Young russian burrows in the corner

[Steven7]

Hi can anyone please put my mind at ease ? My young Russian seems to sleep in the corner whilst slightly burrowed into the substrate . Is the little guy ok ?

 

[Crush da Baum]

Hi can anyone please put my mind at ease ? My young Russian seems to sleep in the corner whilst slightly burrowed into the substrate . Is the little guy ok ?

Too many unknown variables. Did you just get him? If so he is probably still getting settled to his new enclosure and is looking for safety. Does he have any hides? From what you said it sounds like nothing. Sleeping while burrowing is just what they do. Could you send us some pics of your enclosure and maybe somethings like what UVB bulb and basking do you have, enclosure size, when did you get him, subsrate, ect. You might want to check out this awesome care guide if you are new and looking for the best way to care for your little guy.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

If you need any help or information just ask. There are plenty of people that will happy to help here.

 

[Minority2]

Hi can anyone please put my mind at ease ? My young Russian seems to sleep in the corner whilst slightly burrowed into the substrate . Is the little guy ok ?

That's not enough context to go by.
1. What are you temperature zones (hot, basking, ambient, cold) and humidity levels during the day and night?
2. Include a picture of your entire enclosure. Nothing too zoomed in please.
3. What specific type of bulbs are you using? Link to products will help immensely.
4. How old is the tortoise? How long have you had it and from where exactly if you don't mind answering.

 

[Steven7]

Too many unknown variables. Did you just get him? If so he is probably still getting settled to his new enclosure and is looking for safety. Does he have any hides? From what you said it sounds like nothing. Sleeping while burrowing is just what they do. Could you send us some pics of your enclosure and maybe somethings like what UVB bulb and basking do you have, enclosure size, when did you get him, subsrate, ect. You might want to check out this awesome care guide if you are new and looking for the best way to care for your little guy.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

If you need any help or information just ask. There are plenty of people that will happy to help here.

Thanks for that . I'm at work at the moment but I'll take some photos when I get home . I only got him on Saturday, he's in a 4ft vivaruim. He has a log hide .I'll post some pics in a few hours

 

[Steven7]

That's not enough context to go by.
1. What are you temperature zones (hot, basking, ambient, cold) and humidity levels during the day and night?
2. Include a picture of your entire enclosure. Nothing too zoomed in please.
3. What specific type of bulbs are you using? Link to products will help immensely.
4. How old is the tortoise? How long have you had it and from where exactly if you don't mind answering.

 

[Steven7]

I'll post pix of the vivaruim set up when I get home , currently at work. I got him on Saturday. I don't have anything to measure the humidity . I live in Scotland

 

[Minority2]

I'll post pix of the vivaruim set up when I get home , currently at work. I got him on Saturday. I don't have anything to measure the humidity . I live in Scotland

buy a thermometer/hygrometer like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X4XVKAO/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
and a temperature gun like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00837ZGRY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

The correct temperature and humidity levels are listed in the guide provided by @Crush da Baum. Tortoises need precise temperature zones to stay healthy.

 

[Steven7]

buy a thermometer/hygrometer like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X4XVKAO/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
and a temperature gun like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00837ZGRY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

The correct temperature and humidity levels are listed in the guide provided by @Crush da Baum. Tortoises need precise temperature zones to stay healthy.

thank you

 

[Crush da Baum]

I'll post pix of the vivaruim set up when I get home , currently at work. I got him on Saturday. I don't have anything to measure the humidity . I live in Scotland

Just some real quick advice. For hatchlings and young babies a 4 by 2 and a half foot enclosure would be ok for a while but keep in mind you will have to upgrade when he gets bigger. Humidity is very important for babies because if the humidity is too low they will develop pyramiding. Pyramiding is when the scutes are raised and can permanently deform the shell. Proper humidity is achieved with a closed top enclosure and just pouring water into the substrate every so often. Making a cheap closed tops is pretty easy and you will find plenty threads on how to do it. For substrate things like coco fiber, orchid bark, or cypress mulch are great. Just please stay away from sand. Grains of sand are tiny jagged rocks that can easily cause impaction. You can get a good basking bulb for much cheaper at your local hardware store and adjust the height of the bulb so that the temp is about 95 to 100 in the basking area with ambient temperature around 80. You should only use HO tube type bulbs as the compact coil ones are known to burn baby’s eyes and are very ineffective. I like the Zoo Med T5 10.0 or the Acadia 12% bulbs. Best case scenario is he gets broadleaf weeds, succlents, leaves which you can get from pesticide free areas or if you are in to gardening than you can grow them. Here is a good seed mix. https://www.tortoisesupply.com/TestudoMix. Grocery greens lack the nutrients such as calcium, fiber and would not be great on their own. They are for human consumption and our digestive system has evolved very differently than tortoises. You can use grocery greens in addition to other things but keep in mind it is much more expensive. You can beef it up with fiber rich things like soaked horse hay pellets, soaked ZooMed grassland tortoise food, Mazuri tortoise chow and many other dried weeds and things that you can get from Tortoise Supply and https://kapidolofarms.com/
You can supplement with a pinch of calcium powder and/or get cuttle bone. Escarole and endive or better for staples and then you could get a variety of others things like dandelion greens and collards. You can check if something is tortoise safe at https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/ Everything is all covered in that guide I sent you. Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I am trying to type from my phone.

 

[Steven7]

Just some real quick advice. For hatchlings and young babies a 4 by 2 and a half foot enclosure would be ok for a while but keep in mind you will have to upgrade when he gets bigger. Humidity is very important for babies because if the humidity is too low they will develop pyramiding. Pyramiding is when the scutes are raised and can permanently deform the shell. Proper humidity is achieved with a closed top enclosure and just pouring water into the substrate every so often. Making a cheap closed tops is pretty easy and you will find plenty threads on how to do it. For substrate things like coco fiber, orchid bark, or cypress mulch are great. Just please stay away from sand. Grains of sand are tiny jagged rocks that can easily cause impaction. You can get a good basking bulb for much cheaper at your local hardware store and adjust the height of the bulb so that the temp is about 95 to 100 in the basking area with ambient temperature around 80. You should only use HO tube type bulbs as the compact coil ones are known to burn baby’s eyes and are very ineffective. I like the Zoo Med T5 10.0 or the Acadia 12% bulbs. Best case scenario is he gets broadleaf weeds, succlents, leaves which you can get from pesticide free areas or if you are in to gardening than you can grow them. Here is a good seed mix. https://www.tortoisesupply.com/TestudoMix. Grocery greens lack the nutrients such as calcium, fiber and would not be great on their own. They are for human consumption and our digestive system has evolved very differently than tortoises. You can use grocery greens in addition to other things but keep in mind it is much more expensive. You can beef it up with fiber rich things like soaked horse hay pellets, soaked ZooMed grassland tortoise food, Mazuri tortoise chow and many other dried weeds and things that you can get from Tortoise Supply and https://kapidolofarms.com/
You can supplement with a pinch of calcium powder and/or get cuttle bone. Escarole and endive or better for staples and then you could get a variety of others things like dandelion greens and collards. You can check if something is tortoise safe at https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/ Everything is all covered in that guide I sent you. Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I am trying to type from my phone.

THAT IS FANTASTIC !

 

[Steven7]

buy a thermometer/hygrometer like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X4XVKAO/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
and a temperature gun like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00837ZGRY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

The correct temperature and humidity levels are listed in the guide provided by @Crush da Baum. Tortoises need precise temperature zones to stay healthy.

thank you

 

[Minority2]

I figured something like this would be the case. You see a lot of this type of combination setup outside of the United States. My guess is that the pet shops are too dominating of a presence where they're at and legitimate breeders are just not growing enough in numbers to show the general population the difference between the two.

1. Get rid of the pellet substrate. They're dry, don't give much support, and can mold. Plain garbage for tortoises. Get Coco coir and or orchid/fir bark instead. At least 4 inches substrate level.
2. The plastic resin bowls need to go as well. They're a flipping hazard that not only can cause tortoises to lose balance and flip themselves, but to also cause the bowls to flip and strike them. Think about cartoons that involve people stepping on rakes and the rake comes back up striking them in the face. Buy terracotta plant saucers instead.
3. Optional: Replace the whatever stones near the basking bulb with a large flat piece of slate so the tortoise can lie on that when they wanna use the basking area.

4. What type of bulbs are you using? Are you using two different types because I cannot fully tell from that picture. And what exactly are two specific types? Link the product or pictures of the bulb shape without the fixture will help.
5. The small humidity/temperature gauge you have there may not be as accurate as the one I linked you. I wouldn't bother using it if it was me.
6. The probe you have needs to be closer to the substrate level in order to correctly measure temperature and humidity because that's the area where the tortoises occupies.

 

[Steven7]

I figured something like this would be the case. You see a lot of this type of combination setup outside of the United States. My guess is that the pet shops are too dominating of a presence where they're at and legitimate breeders are just not growing enough in numbers to show the general population the difference between the two.

1. Get rid of the pellet substrate. They're dry, don't give much support, and can mold. Plain garbage for tortoises. Get Coco coir and or orchid/fir bark instead. At least 4 inches substrate level.
2. The plastic resin bowls need to go as well. They're a flipping hazard that not only can cause tortoises to lose balance and flip themselves, but to also cause the bowls to flip and strike them. Think about cartoons that involve people stepping on rakes and the rake comes back up striking them in the face. Buy terracotta plant saucers instead.
3. Optional: Replace the whatever stones near the basking bulb with a large flat piece of slate so the tortoise can lie on that when they wanna use the basking area.

4. What type of bulbs are you using? Are you using two different types because I cannot fully tell from that picture. And what exactly are two specific types? Link the product or pictures of the bulb shape without the fixture will help.
5. The small humidity/temperature gauge you have there may not be as accurate as the one I linked you. I wouldn't bother using it if it was me.
6. The probe you have needs to be closer to the substrate level in order to correctly measure temperature and humidity because that's the area where the tortoises occupies.

 

[Steven7]

The uv lamp is 200w I've mistakenly got rid of the sleeve but can still see the lamp detail

 

[Steven7]

The uv lamp is 200w I've mistakenly got rid of the sleeve but can still see the lamp detail

Sorry 30w reptile uvb200

 

[Minority2]

Sorry 30w reptile uvb200

Do you mean this? Members need to know the exact shape of the bulb.

Exo Terra Reptile UVB 200 Tube

Buy Exo Terra products online at Northampton Reptile Centre. Flexible payment options at checkout & next-day delivery are available.

www.reptilecentre.com

 

[Steven7]

Do you mean this? Members need to know the exact shape of the bulb.

Exo Terra Reptile UVB 200 Tube

Buy Exo Terra products online at Northampton Reptile Centre. Flexible payment options at checkout & next-day delivery are available.

www.reptilecentre.com

Yes that's correct

 

[Minority2]

What is the light/heat guard for? I feel like if the lighting fixture were to fail and fall, the heat guard would actually trap the tortoise with it's mesh cover and prevent them from escaping. I can see the lamp shattering without the guard but I would personally be more afraid of the guard getting caught between the tortoise's claws and legs than the tortoise itself walking on tiny shards.

That's my personal reasoning. If the lamp is properly held up with a firm supporting system that isn't a clamp, the risk of it falling should be minimal. I don't put guards on ceramic heat emitters because I make sure the support system is holding it up well and that the position is far away from the tortoise's reach.

 

[Steven7]

It was supplied to me by the pet shop it's screwed to the top of the vivaruim. The owner said it would stop my grand daughter burning her hand if she reached in

 

[TortoiseWarrior]

Welcome to the forum