Tortoises won't eat

Tortoisek

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hello everyone, its been almost 2 days since I got my Russian tortoises and they haven't eaten anything yet. Is this normal?
P.S. My male is way more passive than the female whoch I was surprised about.
 

wellington

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Need more info. Temps, lighting being used and types of bulbs, soakings, age approx or size. Also they should not be kept together!
 

Lyn W

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hello everyone, its been almost 2 days since I got my Russian tortoises and they haven't eaten anything yet. Is this normal?
P.S. My male is way more passive than the female whoch I was surprised about.
Hi and welcome.
It could be that they are reacting to change but if they are being kept together they may settle quicker if you separate them.
Pairs aren't recommended as they are solitary, territorial animals and Russians can be very scrappy. One becomes dominant and very subtly bullies the more passive tort. This can become aggressive and result in illness from stress or even injury from biting and barging etc. When they become sexually active the male could make the female's life a misery so to give them a good start I would separate them.
Here's the link which will explain this better than me.
www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/why-not-to-keep-2-tortoises-together-a-lesson-learned-the-hard-way.94114
 
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Lyn W

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If you post a pic of the enclosure/s and lights etc members can advise on any changes you could make (if any) to keep your torts safe and healthy.
 

Yvonne G

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The most common answer to the "tortoise doesn't eat" problem is heat...he isn't warm enough, but given the time of year, I'm going to guess they're getting ready to hibernate. Tortoises clean out their digestive tracts prior to hibernation by not eating for a few weeks prior to the event.
 

Tortoisek

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Need more info. Temps, lighting being used and types of bulbs, soakings, age approx or size. Also they should not be kept together!

They are 5-6 inches, i am keeping them outside
 

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Tortoisek

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The most common answer to the "tortoise doesn't eat" problem is heat...he isn't warm enough, but given the time of year, I'm going to guess they're getting ready to hibernate. Tortoises clean out their digestive tracts prior to hibernation by not eating for a few weeks prior to the event.

How long they hibernate for?:(
 

Mr Buster

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They should not hibernate if they are kept with good light and heat ?

Where are you at that you will keep them out during winter ? I guess you could keep them out if you are from Las Vegas or somewhere else in a desert climate year round where you are not going to fall below 50 degrees f . But I would not call myself an expert.
 

Tortoisek

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I am in Sacramento,CA its desert climate here and it gets a little below 50F sometimes
 

Mr Buster

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I lived in Sacramento for 20 years. You are right. During the winter it remains fairlyconsistent 44 degrees at night which I think is okay for the RT.
 

sibi

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I am in Sacramento,CA its desert climate here and it gets a little below 50F sometimes

Check out the threads under your particular species. There's tons of info and suggestions for Russian tortoises. I don't own any myself, but some experts like Yvonne, Tom, and others can give you some good advice. As far as eating is concerned, I agree with Yvonne. If they're outside, what outside enclosure have you setup for them? And, they really need to be separated. Russians tend to be very aggressive and can really bully the weaker one.
 

Tortoisek

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Check out the threads under your particular species. There's tons of info and suggestions for Russian tortoises. I don't own any myself, but some experts like Yvonne, Tom, and others can give you some good advice. As far as eating is concerned, I agree with Yvonne. If they're outside, what outside enclosure have you setup for them? And, they really need to be separated. Russians tend to be very aggressive and can really bully the weaker one.
I posted a pocture above of my enclosure. They are separated and female is more active than the male.
 

Tortoisek

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I lived in Sacramento for 20 years. You are right. During the winter it remains fairlyconsistent 44 degrees at night which I think is okay for the RT.
Im pretty new here so I dont know what winter looks like yet:) so they are going to hibernate the whole winter? I thought i could play with them lol
 

cmacusa3

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Im pretty new here so I dont know what winter looks like yet:) so they are going to hibernate the whole winter? I thought i could play with them lol


How do you think you can play with a tortoise?
 

sibi

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How do you think you can play with a tortoise?

Well, some people who don't really know much about tortoises in general, may treat them like pet dogs. That's very common and I'm glad you found this site so that you can learn and grow with your tortoise. Have you read any of the care sheets for your particular species? You'll find out what to do during winter months and what conditions you'll need to create to have a healthy, happy tortoise.
 

Tortoisek

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Seeing them actively running around,eating and drinking is pretty much playing for me. I didnt mean to actually play with them!
 

sibi

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Seeing them actively running around,eating and drinking is pretty much playing for me. I didnt mean to actually play with them!
I suspected that. That's why I posted what I said in response to abramsmytankturtle. That's the kind of "playing" I do with my tortoises
 

cmacusa3

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Gotcha;)

Some people say play and then they let them roam free around the house and around other animals and then bad things happen.
 

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They will likely die if you leave them like that. Our CA winters are to inconsistent and too warm in general. Rain, below freezing nights, hot spells in the 80s or 90s. They need protection from the elements and above ground temperature extremes.

You need to either set them up with heat and lights indoors or you need to go through the process to properly hibernate them. If you have only had them for two days, they should not be hibernated this year. You'll be lucky if they survive. Bring them indoors and give them a proper set up, and then we can talk about hibernation this time next year.

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

Tortoisek

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They will likely die if you leave them like that. Our CA winters are to inconsistent and too warm in general. Rain, below freezing nights, hot spells in the 80s or 90s. They need protection from the elements and above ground temperature extremes.

You need to either set them up with heat and lights indoors or you need to go through the process to properly hibernate them. If you have only had them for two days, they should not be hibernated this year. You'll be lucky if they survive. Bring them indoors and give them a proper set up, and then we can talk about hibernation this time next year.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
They are juveniles i suppose (6 inches). Does this make any difference?
 
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