Hello, I'm new!

[Trina Couch]

I've been reading posts from this forum for weeks now and thought it time to join!
I recently bought my first russian tort about 1 month ago. I work at Petsmart and saw this little guy in a 10 gal aquarium being feed petstore food and felt so bad for him.
Someone bought him but returned him a week later saying he had shell rot. I did not agree with this but, then again, I really didn't know all the signs.
So, I took him home! I live in Oklahoma and it's summertime so I built an outdoor enclosure for him. Can someone please look at the photos I've posted and let me know if my little Sam's shell looks okay?
I'm feeding him spring mix, spinach, kale, zucchini, bell peppers and grain tortoise pellets ...
Thank you so much!

 

[Rue]

I just wanted to say that love his enclosure! He's lucky to have found you!

 

[Trina Couch]

Awe, thank you Rue! I worked hard on it!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

The water dish needs to be sunk down into the dirt so the lip is level with the top of the dirt.

Russian tortoises are browsers and eat broad-leaf plants and weeds. They shouldn't be feed too much fruit (and a vegetable that has seeds inside is a fruit), so delete those items from your list, but add mulberry leaves, grape leaves, any broad-leaf edible weeds you can find plus edible flowers like pansies, gazania, rose of sharon, etc.

And no, there is no shell rot on that tortoise's carapace.

I love the spot you've made for your new tortoise. Just curious...does he use the little house?

 

[Trina Couch]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

The water dish needs to be sunk down into the dirt so the lip is level with the top of the dirt.

Russian tortoises are browsers and eat broad-leaf plants and weeds. They shouldn't be feed too much fruit (and a vegetable that has seeds inside is a fruit), so delete those items from your list, but add mulberry leaves, grape leaves, any broad-leaf edible weeds you can find plus edible flowers like pansies, gazania, rose of sharon, etc.

And no, there is no shell rot on that tortoise's carapace.

I love the spot you've made for your new tortoise. Just curious...does he use the little house?

Hi, Yvonne! I don't Dees him anything with seeds (just the white, meaty part of zucchini and shredded bell peppers - no seeds). I also give him a variety of collards, dandelion and hibiscus (I planted a few).
After breakfast every morning, he goes straight to his house and sleeps most of the day. He'll come out in the evening for a bit, then he goes right back to his house! Kinda cute.
Also, I soak him every day in cool or luke warm water to make sure he's hydrated (he also goes to the bathroom which is nice so his enclosure stays a bit cleaner).
I will definitely take your advice and put the water dish deeper in the ground!
Thank you so much for replying, I'm a new tort mom so, naturally, I'm overbearing, lol.

 

[Jodie]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Your enclosure is adorable. Bell peppers are not a good food. Zucchini, squash and pumpkin are ok as treats occasionally. The vines leaves and flowers from these plants are a favorite around here.

 

[Trina Couch]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Your enclosure is adorable. Bell peppers are not a good food. Zucchini, squash and pumpkin are ok as treats occasionally. The vines leaves and flowers from these plants are a favorite around here.

Okay, I will revise his diet. Thanks Jodie. Of all the variety of greens I give him, he still LOVES to roam around the backyard eating weeds, lol. Next Spring, I'm going to try and grow a variety of plants but August in Oklahoma is brutal so nothing will grow. I am growing my own wheatgrass and hope he will enjoy that .

 

[KaitlinKeefe_]

Welcome! I think its great that you work at Petsmart and have access to all of this information, maybe you can help potential tortoise owners be more prepared for caring for one then what most people believe is proper care

 

[Trina Couch]

Welcome! I think its great that you work at Petsmart and have access to all of this information, maybe you can help potential tortoise owners be more prepared for caring for one then what most people believe is proper care

Absolutely, Kaitlin! So many people have no idea how to care for a tortoise and Petsmart actually promotes aquarium style living. Very sad. I'm the petcare specialist and sneak in fresh greens for the russian tort we have now ... in a tiny 10 gal aquarium. I also give him soaks which nobody else does.
Nice to meet you!

 

[KaitlinKeefe_]

Nice to meet you too! im so glad they have someone like you to take care of them!

 

[mproko]

Seems it worked out for the animals best interest that he was returned!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi, Trina, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and lovely little Sam.
He looks great to me.
Have you read http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/ ?
And http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
is good for the foodstuffs.

 

[Trina Couch]

Hi, Trina, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and lovely little Sam.
He looks great to me.
Have you read http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/ ?
And http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
is good for the foodstuffs.

Awesome links, thank you! I did a screenshot of the food paragraph - very helpful. Don't know how long I will last at Petsmart ... retail and animals DON'T mix well, in my opinion.
I'm loving that this forum is here for me to meet fellow tort lovers and to be further educated, thanks again!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Awesome links, thank you! I did a screenshot of the food paragraph - very helpful. Don't know how long I will last at Petsmart ... retail and animals DON'T mix well, in my opinion.
I'm loving that this forum is here for me to meet fellow tort lovers and to be further educated, thanks again!

We're all still learning and I believe the forum plus experience are the best ways of doing so.
But we all love torts here and there are some super people about, too.

 

[Trina Couch]

My Mags acts like Sam's protector. She follows and watches him wherever he goes. Unlikely couple but heart-warming to watch!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

View attachment 182626 My Mags acts like Sam's protector. She follows and watches him wherever he goes. Unlikely couple but heart-warming to watch!

Please be very, very careful!!!!
We have had dozens of examples of lovely, friendly dogs who spent years in proximity to a tortoise and one day decided 'chew toy'.
The results can be horrendous.
No dog is safe unattended with a tortoise.
If they must be together don't take your eyes off them for a second.
Please.

 

[Trina Couch]

Please be very, very careful!!!!
We have had dozens of examples of lovely, friendly dogs who spent years in proximity to a tortoise and one day decided 'chew toy'.
The results can be horrendous.
No dog is safe unattended with a tortoise.
If they must be together don't take your eyes off them for a second.
Please.

NO worries, we are all together when I have Sam out on the lawn. I'm a volunteer with a local dog rescue and am very well aware of my dog's demeanor. I would never put him in a harmful situation.
I do agree though, my cute picture may advocate others to think it's perfectly fine to mix a dog with a tort which is definitely not the case. I will remove my photo (if I can figure out how, lol).
Thank you for your concern.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

NO worries, we are all together when I have Sam out on the lawn. I'm a volunteer with a local dog rescue and am very well aware of my dog's demeanor. I would never put him in a harmful situation.
I do agree though, my cute picture may advocate others to think it's perfectly fine to mix a dog with a tort which is definitely not the case. I will remove my photo.
Thank you for your concern.

Sorry, but it scares me half to death, i've seen the photos too many times of what happens. It's not demeanor, it's playfulness or curiosity, but it can end it tears before bedtime. Your dog looks lovely and so does Sam, by the way.

 

[Trina Couch]

Sorry, but it scares me half to death, i've seen the photos too many times of what happens. It's not demeanor, it's playfulness or curiosity, but it can end it tears before bedtime. Your dog looks lovely and so does Sam, by the way.

I can't figure out how to delete the darn picture, grrrrr. I know this will cause upset among the group and I do not want that. Please know, my tort is in good hands ... Promise!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I can't figure out how to delete the darn picture, grrrrr. I know this will cause upset among the group and I do not want that. Please know, my tort is in good hands ... Promise!

You can't edit or delete a post after 15 minutes and that time has gone by.
I think we've made it clear the tort is safe and that you're not one of those people who says, 'It's fine" and then two weeks later, "But i only went inside to put the kettle on".
If you really want it gone you'll have to ask a moderator to delete it.