We are brand new to having a russian tortoise. Can anyone help determine if it is male or female?
- Thread starter acreager1315
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Do you know how old it is? If its an adult, then female, but if its a baby it may be too young to tell.
You might not like hearing this, but a Russian Tortoise cannot be kept in a tank. I mean it CAN be, but its not nearly enough space for it to be kept healthily. Pet stores sell them with tanks and 2' x 3' tortoise houses to make money, not because its healthy for the pet. Unlike other pet reptiles, tortoises need a LOT of room - like 4 ' x 8'. Way more than most people realize when they buy one.
I know this is a lot, but I do recommend reading this as its a lot of good advice that corrects bad info out there:
tortoiseforum.org
You might not like hearing this, but a Russian Tortoise cannot be kept in a tank. I mean it CAN be, but its not nearly enough space for it to be kept healthily. Pet stores sell them with tanks and 2' x 3' tortoise houses to make money, not because its healthy for the pet. Unlike other pet reptiles, tortoises need a LOT of room - like 4 ' x 8'. Way more than most people realize when they buy one.
I know this is a lot, but I do recommend reading this as its a lot of good advice that corrects bad info out there:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
tortoiseforum.org
Looks like a female to me. Also the shell looks more adult. If she is an adult, she needs a minimum of a 4x8 foot enclosure.
Do not use sand as a substrate or hay.
Do not use sand as a substrate or hay.
acreager1315
New Member
Thank you! We are working on building an outdoor enclosure now but definitely will need something indoors for the winter months. We get below freezing in the winter. So, we will definitely need something indoors as well. What is the best indoor enclosure and/or the best materials to build one?Do you know how old it is? If its an adult, then female, but if its a baby it may be too young to tell.
You might not like hearing this, but a Russian Tortoise cannot be kept in a tank. I mean it CAN be, but its not nearly enough space for it to be kept healthily. Pet stores sell them with tanks and 2' x 3' tortoise houses to make money, not because its healthy for the pet. Unlike other pet reptiles, tortoises need a LOT of room - like 4 ' x 8'. Way more than most people realize when they buy one.
I know this is a lot, but I do recommend reading this as its a lot of good advice that corrects bad info out there:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
acreager1315
New Member
Thank you! I was just reading a post on here that had a ton of information for first time owners and read about sand. We were told to use sand and the reptile soil. I just told my husband before I read this that we need to re do the substrate.
Sounds good! Yes I also have a separate indoor inclosure that is "too small" so I feel your pain. if you plan on brumating her over the winter then that will help, but given your climate I'm not sure how much outdoor time you would get. Adding @wellington and @Cathie G who are closer to you (I lived in Bloomington for a year, FWIW).
For indoor enclosures if you are handy you can build one yourself from a salvaged bookcase from a thrift store. I have some of those terrible "tortoise houses" strung together like a hairtail, but its not ideal. You need like 5-6 of them together to get the space you need... I happen to have a very inactive Russian and he doesn't use the space I have so I haven't expanded him to proper size, but i have a 10 x 12 outdoor enclosure he can be in for much of the year.
Attached is my indoor setup to give you an idea...
For indoor enclosures if you are handy you can build one yourself from a salvaged bookcase from a thrift store. I have some of those terrible "tortoise houses" strung together like a hairtail, but its not ideal. You need like 5-6 of them together to get the space you need... I happen to have a very inactive Russian and he doesn't use the space I have so I haven't expanded him to proper size, but i have a 10 x 12 outdoor enclosure he can be in for much of the year.
Attached is my indoor setup to give you an idea...
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Sorry, but I have to disagree with both SinLA and Wellington regarding the tortoise's sex. The first photo in the group shows this tortoise to be a definite male. Long and very thick tail is the giveaway. The next two tail photos are taken from an angle which makes the tail appear less huge than it really is. The final photo shows the cloacal opening is quite far from the shell which is another male characteristic.
I defer to more experienced minds than mine, but it sure does look female to me. My male's tail is very different, even in the first picture - much longer and skinnier...
My male Russians tail is much longer that the one here.
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Believe me, after 60+ years of breeding tortoises, I know all that you have posted above. Look at the size of the female's tail in the photo you posted here. It is much smaller and shorter than the tail of the tortoise the OP has. Additionally, look at the angle of the anal scutes. In a female, the angle is acute or 90 degrees In a male, the angle is obtuse.
The last picture posted by the OP shows an obtuse angle between the anal scutes plus a cloacal opening far from the plastron, both male characteristics as I have stated. Therefore I still believe that tortoise to be a male. He may possibly be immature, but I still feel it's male going by my experience and the photos posted by the OP.
Honestly, they look like pics of two different tails lol.
What I see is three pics that look like a small female tail. The very first pic of the torts butt with tail is the only one that looks like male, too me. The anal scutes do look male though.
Maybe younger than we think.
Maybe I'm wrong, wouldn't be the first time, but I still see female small tail and matching the female pics I posted. I do see more male scutes though than female.
Maybe it haven't made up it's mine yet. Lol
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S/he looks sorta young to me but ouly because the bottom scutes don't flare out longer like my Russian's do. Especially the back ones. He's around 20 years or so. When I first got him he was very slightly more slender through his waist also. So, you probably won't know for sure for a while.😊🙃
Twenty years ago I was also a lot more slender in my waist!!
I hear that!
I think the star/slit cloaca shape applies to this species. Star= female, slit = male. This one is slit, so male. I've found that males that have been housed with a more dominant male don't have the more dominant-looking characteristics. Perhaps this male has been housed with a group of males while waiting to be shipped to the pet store.
acreager1315
New Member
Thank you everyone for the responses! I was confused too because some ways it looks female and other ways male. The pet store we got it from gave us zero information about it. So, we don't even know it's age. And, thank you for the information on the enclosure. We are looking for everything to get it a bigger indoor enclosure with the correct substrate and building an outdoor enclosure for the warmer months. We made it a ramp with rocks to climb on top of the hide out we made to give it a little extra room to move around for now until we get everything for a bigger enclosure.
I think your indoor enclosure is really cute. I have to to keep mine off of the floor though because it gets to cold. Sapphire isn't really active in the winter months either. I could be wrong but I don't think Russians are really active at that time even if you don't hibernate. Which I don't. He comes out to eat, play around a bit, and just hangs out on his favorite rocks in the winter. Come spring (and he knows before I do) he's begging to go outside.🤗
You are on your way. I too think its a male for the reasons that Zovick and Yvonne explained, though I do agree the angle of the plastron pics does make the tail look smaller.
Look for the temperate species care sheet at the bottom of the thread that SinLA posted for you. Questions and conversation are welcome.
Okay, because the verdict is so split. Please, you have to remember to update the sex if it really is a male and he flashes you.
Yvonne's idea of possibly not showing male signs as obviously as should because of more dominant males around him before you, could very well be possible. Also if not raised in an appropriate sized area. A leopard tortoise I rescued was female in everyone's guesses. Once I got him rehabbed, and he caught up in size, his maleness appeared.
Yvonne's idea of possibly not showing male signs as obviously as should because of more dominant males around him before you, could very well be possible. Also if not raised in an appropriate sized area. A leopard tortoise I rescued was female in everyone's guesses. Once I got him rehabbed, and he caught up in size, his maleness appeared.
