OK, friend heard about him, etc.
Living in long tall fish aquarium with 'whatever' tube lighting 24" high or more.
Diet has been Romaine lettuce and canned beans for 3 years. No basking or feeding rock. Substrate 2" of reptile bark.
Beak/nails were long, but had House of Reptiles owner in Portland, Or., trim them, which he does well. (sorry, couldn't take pic before).
So now I have another Tort, a male Russian.
I have been soaking daily, sometimes with baby carrots or sweet potatoes, as I am sure he is vitamin deficient.
Now he gets weeds with TNT powder sprinkled on, and a cuttlebone.
He spends nights and the am until it warms up in a 50gal Rubbermaid and has a UVB. I took over a raised bed and made him a small outdoor enclosure for daytime sun, since he will stay quarantined for awhile.
Amazing: he adapted immediately. Gets himself under the UVB in the am. Starting to eat different weeds, etc. Cruises his enclosures.
Here is a photo: he is saying " I told you not to take pictures. Now I am going to walk away from the food. Oh well,I might as well take a hibiscus leaf along".

Outside:

He does seem darker than most Russians that I have seen.
Thought we needed a happy story!
Living in long tall fish aquarium with 'whatever' tube lighting 24" high or more.
Diet has been Romaine lettuce and canned beans for 3 years. No basking or feeding rock. Substrate 2" of reptile bark.
Beak/nails were long, but had House of Reptiles owner in Portland, Or., trim them, which he does well. (sorry, couldn't take pic before).
So now I have another Tort, a male Russian.
I have been soaking daily, sometimes with baby carrots or sweet potatoes, as I am sure he is vitamin deficient.
Now he gets weeds with TNT powder sprinkled on, and a cuttlebone.
He spends nights and the am until it warms up in a 50gal Rubbermaid and has a UVB. I took over a raised bed and made him a small outdoor enclosure for daytime sun, since he will stay quarantined for awhile.
Amazing: he adapted immediately. Gets himself under the UVB in the am. Starting to eat different weeds, etc. Cruises his enclosures.
Here is a photo: he is saying " I told you not to take pictures. Now I am going to walk away from the food. Oh well,I might as well take a hibiscus leaf along".

Outside:

He does seem darker than most Russians that I have seen.
Thought we needed a happy story!
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