Hello! I’m Kayti, and I’m planning on getting a 2007 hatched captive bread Russian Tortoise next Thursday. I’m very excited. Obviously.
I have a plan all thought up, but I think I might be missing something, and I have a few (a lot) of questions. I would really be grateful if anyone can help me out!
I’m going to keep with in a 10 gallon glass tank, and feed him pellets I got at petco.
…not
My real plan:
Enclosure: It’s a (about) 2 feet by 3 feet rubbermaid. The substrate will be a mix of coconut husk and soil, about 3 inches deep. Also, he/she would only be in it when I was not supervising him. Otherwise, he would have free (supervised) roam of my room.
Water: I have a laptop sized crock pot with 3 inch high sides. I was planning on filling it with 1 inch of water, and putting a rock in the middle to make climbing out easier. It’s spill proof, but it’s made out of slightly abrasive material. Are underbellies sensitive? I was thinking of switching it out for something ceramic, and slightly shallower.
Diet: I was thinking mostly weeds, with a base of Dandelion, Clover, Bindweeds, Smooth Sow Thistle, Plantain, and Vetch, all of which grow right outside my house. Whole, washed leaves, right? I’m thinking of feeding him as much as he can eat in 20 minutes every morning. Would there be any benefit to giving him two 10 minute meals morning and night? Also it it okay to let him nibble on the lawn?
-I was also thinking of making hay available 24/7 too, but I’m not sure what kind. I’ve read conflicting information about the benefits and drawbacks of hay. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
Soaking: 3 times a week, in tepid water, only as high as the width between tortoise tummy and top of shell.
Lighting/heating: Powersun UV Mercury Vapor Lamp, on 12 hours. Basking spot in the low 90’s. I was thinking of not getting a heat source for the night; I would keep the room temp above 65 at all times, and closer to 70 on average. Is this a bad idea? I think I remember reading somewhere that a cycle of day time temp and low time temp was healthiest.
Vitamins: I have a small cuttlebone that would be available 24/7. I was also thinking of buying some commercially available tortoise vitamins to sprinkle on his/her food. Is there a good brand anyone can recommend? I’m looking for something with D3, right?
On sunny days, I was planning on letting him graze in a tortoise-safe patch of the garden. My plan is to build something dome-like out of chicken wire, possibly, and just put it over the area he will occupy that day. I’ll probably stake it down somehow, to prevent escape/digging out. Does that sound like it will work? I’m hoping he won’t spend the entire day eating.
I’ve picked out a herp vet with good reviews, and it’s even less than an hour away. I’m going to take him/her to get wormed, and just generally checked over, if the breeder says they haven’t already been checked. I’m also going to set aside $200 for emergency vet funds as soon as I can.
Random question: My cat follows me everywhere. Would supervised interaction between my cat and the tortoise be okay? Can the tortoise give my cat salmonella?
I also have a golden retriever, whom I love dearly, but will never be allowed to meet the tortoise, ever.
I’m sorry this is so long, I just don’t want to leave out something important! Is there anything I’ve forgotten? I'm the most obsessive pet owner I know. I would be very eternally thankful for any advice you can offer! (Also, I promise TONS of pictures later this week!)
-Kayti
I have a plan all thought up, but I think I might be missing something, and I have a few (a lot) of questions. I would really be grateful if anyone can help me out!
I’m going to keep with in a 10 gallon glass tank, and feed him pellets I got at petco.
…not
My real plan:
Enclosure: It’s a (about) 2 feet by 3 feet rubbermaid. The substrate will be a mix of coconut husk and soil, about 3 inches deep. Also, he/she would only be in it when I was not supervising him. Otherwise, he would have free (supervised) roam of my room.
Water: I have a laptop sized crock pot with 3 inch high sides. I was planning on filling it with 1 inch of water, and putting a rock in the middle to make climbing out easier. It’s spill proof, but it’s made out of slightly abrasive material. Are underbellies sensitive? I was thinking of switching it out for something ceramic, and slightly shallower.
Diet: I was thinking mostly weeds, with a base of Dandelion, Clover, Bindweeds, Smooth Sow Thistle, Plantain, and Vetch, all of which grow right outside my house. Whole, washed leaves, right? I’m thinking of feeding him as much as he can eat in 20 minutes every morning. Would there be any benefit to giving him two 10 minute meals morning and night? Also it it okay to let him nibble on the lawn?
-I was also thinking of making hay available 24/7 too, but I’m not sure what kind. I’ve read conflicting information about the benefits and drawbacks of hay. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
Soaking: 3 times a week, in tepid water, only as high as the width between tortoise tummy and top of shell.
Lighting/heating: Powersun UV Mercury Vapor Lamp, on 12 hours. Basking spot in the low 90’s. I was thinking of not getting a heat source for the night; I would keep the room temp above 65 at all times, and closer to 70 on average. Is this a bad idea? I think I remember reading somewhere that a cycle of day time temp and low time temp was healthiest.
Vitamins: I have a small cuttlebone that would be available 24/7. I was also thinking of buying some commercially available tortoise vitamins to sprinkle on his/her food. Is there a good brand anyone can recommend? I’m looking for something with D3, right?
On sunny days, I was planning on letting him graze in a tortoise-safe patch of the garden. My plan is to build something dome-like out of chicken wire, possibly, and just put it over the area he will occupy that day. I’ll probably stake it down somehow, to prevent escape/digging out. Does that sound like it will work? I’m hoping he won’t spend the entire day eating.
I’ve picked out a herp vet with good reviews, and it’s even less than an hour away. I’m going to take him/her to get wormed, and just generally checked over, if the breeder says they haven’t already been checked. I’m also going to set aside $200 for emergency vet funds as soon as I can.
Random question: My cat follows me everywhere. Would supervised interaction between my cat and the tortoise be okay? Can the tortoise give my cat salmonella?
I also have a golden retriever, whom I love dearly, but will never be allowed to meet the tortoise, ever.
I’m sorry this is so long, I just don’t want to leave out something important! Is there anything I’ve forgotten? I'm the most obsessive pet owner I know. I would be very eternally thankful for any advice you can offer! (Also, I promise TONS of pictures later this week!)
-Kayti