I was just wondering if anybody has russians?Could you give me a little information on them?Or good caresheets thanks.
I don't own tortoises but a lot of the sites that have box turtle info are mainly tortoise sites. http://www.tortoisetrust.org/ Has a lot of really good info and articles. Make sure to read about diet and what an improper diet can cause, it's not pretty... http://www.chelonia.org/ Nice veggie info http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html Poisonous plant lists http://www.tortoise.org/general/poisonp.html http://www.wonderland.com/~teddy/tortoise/tort_non_food.html http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/plantsthatpoison.htm Big tip, have room for an outdoor pen. Probably missed a few important sites...while looking through my bookmarks for tortoise sites I realized what a mess they are.
Lol thanks for the information.I am adopting a tort and what to be ready for when he comes home..I have the set up ready.. Thanks for the information!
They are very active so you should give hem room to run and a place to dig. For me the hardest thing about keeping mine is keeping the nails short. They like it dry and if you keep it dry they can tolerate cold better them most other torts. They are very good climbers (at leastby tortoise standards), but they aren't as good at getting down. My russian has flipped herself many while trying to get off her half log. O don't know if my russin is just crazy or if all of them do that but I just thought it'd be good to know. The links should cover the rest. The complete idiots guide to turtles and tortoises is a very good book.
A good way to keep the nails trimmed is to feed on a chunk of slate, and not cut up the food for him/her.
Feeding off a piece of slate, flagstone, or a large unglazed dish also helps with keeping the beak worn a bit. Not to mention, isn't a slippery dish rather unkind?..
What do you mean? I give my russian food in a bowl and she eats fine. @ strange and Big Thanks. I guess I'll go get e rough rock to feed her on.
Okay thanks for the information.I was wondering which bedding is best?I read that alpha pellets are good?
I don't mean it could hinder eating, but that for something that primarily uses it's claws to help grip and pull itself along would slip on something smooth. Like a plate or larger dish. - I don't know what to suggest as bedding, I use sterile top soil and peat moss mix for my boxies but they need something that holds some humidity. Alfalfa can mold when wet and the tortoise may try to eat it, not sure if that would have the same impaction risk as cypress mulch. Tortoise trust site says "Dehydrating. Has been associated with fungal eye and respiratory infections. High protein content if consumed" They do suggest "The substrate that we have found to be the most effective and safest by far consist of a mixed loam compost base mixed with varying amounts of soft (play) sand". I don't use sand in my turtle's mix because I worried about it getting in their eyes or causing scratches on their shells, however hatchings have softer shells. Make sure that any soil you buy is sterile, meaning no fertilizers, if there's numbers on the bag it contains fertilizers. What will the tortoise be kept in? A large tub? Table? And do you plan to build a proper outdoor enclosure when the weather permits it to go outside?
I have a 260 gallon not being used right now.I will be building a proper enclosure when Im able to get into my backyard! Well since torts do like to sample there bedding I read that alpha pellets would be good ? Is perlite harmfull?
I would stay away from perlite, and nothing with alpha, as they may try to consume it. I use a 50/50 mix of sterilized soil and play sand. Terrariums are poor choices for torts as it restricts airflow, and they tend to be long and narrow. I dont know the dimensions of the tank your plannin on using but a cheaper and better alternative would be a large rubbermaid storage container. As for substrate, you could use eco-earth and sand, or any other mix you feel comfortable with.
Okay.The sand wont scratch there shell? I had this tank custom for my blue tongues its 6 feet long 4 feet wide!!Its huge But if that wont be good then I will use a rubbermaid!
If it's an older tortoise and not a young hatchling the shell should be harder. I say should because improper care can cause soft shells... (side tracking a bit). Sand and soil mix should be ok for the tortoise, more sand if you need less humidity, less sand if you need more humidity. That it's a custom tank that's 4 foot wide changes things a little, do not use a lid cover. With glass you must cover the sides so it cannot see out, paper taped around it should work. I'm going to assume since it's custom that the sides aren't very tall? There might be enough airflow, if there isn't I wonder if small desk fan aimed in the tank would help? Alternatively, for a cheap option, people do use plastic kiddie pools.
Okay its an older Tort 20 years.. Theres a screen top on it but its not very high and it has a background all around it right now. But I might just go with a huge rubbermaid.
6'x4' is plenty big, you could definately use it as long as you make sure there is good airflow. I had assumed it was a fish tank sorta deal
Okay.No I had it custom for my blue tonges but I dont have them anymore so I thought it would be okay.
I have mine on ceramic floor tile we had left over from work on our house with a pile of hay in one corner so she can dig. 6x4 is enough space for a small child so you russian will be fine.
