Hello from Milton Keynes

Votty

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Joined
Apr 21, 2017
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9
IMG_0022.JPG IMG_0019.JPG Hi

Umm I have a Russian tort called Gary who is approximately 8 years old. Here we are, this is Gary in his latest home IMG_0022.JPG
 

Votty

New Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2017
Messages
9
Hello and welcome to TFO from Kent.

I have lots of in-law family in Milton Keynes and surrounding area :)
Hi JoesMum, thankyou for the welcome. We literally have no family here, all way further up north. I quite like MK though my sticking point is that the one reptile shop we did have has just moved to Northampton, very annoying, so here I am instead seeking advice etc. His habitat is now far messier in just the coupe of weeks since that picture was taken and he now has forget me knots and other plants growing
 

JoesMum

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10 Year Member!
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Oct 26, 2011
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Location (City and/or State)
Kent, South East England
I count Harrogate, North Yorks as "home" as I grew up there. My family is scattered all over the country from Derbyshire to Hampshire and from Norfolk to South Wales with none in the south east :D

My husband's family stayed on the Northampton/Bucks border. :D

I get most supplies online wherever is cheapest. Amazon, Northampton Reptile Centre and Shelled Warriors Shop all get my online trade.

Your Russian, at 8 years old, is going to need lots of floor space in the enclosure. You should be aiming for 4'x8' minimum (1.5 x 2.2 metres)

They are brilliant escape artists, so while your Russian will definitely benefit from time outdoors don't let him out unless he's in a secure enclosure that he can't possibly climb out of (cap the corners and edges)

Have you read the TFO care sheets for Russians? They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

And I wrote this about outdoor accommodation in the UK. (Greeks are not the escape artists that Russians are, so don't let yours go free range!)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-accommodation-in-a-colder-uk-climate.140866/
 

Votty

New Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2017
Messages
9
Hi at the moment he is in an enclosure 80 x 106 cm but I'm in a small flat with no garden so can't go any bigger right now, when I bought him I got the usual bad advice and spent a fortune on terrarium etc but the. Read a reptile forum and discovered that almost everything in the advice sheet was wring and moved to a huge lined wicker basket with dirt and sand then found he could climb up the wicket, nope they didn't tell me he would be a climber lol so now he is in here till we move. He gets let out to wander quite often though around the living room. No longer use the sand after reading its bad for his eyes
 

JoesMum

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10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
21,606
Location (City and/or State)
Kent, South East England
We don't recommend letting them roam the home as they're away from the heat, humidity and UVB that they need to be healthy.

Other hazards include escape and being stepped on by accident. You only have to be distracted for a moment and they're off (we had one that had been stepped on a couple of months back :( )

There's also a risk of them ingesting dust bunnies or hair that cause intestinal blockages (that's the problem with sand too - it gets eaten accidentally and impacts in the gut)

The sooner you can get something bigger organised the better.

Have a read of those threads I linked. :)
 

Votty

New Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2017
Messages
9
We don't recommend letting them roam the home as they're away from the heat, humidity and UVB that they need to be healthy.

Other hazards include escape and being stepped on by accident. You only have to be distracted for a moment and they're off (we had one that had been stepped on a couple of months back :( )

There's also a risk of them ingesting dust bunnies or hair that cause intestinal blockages (that's the problem with sand too - it gets eaten accidentally and impacts in the gut)

The sooner you can get something bigger organised the better.

Have a read of those threads I linked. :)
Gary will just have to be snug for now like us. To be honest after searching for tortoise houses and tables online I've come to the conclusion that a lot of tortoises are in far smaller homes than he is in at the moment.

Yes I read the threads.

I've had Gary over four years now and he is just fine. I know how to hoover the floor before he is set free and know how to cover over anywhere he might disappear into plus when we put Gary on the floor there is zero chance of him being stepped on as we are aware of where he is at all times.

I'm not a total newbie to owning a tortoise although I still really appreciate the links, not an expert either.
 
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