Recent content by DarwinTheTortoise

That would definitely be the easiest option but I don't know if the previous owners used and chemicals on their lawn, so I want to clear out part where I want the enclosure to be then put in something I know is safe, if that makes sense?

Hello everyone, I've just moved from an apartment in a city to a house with a big garden and I'm excited to begin constructing an outdoor enclosure for my Hermanns. I have a question about topsoil, I've looked around the forums and found so much conflicting advice about the use of top soil. Is...

How are there temps for a 4.5” RT? Basking: 102 Warm end: 87 Cool end: 78 Night: 73 I’m mainly concerned that the basking area is too warm? I have an Exo Terra 100w Daytime Heat Lamp for the basking spot and some flat rocks beneath it. I tried the same bulb in 60w, and also a 100w halogen bulb...

He’s been pooping but I’ve found it hard to check for urination since he moved into his permanent enclosure a few days ago because there is so much substrate. I give him 15 min soaks every other day- should I be doing more? Less? Could that help?

This is him right now and everything looks completely normal. Do they just do this when they move their legs a certain way and I’m just being too paranoid? He’s eating, pooping etc.

My Russian looks puffy around his front legs but only occasionally. I’ve only had him a week so I’m not sure what is normal. These photos were all taken at the same time and show the ‘puffiness’ and then what he looks like most of the time. Could he be fat? The pet shop I bought him from fed him...

We recently added a Russian tortoise to our family- I posted the the whole story yesterday on the introductions thread. So far he’s doing very well- he’s eating great, pooping, wandering around and happy to be fed by hand. He is in a plastic tub until I finish his tortoise table this weekend. I...

Thank you. I heard to measure at shell level and wasn’t sure how, but that makes more sense.

Sorry, I meant NE not NW... it’s still early!

I’m in the NW. Outside temps are well below freezing, this is the temp inside and I’d say it’s more early 70’s actually. We have a large apartment and the winter temperature tends to be on the warm side in our building, but with two small children it’s preferable to leaving a window open. I can...

Hi! I’ve been lurking this forum for a few months now and I’m happy to have finally joined as a tortoise owner! 2 days ago we welcomed Darwin the Russian tortoise into our family. I spotted him in a pet store in a glass tank being fed only dry, ‘fruity pebbles’ and hay. I figured I could give...