Does your Russian go crazy when you change the substrate?

[mstodd]

Hi everyone,

This past Friday, I was finally able to remove all the newspaper from George's enclosure and replace it with eco earth. I also have a plastic tub filled with towels that he likes to burrow in, some rocks grouped together for a little variety in walking, and two piles of timothy hay for more playing.

George didn't have any noticeable problems adjusting to his new environment when I first brought him home. He was active and eating a lot right away, only digging a little in the corners. However, since adding the eco earth he has tried relentlessly to get out of his enclosure and will not eat.

I know changes in environment can stress out a tortoise, but it feels so extreme. Is this normal? Will he eventually adjust, or do I need to change his substrate? If you have experienced this, how long does it usually last?

I guess I'm just so surprised because this change feels so minor compared to what he went through when he arrived. He was found in a shoebox sized tub with wood chips as substrate and no water. I brought him home and put him in a cardboard box and started to gather things and add them to his enclosure. This is the first time he has reacted to changes in his enclosure.

 

[Laura]

russians are crazy..

does he have a place to hide? is he warm enough?
Give him a few days, he should settle down, if not, you may need to make some changes. again.

 

[ChiKat]

My Russian is insane Extremely active, destructive...rearranges his cage decorations on a regular basis I came home today and somehow he moved/flipped his water dish...which was sunk into the ground and surrounded by rocks...

How big is the enclosure? When Nelson was a hatchling he tried to climb out of his enclosure all the time so I upgraded to a 4x2 tort table...which he is quickly outgrowing!

Oh, but good for you for switching from newspaper to eco earth!!

 

[mstodd]

russians are crazy..
does he have a place to hide? is he warm enough?

Yep, he has a half log. He was using it a lot until the change. When I left a few hours ago, he was asleep in it for the first time since Friday. I think that's an improvement

He has a heat lamp that he hangs around quite a bit.

My Russian is insane Extremely active, destructive...rearranges his cage decorations on a regular basis I came home today and somehow he moved/flipped his water dish...which was sunk into the ground and surrounded by rocks...

How big is the enclosure? When Nelson was a hatchling he tried to climb out of his enclosure all the time so I upgraded to a 4x2 tort table...which he is quickly outgrowing!

Oh, but good for you for switching from newspaper to eco earth!!

Haha Mine doesn't really move stuff around at all, just climbs all over his furniture and, of course, digs into anything shaped like a hill.

His enclosure is about 4x4 ft. He was on newspaper because I acquired him unexpectedly. I thought he would love walking on something softer, but he doesn't so far. I'm hoping since he is sleeping in his log tonight he will wake up tomorrow with a bit better attitude.

 

[Mean Guy]

Mine doesn't seem to mind the changes. He has places under the heat lamps he likes to dig to nap, but other than that he really doesn't change his environment. If I change it he likes to give it a quick 'once over', then settles down under the lamps.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I don't change her substrate. I pick out her poop which is easy to see and very big for a lady and I stir it up regularly so it doesn't mold. I don't see any reason to change it, as it doesn't smell and she seems to like it well enough.