough. If everything I listed is taken care of, he may just be figuring out and getting used to his new home.

I can't give him any bigger, or anything but glass, and he has a 40 gallon breeder tank to roam. I took him outside to walk around for a while, but he started doing it again when I put him back in his tank. I finally picked him up and put him by his hideout den, and he went inside and finally settled down to sleep.

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Besides what sulcata man said, they do this all the time. He's trying to dig his space in the corner and make it comfortable for him. In the real world, they bury themselves so they're totally covered. That's all he's trying to do in the corners.

Would it be a good thing to put a high pile of dirt there so he can bury himself totally?

 

[dmmj]

In the wild russians are roamers, it is what they do. Their territory in the wild can be quite large, if yours is an import then it will take some adjustment for him. When ever possible I would suggest trying and getting a bigger enclosure.

 

[ascott]

Would it be a good thing to put a high pile of dirt there so he can bury himself totally?

I would say to make sure that your substrate be at least 4 inches deep all over the entire enclosure and a little deeper is even better....what type of substrate are you using?

Welcome to the Forum and we LOVE PICS

 

[RobinGillam]

I would say to make sure that your substrate be at least 4 inches deep all over the entire enclosure and a little deeper is even better....what type of substrate are you using?

Welcome to the Forum and we LOVE PICS

I have a 1 1/2" layer of ZooMed Eco Earth Loose Coconut fiber substrate with ZooMed premium Reptibark sprinkled on top. I will definately increase the depth of the substrate. Would it be an option to buy top soil from a garden store, lay that down, then use the coconut fiber and reptibark? This stuff is really expensive and I have a 40 gallon tank to fill, but I want Jojo to be happy :/

 

[Tom]

I buy a lot of products for my tortoises at the hardware stores. What is offered varies around the country. Here in So Cal I can usually find big 2 cubic foot bags or orchid bark for around $5. In some areas you can get cypress mulch for around $3-4.

Your tortoise NEEDS a bigger enclosure. Outdoors is the best thing and there are lots of inexpensive easy ways to accomplish this. If you click the links in my signature below, there are lots of ideas for this. Indoors you can use big inexpensive plastic storage boxes, or even food/water troughs meant for hoofed stock.

While he is adjusting to his new environment with you, it might be good to use a visual barrier around the outside of the glass. I have used a 8" strip cut from a brown paper bag for this in the past. You can just tape it up.

Good luck.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Robin, even if you can't provide a habitat outside for your tortoise, you can still cheaply and easily upgrade to a bigger enclosure for him indoors. Hardware and garden stores cell 55-gallon plastic totes for ~$20. Not only is this bigger and cheaper than a 40-gal breeder tank, it's also opaque, which may keep your tortoise from trying to walk through the walls.

 

[Nixxy]

Robin, even if you can't provide a habitat outside for your tortoise, you can still cheaply and easily upgrade to a bigger enclosure for him indoors. Hardware and garden stores cell 55-gallon plastic totes for ~$20. Not only is this bigger and cheaper than a 40-gal breeder tank, it's also opaque, which may keep your tortoise from trying to walk through the walls.

This is a good option. The opaque walls help a lot! See through/glass they have trouble seeing and try to walk through.

You can even find one of those 55-gallon totes at Walmart, usually, or Target. They work great for Russians and other smaller torts, because their size and how cheap and available they are. Also great to clean easily.

 

[RobinGillam]

Robin, even if you can't provide a habitat outside for your tortoise, you can still cheaply and easily upgrade to a bigger enclosure for him indoors. Hardware and garden stores cell 55-gallon plastic totes for ~$20. Not only is this bigger and cheaper than a 40-gal breeder tank, it's also opaque, which may keep your tortoise from trying to walk through the walls.

This is a good option. The opaque walls help a lot! See through/glass they have trouble seeing and try to walk through.

You can even find one of those 55-gallon totes at Walmart, usually, or Target. They work great for Russians and other smaller torts, because their size and how cheap and available they are. Also great to clean easily.

I have thought about these options, but my mom has three cats (and I live with her still)... And I really have no place to put a bigger tank, the room I want to use to put a bigger enclosure in is simply not an option according to my mother..

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I have thought about these options, but my mom has three cats (and I live with her still)... And I really have no place to put a bigger tank, the room I want to use to put a bigger enclosure in is simply not an option according to my mother..

Oh, dear ... how about a pen in the backyard, then?

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I have thought about these options, but my mom has three cats (and I live with her still)... And I really have no place to put a bigger tank, the room I want to use to put a bigger enclosure in is simply not an option according to my mother..

Oh, dear ... how about a pen in the backyard, then?

The healthiest option until it cools off in the fall.

And if you make it look realy nice, your mom'll likely allow you to make it larger, which JoJo will appreciate. Check out some of the great ideas in the Enclosures part of this site...when you find some you like, show your Mom. .

 

[tinkerbell1189]

Can you cover the lower part of the walls with so,etching like paper (around te outside)? So that he can't see out, should stop him walking into the walls, as Russians are little escape artists, he probably thinks ooooh I can see a way out! Also yes, topsoil is great for the to dig in, mine loves digging In his and you can plant stuff in them too. Also I put a few sticks In his enclosure for him to climb over as they love climbing

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

You could. Some people do apply an opaque layer to a terrarium to keep the tortoise from seeing out, and in some cases, it does seem to stop them from trying to get through. Others may try to climb out. It depends on the individual, and the size of the enclosure.

A 40-gallon breeder tank is really only suitable for very young, small tortoises. As they grow, they need more space to walk around. I am afraid that, until you manage a bigger space for him, he is going to remain restless.