help with russian tortoise heating and lighting and other stuff

[russian tortoise boy]

ok im new in this forum and i just bought a russian tortoise from a friend for $30 and i want to know about :
The lighting and heating. currently right now i have a bulb 20 watts and i think it doesn't really give heat to my russian tortoise.

Do i need to put sand in her house?

what does she eats? i currently give her iceberg lettuce she likes it, what food gives her more calcium or makes her more healthy

how big her house should be?

what stuff should i put in her house especially what in the ground, im planning to put sand on her house, what hiding place should i give her besides the log thingy

and please tell me if she is adult or what age she is?

here is the video of her for better answer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYStStlxKD8

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I'm glad you came to this forum. Here is some information for you.

Habitat:
The bare minimum size for an indoor enclosure would be a 55-gallon plastic tub, and preferably bigger. An outdoor enclosure would be even better, if possible. If your tortoise must live indoors, that's okay, just let him spend as much time outdoors as possible. This could either be in a safe daytime enclosure with both sun and shade, or else roaming under supervision from you. More about the great outdoors below.

For some shelter, you can give your tortoise an overturned half log that is big enough for him to fit in. Tortoises, like most animals, need some shelter and hiding places to feel safe and comfortable. You can also provide some fake plants or real potted plants, but those would probably get overturned from his digging activity, so I wouldn't worry about that. Give your tortoise a shallow dish of fresh water everyday. Tortoises get moisture from the plants they eat, but contrary to popular belief, they do drink and bathe from time to time as well. So just make sure your guy has a shallow dish where he can do that. Also, feed your tortoise on a dish so he doesn't get too much debris in his food.

Substrate:
Your tortoise needs a substrate that he can dig into, but that can retain moisture to provide a bit of humidity. For this, I recommend coconut coir/fiber, although some people use cypress mulch, or else potting soil, topsoil, and/or organic soil, since they do not have perlite or vermiculite added to them. Personally, coco coir is my favorite because it has the texture of soil, but since it's made from shredded coconut husks, it does not harbor fungi or insects, and is resistant to infestation. It also holds moisture well. You want the coco coir (or cypress mulch or soil) to be moist but not damp, so that your tortoise can experience some humidity without his skin or shell getting irritated by wetness. Soil naturally contains some sand, but pure sand is generally discouraged, because it does not hold moisture well, and because it can lead to gut impaction (blockage) if ingested.

Heating and lighting:
All reptiles need the right temperatures for proper activity, digestion, and immune system function. Russian tortoises need ambient daytime temperatures in the 70s (Fahrenheit), with a preferred nighttime drop into the 60s if possible. They also need a basking spot where they can warm themselves up. This gives them the energy they need to move, digest their food, and stay healthy. The hot spot should be 95-100*F.

You can create this hot spot with an incandescent light bulb that is the right distance from the substrate to create that temperature. Personally, I prefer using a ceramic heat emitter (CHE for short). These are more expensive than incandescent light bulbs, but they only have to be replaced every few years, so in the long run they save you money. Like a bulb, they screw into a housing and are pointed downward. They emit no visible light, only infrared and heat. So, they can be left on at night if your room gets cold. In most homes, though, nighttime temperatures are fine, so just turn the CHE off with the overhead lights.

Lighting also needs to include something that will emit UVA and UVB radiation, which is found in sunlight. UVA radiation stimulates appetite, and UVB is needed so the body can use calcium. You can use a fluorescent strip light that will provide both illumination and UVA/UVB radiation. Or if you prefer, you can use a weaker lamp for lighting, and a separate bulb for UVA/UVB. Personally, I use a long strip light to provide both at once. If you do use a smaller bulb, do not get a coiled compact fluorescent light (CFL) because they are damaging to the eyes. I plug my strip light and CHE into a timer, which automatically comes on every morning at 7am, and turns itself off every night at 9pm. This is very convenient, and you may want to do the same. If not, just turn the lights and heat off at night yourself. Again, real sunlight is important, even if you have a good indoor setup. On nice, sunny days that are not too windy and in the 70s-80s in temperature, take your tortoise out so he can soak up some real sunshine, get some exercise, and eat some outdoor weeds.

Diet:
Russian tortoises eat mostly leafy greens, or forbs. This includes grocery store greens like lettuce, endive, escarole, arugula, kale, turnip greens, and mustard greens. It also includes many backyard weeds like dandelion and prickly lettuce. As long as the weeds haven't been sprayed with chemicals, your tortoise will know what is safe to browse on. Provide your tortoise with a varied diet so he does not get bored with his food, and so he can get different nutrients from different plants. Also sprinkle a little bit of calcium/vitamin D3 powder about three times a week so that your tortoise will have a healthy skeleton. Leave a piece of cuttle bone (calcium block) in your tortoise's enclosure. That way he can gnaw on it whenever he wants to get calcium and/or to keep his beak trim. If you want, you can also provide commercial tortoise foods like Mazuri Tortoise Diet. These are pellets that resemble dog food, but are made from plants instead of meat. Soak them in water for a minute or two until they become a bit softer. Then offer them the way you'd offer plants. Again, keep the diet varied - for example, one day arugula, another day dandelion, another day Mazuri, etc. Spring mix from the grocery store is another good way to provide some variety, because it comes with several different kinds of plant already mixed in.

You can feed your guy a pile of food about as big as he is every morning, or else split it up into two feedings each day. To put it another way, feed him either the amount he can eat in about 20 minutes, or else in two sittings of about 10 minutes each. Russians do occasionally eat grass, but not much and not often. Bigger tortoises like sulcatas do eat a lot of grass, but Russians don't. As an occasional treat (once a month or less), you can also offer your tortoise fruit, like tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, or grapes. You don't want to give that too often, or your guy can develop diarrhea. But every once in a while is fine. Also, if you wan to, you can give him snails or slugs as a treat, again only about once a month or less. In the wild tortoises may feed on these when they find them. He probably won't like insects or earthworms the way box turtles do, and don't give him meat like chicken, venison, or beef either. Just remember that your Russian should be getting mostly a variety of leafy greens. Even if that's all he ever gets, he'll be a happy tortie!

 

[wpeltola]

My thoughts, for what they are worth.

Pros:
- Great looking tort! You have a beautiful female there and the up-front cost was great

What to work on..:
- Her beak and claws need to be worked on. Take her outside and let her walk around on some concrete (with supervision) and add a piece of slate to her cage and feed her on top of it. When she eats, her beak will grind down naturally.

- You need to get her a bigger cage with the proper substrate ASAP. The above post is dead on. For the torts sake, take care of that soon. Same with the lighting adjustment, very critical.

Everything else is covered pretty well by the previous poster. I would find a vet in your area that has reptile experience and bring her in for a checkup. Also, I would highly recommend Joes TNT Tortoise supplement. My RT loves it and it provides them with a ton of great vitamins. -- http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/ca...ath=58&zenid=531a0e4280f33424463c25882fe76c5b

Hope that helps some, good luck!