courtoon
New Member
Hello! My name is Courtney and I'm so happy I have a tortoise and have found this forum!
I'm 21! I live in the Chicago suburbs area, so every day is an adventure!
I have always wanted a Russian tortoise. I started off wanting a Reeves water turtle, but decided that aquatic would be too much work for what i have right now. I began researching and fell in love with tortoises of all kinds!
I was searching Craigslist randomly and found a man whose Russians just had babies, and was selling them. I promptly messaged him! Even though Craigslist is sketchy, I trusted it more than getting one online.
He said he had been basking the babies at 89 degrees, so they should be female. So I've rolled with it, and decided to name her Sahara, after the Sahara desert! She is completely beautiful and I am so in love with her already!
I am, however, a newbie, so I decided to join a forum to talk to people who have had experience!
I literally just got her today, and as soon as I put her in her enclosure, she ran under the hiding log and burrowed right away.
She also hasn't eaten yet, but I've read that's normal.
I have a temp. gauge and its sitting at 85 degrees exact, with the cooler side being around 72.
I had a 75 watt basking lamp at first, but it wasn't getting warm enough, it would only get to about 70 degrees, so I went and bought a 150 watt lamp instead. I also have her UVAUVB lamp. Do you think I should put in the 75 watt lamp too on the other side?
I also will be changing her substrate to jungle wood, and changing her water bowl to a terracotta plate so she can just walk in without it being to deep.
I tried soaking her a little first but only kept her in for about a minute.
Any tips, suggestions, things you think I should know about with handling baby torts? I really want her to stop being so scared of me, and I'm a little worried that she won't eat for awhile.
Thanks guys!
I'm 21! I live in the Chicago suburbs area, so every day is an adventure!
I have always wanted a Russian tortoise. I started off wanting a Reeves water turtle, but decided that aquatic would be too much work for what i have right now. I began researching and fell in love with tortoises of all kinds!
I was searching Craigslist randomly and found a man whose Russians just had babies, and was selling them. I promptly messaged him! Even though Craigslist is sketchy, I trusted it more than getting one online.
He said he had been basking the babies at 89 degrees, so they should be female. So I've rolled with it, and decided to name her Sahara, after the Sahara desert! She is completely beautiful and I am so in love with her already!
I am, however, a newbie, so I decided to join a forum to talk to people who have had experience!
I literally just got her today, and as soon as I put her in her enclosure, she ran under the hiding log and burrowed right away.
She also hasn't eaten yet, but I've read that's normal.
I have a temp. gauge and its sitting at 85 degrees exact, with the cooler side being around 72.
I had a 75 watt basking lamp at first, but it wasn't getting warm enough, it would only get to about 70 degrees, so I went and bought a 150 watt lamp instead. I also have her UVAUVB lamp. Do you think I should put in the 75 watt lamp too on the other side?
I also will be changing her substrate to jungle wood, and changing her water bowl to a terracotta plate so she can just walk in without it being to deep.
I tried soaking her a little first but only kept her in for about a minute.
Any tips, suggestions, things you think I should know about with handling baby torts? I really want her to stop being so scared of me, and I'm a little worried that she won't eat for awhile.
Thanks guys!