Is this normal or is something up with my tortoise?

I_love_tortoises · Apr 6, 2018

Hey guys! So I got a Russian tortoise 5 days ago. ALL HE DOES IS DIG IN HIS CAGE. He will literally dig a hole in his substrate and be there all day. He will dig one and won’t come out all day. I will have to pull him out of the cage to have him eat. Once he digs a hole he won’t come out all day. He could probably stay in there for days if I let him. Is this normal or is something up?

I_love_tortoises · Apr 6, 2018

I thought my other one didn’t post so I on accident posted it twice.i don’t know how to delete one so please comment on my other one. Thanks guys!

orv · Apr 6, 2018

I_love_tortoises said:
Hey guys! So I got a Russian tortoise 5 days ago. ALL HE DOES IS DIG IN HIS CAGE. He will literally dig a hole in his substrate and be there all day. He will dig one and won’t come out all day. I will have to pull him out of the cage to have him eat. Once he digs a hole he won’t come out all day. He could probably stay in there for days if I let him. Is this normal or is something up?

Yelloweyed · Apr 8, 2018

Tortoises don’t like change, in general, and hiding is perfectly normal. Did you provide hiding spots (caves, plants, etc.)? It may takes weeks to months for the tortoise to associate your hand with food and not harm.

I_love_tortoises · Apr 8, 2018

Yelloweyed said:
Tortoises don’t like change, in general, and hiding is perfectly normal. Did you provide hiding spots (caves, plants, etc.)? It may takes weeks to months for the tortoise to associate your hand with food and not harm.

Yes I do have a hide for him. Thanks!

Millerlite · Apr 8, 2018

Can you provide pictures? Or describe the enclosure size. Type of lights. Substrate etc. He could be stressed out. It could not be warm enough or light cycle is off. More info would help. Also diet and eating habits

Kyle

I_love_tortoises · Apr 9, 2018

Millerlite said:
Can you provide pictures? Or describe the enclosure size. Type of lights. Substrate etc. He could be stressed out. It could not be warm enough or light cycle is off. More info would help. Also diet and eating habits

Kyle

I have him in a 40 gallon. I know it is small but he is moving to a bigger one in like a week and a half. He has a 18’ reptisun uvb tube t8 lights. I lost the box for his heat lamp but is 150 watt. His substrate is repti-bark. His hot side is like 85-94 degrees Fahrenheit, his cool side is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I turn his lights on 7:30 am and off at 6:30 am. For feeding I gave him romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and carrots. He eats like a monster. Once I pull him out of the cage he eats a lot.

TechnoCheese · Apr 9, 2018

Keep in mind that he needs a minimum enclosure size of 8x4 feet.
You need a new diet. Romain lettuce gives them no nutrition because it takes more energy to eat than it gives, carrots have too much sugar and should only be given as treats, and spinach is too high in oxalates that block calcium absorption. He needs to be eating broad leaf weeds.
Have you read these links yet?-
Russian Tortoise Care Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

I_love_tortoises · Apr 21, 2018

TechnoCheese said:
Keep in mind that he needs a minimum enclosure size of 8x4 feet.
You need a new diet. Romain lettuce gives them no nutrition because it takes more energy to eat than it gives, carrots have too much sugar and should only be given as treats, and spinach is too high in oxalates that block calcium absorption. He needs to be eating broad leaf weeds.
Have you read these links yet?-
Russian Tortoise Care Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

Thanks so much for your input. I changed his diet dramatically. I started feeding him some clovers, endive, beet(a little once a week), radicchio, collard greens, turnips, and mustard greens. He is doing a lot better [emoji16][emoji16].

Tom · Apr 21, 2018

When you talked about the lights, I'm assuming you meant you turn them on at 7:30 am and off at 6:30 pm. An 11 hour light cycle tells your tortoise that it is fall and its time to hibernate. I suggest 6:30 am to 7:30 pm for a 13 hour light cycle which better simulates summer hours and cues your tortoise to be up and active. Put them on a timer for consistency and to make your life easier.

Any you needed a MUCH larger enclosure back when you first posted this. You can get a large tub from a hardware store, or a horse trough of some sort from a feed store. A $20 kiddie pool from Walmart would work too, if you made some sort of rack to hang your light from.

Is this normal or is something up with my tortoise?

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