Do I have a male/female?

[khanvict]

Here are pictures of the russian I got from petco a little more than a week ago. Please help me determine if I have a male/female. Also, if you note anything peculiar from the pictures please describe or if it helps to post more pictures of a certain attribute of the tortoise ask me to. My family thinks the tortoise's nails/claws are a little too long. I thought they were average but I really don't know. Overall, he/she's been great thus far

 

[Cameron]

you got a boy there. claws may be a little long, but they will wear down if you let him dig in the dirt. good looking tortoise by the way. i love russians!

 

[egyptiandan]

Agreed It's a male

Danny

 

[South FL Katie]

What a cutie!

 

[shellfreak]

looks healthy! is this your first russian?

 

[tortoisenerd]

Nails look good to me. Feed on a slate tile if you feed indoors to wear down the beak and nails, and let him walk on concrete or rocks outside. Tort's nails tend to look a bit long to the untrained eye, but it is natural for them to have some curvature in them for digging, especially for female's back claws for nesting. Congrats and have fun!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

He's a beautiful tortoise! It's so nice to see such a healthy undeformed animal!!!

 

[TortieLuver]

He looks really healthy.

 

[Treebon]

Hey Khanvict you have a very nice looking tortoise. By the way has he started to eat more, and be more active for you. I remember we both got our tortoises around the same time so I was wondering what your experience was like?

 

[khanvict]

thank you all for letting me know and for the nice comments. yes it is my first tortoise and my first pet actually.

Hey Khanvict you have a very nice looking tortoise. By the way has he started to eat more, and be more active for you. I remember we both got our tortoises around the same time so I was wondering what your experience was like?

it's been confusing trying to figure him out. he was becoming really active last week. i let him outside and that seem to stimulate him. also, making the changes to the enclosure that people recommended to me really seemed to help. i also kept the sliding door in my room open so that he gets a nice breeze when he's still inside and he seemed to like that as well.

however, just this past monday and tuesday he barely moved. im trying to figure out whether he got tired from me letting him outside on both saturday and sunday or maybe he ate some bad grass while he was out there. i also think it might have to do with this texas heat i am in. it's getting to be 100degree temperatures abruptly and so perhaps i am not keeping him as cool as he needs to be. he stayed in the shady grass and did not make much of an attempt to go or stay near the heat lamp. i put him in his water bucket to soak him last night and he didn't fight it at all nor did he ever want to come out like he normally does so perhaps he was too hot.

he also seems to only want to eat grass and nothing else. he turns his head or motions his claw to deny the romaine lettuce, spring mix salads, and carrots i offer by hand. there's also always food in the enclosure but i think i should find something else to spark his tastebuds. even though i shouldn't i even offered a small banana bite and he seemed more interested in that and almost took it but didnt.

have you seen more activity our of your tortoise? have things been better on your end? keep me posted.

 

[Treebon]

So far my tortoise won't take food I offer by hand either. If I were you I would just leave the other things that you want him to eat in a bowl in his enclosure and he'll just go whenever he feels like it. My tortoise too varies in activity but so doesn't everything if you think of it. There have been plenty of days I just lay around my house so why can't he, right? I wouldn't worry about him much and just start enjoying him, that's what I am trying to do.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Fine looking Russian, Khan...did you get him from that guy you were telling me about?

 

[Jacqui]

thank you all for letting me know and for the nice comments. yes it is my first tortoise and my first pet actually.

It's really your first pet? That's a big step and it looks like you have picked a healthy good looking fella for it.