Introduction!

hello all!!!
New on the forum. I have a Baby sully call BooBoo (we had it on Halloween oct 2018). So far it looks healthy and happy. Saw your forums like diet, enclosures, temp/hum... thanks for all your post!

Welcome to the forum!

Hi, and welcome! We have some darned good, up-to-date info on sulcatas. BE sure to read the stickies at the top of the sulcata section.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM.

Welcome on board. If you can post some pics of your enclosure, it's temps, humidity, substrate etc. And it's diet, anything, we could help you even further!

Hello, I'm new to this forum and owning a Russian turtle. Actually, my 11 yr old son wanted one so we got "Sheldon" from the pet store. We were told to feed him kale so that's all he has eaten for the last 4 months 2x per day. We have UVB light and heating lamp in an open table type habitat and it's in my living room (ugh) which is always about 68-75 degrees (bi-level energy efficient home). He doesn't seem active anymore and isn't eating as much. What's up?

Tkutchera said:

Hello, I'm new to this forum and owning a Russian turtle. Actually, my 11 yr old son wanted one so we got "Sheldon" from the pet store. We were told to feed him kale so that's all he has eaten for the last 4 months 2x per day. We have UVB light and heating lamp in an open table type habitat and it's in my living room (ugh) which is always about 68-75 degrees (bi-level energy efficient home). He doesn't seem active anymore and isn't eating as much. What's up?

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum!

Your Russian needs many different things to eat. Pet stores usually just don't know anything about tortoises. They give bad advice on food, care, and equipment.

First, I suggest you read this care sheet. It may be very different than what you have been told in the past. But this sheet has been written by a member of this forum that has decades of experience with torts of all kinds.

After you read it, compare your care with the info in the care sheet.
Then come back with questions...we love questions!

Also, when you post again, post in the Russian tortoise sub-forum. You'll get lots of help from Russian keepers.

Here's both links...

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

https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/russian-tortoises.81/

Vlebron said:

hello all!!!
New on the forum. I have a Baby sully call BooBoo (we had it on Halloween oct 2018). So far it looks healthy and happy. Saw your forums like diet, enclosures, temp/hum... thanks for all your post!

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum.

Hello Everyone, My name is Saxson and i am a new Tortoise Owner.. i just got a new Russian Tortoise and then googling information i found this website.. and i am excited to learn about my new familiar.. -

So i have been reading a lot of your forums on my new friend and what I should a shouldn't feed her and what to do to make her habitat more exciting.. any suggestions would be more than welcome. I am eager to learn

Welcome to the TFO! It's the best place to learn new, updated info about your new shelled buddy.

If you have been researching other sites, especially Facebook groups, or talking to pet stores or even most vets...well, forget everything you read or heard.

Pet stores usually know little or nothing about torts, and like to sell overpriced equipment that is wrong, or even dangerous. Vets, unless they are exotics vets, sadly don't know much either. There is no semester devoted to torts in their schooling.

I'm sure you have found our care sheet for Russians, pinned to the top of the Russian subforum. Read that, and trust that it is good info, even if it doesn't match what hou've read or heard elsewhere.

If you'll post a few pix of your tortoise and her enclosure, we can advise you on your setup. And if you got her at a pet shop, we can tell you first, if she is a Russian (yes, it has happened that their species was misidentified). Include a pic of the plastron showing the tail area...we'll tell you the gender. If you got her at a pet store, we pretty much know already that she is wild caught, and an adult.

I hope this is helpful. If some doesn't apply (if she came from a breeder and is a hatchling), then some info will be different.

Anyway, welcome, we're glad you found us!