Age of Russian

[ForPhilbert]

Hello! I am new to owning tortoises. Just got a male Russian tortoise from Petco and they were unable to tell me his age. I was wondering if anyone would be able to do so from a couple pictures! His name is Philbert and he is a very curious little bugger.

 

[Kristina]

The reason that they could not tell you his age is that the tortoises that Petco sells are wild caught. (Not telling you an age is actually a step up for them, I have read numerous times where they have told a new owner that their tortoise is 3 months old, when it is obviously several years old.)

It is hard to tell for sure, but based on his size and condition I would hazard a guess of around 5 years old.

 

[-JM]

He's a handsome fellow! I love the name! Congrats on being a new mommy!

 

[ForPhilbert]

The reason that they could not tell you his age is that the tortoises that Petco sells are wild caught. (Not telling you an age is actually a step up for them, I have read numerous times where they have told a new owner that their tortoise is 3 months old, when it is obviously several years old.)

It is hard to tell for sure, but based on his size and condition I would hazard a guess of around 5 years old.

Thank you! I just measured his shell and he is about 3-4 inches long (not including his head or tale. What is a good type of substrate to use for him? People at the store said Reptibark so that is what I am using now. I heard alphalpha pellets were also good to use. Also his nails are extremely long, I'm thinking it's due to lack of encountering a rough surface that would file them down a little. Should I clip them or just leave them? Or maybe put some type of flat rock that he can climb on and let them naturally buffer down? I'm just trying to make him as comfortable as I can. Thanks for your help!!

 

[Kristina]

Reptibark, in my opinion, is nasty stuff. It will stain your tortoise, does not hold humidity well, and molds fairly quickly. It is also terrible for burrowing in, and Russians love to burrow!

Alfalfa pellets are much, much worse. They also harbor mold, and molds quickly when it comes into contact with moisture, so it is not a good choice for holding humidity. They are very difficult to walk on, and over time, cause permanent deformities and muscle, bone, and joint issues.

I personally prefer coconut coir, which is sold in a brick at Petco, under the names of Bed A Beast or Eco Earth, etc. You rehydrate it with water, and the surface dries out fairly quickly, which keeps the tortoise from getting shell rot but still creates a humid micro-climate for it to burrow into.

Other keepers prefer cypress mulch, which you can get at Home Depot or Lowes for $2-3 a bag. Orchid bark, which you can also get at HD or Lowes, is a good substrate too. You can also use organic top soil, or a mix of more than one substrate (i.e. coir/cypress, cypress/top soil, top soil/orchid bark.)

His nails look fine to me. Russians are diggers, and have broad, spade like feet with tough nails. I would recommend getting a slate tile to feed him on, this helps naturally wear down the beak and nails. I wouldn't trim them at this point, they really aren't overly long, and if you cut the quick it causes pain and bleeding.

 

[sara]

i love cypress mulch.I found it at petco. you can find it at harware stores but i was strongly cautioned to make sure it does not have any kind of chemicals in it. I have herd terrible things about pellets.