I always recommended to people who purchased my hatchlings the zoomed 10.0 fluorescent strip lights, but I haven't used UVB for my Russian breeders or hatchlings in probably about 12 years. The recommendation was always based on the premise that the average person might fail to offer a...
That seems like an interesting application and probably worth experimenting with. I plan on trying orchid bark on its own, but I've done soil/sand/mulch/coco coir combos in the past and they weren't bad. I used deep topsoil with egg laying females, but found that soil on its own in thin layers...
I think it's clear you can create a secure environment for a Russian Tortoise in a larger enclosure, but the hiding spots and sight barriers commonly used (and what I have used in the past) aren't really adequate for a Russian. These guys are 'crammers' and 'wedgers' and burrowers and we need to...
I'm going to offer an unpopular counterpoint in terms of enclosure size for Russians. I have worked with them for years, raised many from hatchlings to adulthood, and produced many offspring. I didn't keep count, but probably in the range of 30+ per year for a period of half a dozen years or so...
I have experience with Reptile Prime, and for snakes it is the best substrate I have used thus far. It's hard to describe the way it differs from eco earth and other similar substrates on the market, but the biggest difference is the lack of dust and the way it absorbs water without turning into...
I'm going to jump in here for the first time in years and years for no particular reason and hopefully answer your most recent question.
With the years I've kept Russians exclusively indoors, and with a lot of offspring produced, I determined (which I think is in line with Tom's experience...
I have not been around for a while to talk Russians (they are still breeding and hatching all the time!) because I've been busy with work related stuff and my music stuff. I should have some stress relief mid way through May though, as it is looking as though we will close on our house at that...
I'm not prepped for doomsday. I do have plenty of guns and ammunition on hand, but that's not intentional preparation.
I am prepared for more likely scenarios in my area, like a week long winter power outage. For that I installed a vented gas heating stove in the basement (looks like a wood...
I'll give you the origin story for my group, but I'm afraid as you'll find there is also no consistency:
1.0 acquired in late 2005 as a hatchling CB (from lllreptile). My first tortoise. Now less than 5" and approximately 6-6.5 years of age. Has been breeding with limited success since 4" at...
I'm a late comer to the thread (was on vacation in myrtle beach!).
I hatch and sell dozens of russians each year. My tortoises are effectively indoors all of the time. At my old house I had an outdoor enclosure that I would put them out in during the summer months when we were around to...
A lot of people over think night time heat. More than likely, you won't need it. I would play it by ear and take some real measurements of the air around the tortoise habitat at night and during the day. They don't need anything more than the heat that we require during the night, and many of my...
Concept: Post what you've done since graduating high school or college. Also, this is a good place to talk about your experiences seeing people from high school or college after graduation.
I've recently for some reason been fascinated with the thought of what my former classmates are up to...
Tortoises/reptiles (duh)
Drums and Percussion (teaching and playing)
Guns/Shooting
Gardening
Hiking/Canoeing/Camping/other outdoor activities
Home ownership (because if I don't approach it as a hobby it will drive me crazy).
There's more, but that's it for now. I make my living with the first...
Pics are coming. I'm hoping to have them up tomorrow. The tortoises are super happy to have their new, larger enclosure, and all of the animals are coming around to the new location.