Baby Age

[lenderle]

Hi - New to the Forum and new with a Russian Tort. Harley came from Petco almost a month ago and is still a baby. I am finding no where online to figure out his actual age since petco didn't know. Also, how long is he considered a baby? Also, I live in So Cal and was wondering if he is too little to be outside all day when winter comes? The weather has been so nice lately, he's out all day and comes in at night and I would like to keep it that way?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Lenderle:

Welcome to the forum!!

Most of the Petco employees usually think that their Russian tortoises are babies because of the Russian tortoise's small size. If you'll post a good picture of your new tortoise we can tell you if it really is a baby or not.

An adult Russian tortoise doesn't get much bigger than a man's hand. A baby would be real small, the size of a small child's hand.

Russian tortoises can be hibernated outside if you are able to keep their area dry. They shouldn't be allowed to get wet while they are hibernating, and so most people box them up and keep them indoors or in the garage or a shed for the winter hibernation. Or you can set up an indoor habitat with lights and heat and keep him awake during the winter.

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I guess I didn't really address your winter question:

Some areas of Southern Calif. don't get cold enough to make a tortoise want to hibernate. I'm sure there are plenty of tortoises that live quite well outside in SoCal. However, remember that a tortoise can't digest its food if it can't get warm enough. So if the daytime temps don't get up into the 80's, or if he can't find a sheltered spot where he can warm up to 85 or 90 degrees, then he might not hibernate, but he won't eat either.

 

[lenderle]

Thanks....sounds like my baby isn't a baby after all. Poor little guy has probably been cooped up in a cage his whole life. I bought the calcium powder and the bottle reads to give it to a baby every day and an adult a few times a week. I am wondering if he is an adult and probably hasn't had the greatest nutrients if it's ok to give it to him daily for a while. I'm assuming Petco hasn't been feeding him too well. He's a good lil eater. Will try anything but if he doesn't like it he won't continue. Will post pics soon.

 

[GBtortoises]

More than likely your tortoise is not a baby if it was sold at Petco. By law pet shops can only sell tortoises that are over 4" measured in a straight line from the front to rear of their shell. Assuming that your tortoise is probably around 4-5" it is most likely in the range of 6-10 years old. Petco, Petsmart and other large pet retail stores purchase tortoises that are already 4" and larger that were collected from the wild in mass numbers, imported in to the U.S. and eventually distributed to the stores for retail sale. Rarely (if ever) will you find any baby tortoises in those stores. For the most part baby tortoises are all produced by individual small and large scale breeders here within the U.S. Captive born baby tortoises generally are a little more expensive that wild caught tortoises of the same species. But there are also many advantages to purchasing captive born animals.

Again, assuming that your tortoise is a 4"+ adult, it may be very possible for your tortoise to be kept outdoors year round where you live. In order to do so safely it would be a good idea for you to learn and know your local climate well. Temperature extremes, seasonal changes, humidity, ground moisture and other environmental factors are all very important to know. There are several members on this site that reside in Southern California that should be able to help you with the outdoor question for your area. I live in New York State and our climates are very different!