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Romaine, carrot, and raddacio ste her staples. She had some green pepper a week ago.

I misspoke: urate, not poop. But I haven't given her any dandelions, and the urates have always been white before. You don't feel that it could be blood related to infection?

After eating this morning, Morty pooped on the tile of the feeding platform. It had a pink hue. I'm worried. Thoughts or advice welcome!

It has been pretty warm and I've been taking him outside for at least 30 minutes when I have days off. He's very active outside, but once he comes back in, he usually doesn't even more. He'll sit right where I put him, fall asleep, and stay there until the next time I move him. It's really...

Hello, all! I adopted a Russian Tortoise last year in the late fall. Now that it's spring, I want to build him an outdoor enclosure! From my research, burrowing is a concern since they can tunnel under the walls of the habitat and escape. In my area, another concern is the raccoon...

All winter long, I was diligent about maintaining heat and humidity in my Russian Tortoise's enclosure. He slept a LOT this winter, but always had a healthy appetite. Usually he would only come out of his hide to eat, then return to the hide. He typically ate everything I gave him. As for...

Hey, all. Looking for some advice. I've had my russian tortoise since October. At first, he would climb into his water dish a couple times a week and was passing nitrates regularly. Over the last month, I don't think he's climbed into his water dish at all. It has been a week since he...

I wasn't thinking small rocks. More like river rock. They're usually about an inch and a half to 2 inches in diameter, so swallowing shouldn't be an issue. Would a small area with this type of stones be conducive to creating positive russian tortoise environment?

Any update?

So, on the topic of microclimates, should I only add water to a portion of the substrate, leaving a certain area drier? Also, what are your thoughts of adding a second substrate for a microclimate? Maybe a small area of river rock or timothy hay.

Hey, all. So, I've been continually researching proper Russian Tortoise care since several months before Morty joined our family. One area of contention has always been the substrate. I've learned that coconut coir is the ideal bedding for the little guy, but I'm still lost on moisture...

Temp is 86F

I'm worried about Morty getting MBD. He eats great and gets a Calcium supplement. Problem is, all he does is come out of his hide, eat, and return to his hide. He doesn't sit on the stone under the lamp, nor can I get him to venture to his water dish. Heck, until I moved his food dish so he...

Excellent article. I'll improve his diet with my next trip to the grocery store. I noticed that spinach is not listed on the recommended foods. Is there a reason for this?

Temps are as follows: Basking rock: 92F Ambient: 76F Hide: 75F Humidity unknown. I will be adding water to the coir though.

Morty was taken to the vet by Petco because he wasn't eating. He has tested parasite-free and after several days of observation has been eating well. I was able to go pick him up today. It's great to have him home. I've made a couple of adjustments to his enclosure and diet, thanks to...

Sounds like you and (Ms.) Hoppy(?) have a long road ahead, but I admire you for taking such care. Any number of people would have just decided to let natural selection run its course, but you're doing a tremendous thing. I'm looking forward to reading more of the story as it develops!

I've read in other forums that plain coco coir is the way to go, but it can be mixed with equal part sand. I'm using plain coir. As for the humidity, I'm not sure. I've read that adding humidity to a russian tortoise's substrate causes respiratory infections and should be avoided. I've also...

Heard back from Petco today. The vet was unable to find anything wrong, but Morty will be staying there for a week for observation. Yeah, maybe I did jump the gun, but I tend to be pretty conservative when it comes to health. If something had been wrong, I'd have wanted it caught sooner...

Wow, thanks for all the advice! To answer some of your input: Yes, adult russian. I'm guessing about 4-5 years old, but I can't be sure. So far the water dish has been working out just fine. No issues there. If I see some potentially dangerous behavior, I may replace it, but I don't put so...