Bought a new tort and he is staying in one area

Yvonne G

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Pardon my saying so, but that's a very boring-looking enclosure!

Your new Russian tortoise is pretty young. He's in a new space that's wide open. The safest thing for him to do (in his mind) is to stay hidden in a corner. He's very scared. And you've got him sitting right out in the open where who knows what is going to get him and eat him!

Here are a few suggestions for you:

Remove that substrate and change it to something that can be slightly moistened. I like fir bark.
Add quite a few hiding places - plants (real or fake), a big rock, an inverted pot with a door cut out, a half log that he can get into. If you give him lots of cover he won't be so scared to move out of the corner.

Please read our care sheet and make some changes to the bare space you've given him to live in - https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

Here's a picture of what a baby habitat could look like (except the lights should be hung, not set on wire):



planted enclosure.jpg
 

Colin the tortoise

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Pardon my saying so, but that's a very boring-looking enclosure!

Your new Russian tortoise is pretty young. He's in a new space that's wide open. The safest thing for him to do (in his mind) is to stay hidden in a corner. He's very scared. And you've got him sitting right out in the open where who knows what is going to get him and eat him!

Here are a few suggestions for you:

Remove that substrate and change it to something that can be slightly moistened. I like fir bark.
Add quite a few hiding places - plants (real or fake), a big rock, an inverted pot with a door cut out, a half log that he can get into. If you give him lots of cover he won't be so scared to move out of the corner.

Please read our care sheet and make some changes to the bare space you've given him to live in - https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

Here's a picture of what a baby habitat could look like (except the lights should be hung, not set on wire):



View attachment 295631
Thank you for the advice mate. Greatly appreciated
 
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i think he just needs some time to settle in maybe calmly handle him help him come out of his shell

I didn’t notice if you’ve provided a hide for him, or food/water bowls.
I have a baby sulcata that is six months old and pretty active. I do not know if it’s a boy or a girl, but I’ve named iI do not know if it’s a boy or a girl, but I’ve named him Boulder.. with my little guy seems sluggish, I missed him with water, then put himin his basking area. Boulder likes mushy bananas too!
I’ve included pictures of my enclosure ?
 

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Sarah2020

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Try a warm bath 30 degrees for 20 mins to check movement and dry him before returning. Pick dandelion leaves and flowers wash well so they get water. I think he needs a hiding place try a flower pot on its side on the warm side and a flat rock or two the home needs a a bit of landscaping but not high to fall off. Try that and let us know.
 

Sarah2020

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Water dish with daily refreshed water must be available 24 x7
 

Gig

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Yeah thank you for your help I have gave him some grape as we have no strawberries
I would make his home more exciting like a water bowl and maybe some rocks to crawl around , I had a sulcata and she was spoiled rotten. It was easy because I made her enclosure outside I live in Florida but she loved going under the log and around the rocks and she had a big glass pie pan was her water(pool) she just crawled in and out of that. She even got to push my dog's little tennis balls around. I don't know I just think it would make it more inviting if it had more stuff in it but I don't know I've had one Sulcata in my life.
 

Wolfmama

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Happy to see this thread. My two I got today were staying in the same spot together for hours. It kept scaring me and I was constantly checking to make sure they were still breathing. They did eat and drink a good amount as soon as I put them in the enclosure but then went under the hibiscus bush and never came out. So I hand fed them some banana (mine are forest tortoises) and that energized them a tiny bit lol one finally moved to another corner under another bush and now its been hours again and neither has moved from their spots. Hoping in a few days they explore a little more I have so many goodies in there they haven't even seen yet.
 

Kim&Tim

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Happy to see this thread. My two I got today were staying in the same spot together for hours. It kept scaring me and I was constantly checking to make sure they were still breathing. They did eat and drink a good amount as soon as I put them in the enclosure but then went under the hibiscus bush and never came out. So I hand fed them some banana (mine are forest tortoises) and that energized them a tiny bit lol one finally moved to another corner under another bush and now its been hours again and neither has moved from their spots. Hoping in a few days they explore a little more I have so many goodies in there they haven't even seen yet.

Just give them time to adjust, it's a scarry time for them and it can take weeks for them to adjust. Tortoises have great difficulty with these changes, change of environment. They need time.
 
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