First Tortoise

[Eileen Turpin]

He's stopped head butting the glass. Thank you all.

 

[Momof4]

He's stopped head butting the glass. Thank you all.

That's great but look through our enclosure section and you will find great ideas for building a bigger enclosure in your screened in porch. Even if you need to use cinder block and make it as big as you can. They love to explore.

It's kinda like us living in a bathroom. Sure we could, but would we thrive?
It can be overwhelming at first but everyone here is only trying to help.
Ask questions and others can guide you along the way.

He's really cute by the way! Congrats!!

 

[Gillian M]

He's stopped head butting the glass. Thank you all.

Great! That's definitely a step ahead. Well done!

 

[Speedy-1]

He will need substrate not bare boards. I don't know what temperatures are like in your porch, but are they steady enough year round? The screen will filter UVB so you will still need lamps

Hi Eileen , if you want him to go out on your screen porch you might try one of those plastic kids pools . You could leave it set up and carry him out there for a while each day to excersise , that worked well for us !

 

[Rue]

It is a good idea. We're just putting together a little outdoor 'playpen' for our hatchling too, so I can get her under some real sunlight. Hopefully it will do until she's old enough/big enough for a larger outside enclosure.

 

[Eileen Turpin]

He's still active I supervised him on the porch I purposely picked a Russian because they were active, the Greeks less so, he is non stop trying to get out of everything, is he just adjusting?

 

[JoesMum]

He's still active I supervised him on the porch I purposely picked a Russian because they were active, the Greeks less so, he is non stop trying to get out of everything, is he just adjusting?

Russians are very active torts. In the wild, they roam miles and miles.

He wants space - lots of it - minimum of 4'x8'

Please see the TFO Russian Care Guide
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[Eileen Turpin]

Hi Eileen , if you want him to go out on your screen porch you might try one of those plastic kids pools . You could leave it set up and carry him out there for a while each day to excersise , that worked well for us !
View attachment 174053

 

[Rue]

If you want an active animal you need to give them space to be active in. I had our Hermann's hatchling on our front lawn (and I use that word loosely). Hubby and I were both surprised at how fast she can motor and how far she can go in a very short span of time. In the wild I believe their home range is 40 acres.

I realize you can't fence off 40 acres for them, but you have to adjust to allow them the most space you can. I have also had to readjust my thinking. I'm now planning a much larger tortoise garden than I had at first thought would do.

 

[Eileen Turpin]

Thank you he's nuts, he ate he soaked he drank and my patio is huge and he tried to escape that, he's 4 1/2 inches, sounds like he's head butting. I will say when I turned the lamps off last nite he went to sleep. It's 4 hours till I can turn off the lamps. I will definitely get a small pool it's summer in Miami he will be fine I hope.

 

[Speedy-1]

Thank you he's nuts, he ate he soaked he drank and my patio is huge and he tried to escape that, he's 4 1/2 inches, sounds like he's head butting. I will say when I turned the lamps off last nite he went to sleep. It's 4 hours till I can turn off the lamps. I will definitely get a small pool it's summer in Miami he will be fine I hope.

Yep , that's the nice thing about the pool , no corners to butt into ! Just run around in circles til he gets pooped out !

 

[JoesMum]

Be warned that they are expert climbers and diggers. You need to be be very security conscious with a Russian.

Make sure the edges and corners of any enclosure are capped.

You wanted active - you got it.

 

[Rue]

Make sure the pool has a lid. Small tortoises are bird food...

We are making an enclosure for our trough (that we're using for the outdoor playpen) from 2X2s and 1/2 inch welded wire (hardware cloth). Even though I am not leaving our tortoise out when we're not around to supervise, I don't want to have to worry about birds and weasels or having to stand guard.

It's almost done - just need to pick up hinges for the lid on the way home today. I figure it will do us for this summer and next. Then she'll be too big for it.

 

[Eileen Turpin]

Be warned that they are expert climbers and diggers. You need to be be very security conscious with a Russian.

Make sure the edges and corners of any enclosure are capped.

You wanted active - you got it.

Thanks Joe I am a dog person had no idea a little could be so difficult, thank God I got I will figure it out, you don't cast off a dog or a sweet little tortoise

 

[Eileen Turpin]

Make sure the pool has a lid. Small tortoises are bird food...

We are making an enclosure for our trough (that we're using for the outdoor playpen) from 2X2s and 1/2 inch welded wire (hardware cloth). Even though I am not leaving our tortoise out when we're not around to supervise, I don't want to have to worry about birds and weasels or having to stand guard.

It's almost done - just need to pick up hinges for the lid on the way home today. I figure it will do us for this summer and next. Then she'll be too big for it.

Thanks Rue my patio is enclosed totally he will be safe, I did have a talk with him

 

[Eileen Turpin]

Thanks Rue my patio is enclosed totally he will be safe, I did have a talk with him

He's so cute, I had a tortoise, sparrow hawk, many mice, tarantula, black widow and tad poles, just live the, missed the lizards and horney toads, I won't abandon him I already love his little abnoxiois behavior, he's head butting I need to check him

 

[Eileen Turpin]

Thanks Joe I am a dog person had no idea a little could be so difficult, thank God I got I will figure it out, you don't cast off a dog or a sweet little tortoise

My patio is totally enclosed and I would of fear it's Miami it' gets hot. In the meantime he's trying to escape his habitat. Do they understand talk at all ?

 

[JoesMum]

My patio is totally enclosed and I would of fear it's Miami it' gets hot. In the meantime he's trying to escape his habitat. Do they understand talk at all ?

No. And the behaviour you describe - butting - is all male.

He will settle with space, cover and food. However, it's spring and males are usually worse at this time of year.

The sooner you can get him into a big enclosure the better.

He must have good cover outdoors. Torts can overheat. It would s likely he will retreat at the hottest part of the day and be active early and late.

 

[Eileen Turpin]

Thanks Joe I am a dog person had no idea a little could be so difficult, thank God I got I will figure it out, you don't cast off a dog or a sweet little tortoise

I just watched his climbing abilities

 

[Eileen Turpin]

No. And the behaviour you describe - butting - is all male.

He will settle with space, cover and food. However, it's spring and males are usually worse at this time of year.

The sooner you can get him into a big enclosure the better.

He must have good cover outdoors. Torts can overheat. It would s likely he will retreat at the hottest part of the day and be active early and late.