Help!! (doesn't like to soak)

[vlad21]

I am brand new to this website, so first off, hello all!
I just recently adopted a Russian Tortoise. I am guessing she isn't very old because she's pretty small (if anyone could help me determine her age, that would also be appreciated!) Anyhow, I tried to soak her the other night in warm water and she absolutely HATES IT!! She kept struggling and climbing until I took her out. She also cannot go completely into her shell when she gets scared and tries to. I was thinking maybe she's too young and her shell isn't big enough yet? I'm just not sure. Are these things normal?!
Thank you for your time!

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

1. Don't worry about the activity in the soak water. The exercise is good for them and they all settle down and desensitize. You can try to use warmer or cooler water, or soak at different times of the day to see if it help. Me? I plop them in the warm water when its convenient for me, at anytime of the day, and every single one of the hundreds I have raised, settles down, gets used to it, and stays healthy and hydrated.
2. The only way to know a tortoises age is to know the hatch date. We cannot tell by looking or growth rings or anything else.
3. I don't think any tortoise can get all the way closed up in their shell. Maybe hingebacks? That is more of a turtle thing.

 

[vlad21]

Thank you so much for that! I will soak her later on and let her play around in there a little longer then I did before. I took her out pretty soon last time, just because it bothered me to see her struggle like that and I wasn't sure if it was normal.. And I didn't know that tortoises weren't supposed to be able to go completely into their shell, so that helps me a lot as well.

 

[Tom]

Thank you so much for that! I will soak her later on and let her play around in there a little longer then I did before. I took her out pretty soon last time, just because it bothered me to see her struggle like that and I wasn't sure if it was normal.. And I didn't know that tortoises weren't supposed to be able to go completely into their shell, so that helps me a lot as well.

Post a pic of the enclosure and your tortoise for more specific tips. We love to talk tortoises!

Here is some russian info that might help:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[sibi]

Hi and welcome! Do you have a temp gun? Maybe, the water was either too warm or too cool. A temp gun will get tell you if the water is just right for soaks. Remember, if the place you're soaking your tort is cold, the water will cool off pretty fast. You'll need to keep taking water out and adding warmer water to keep the temps just right (about 85-90 degrees). Tom will give you specific details about anything you'll need to know.

Just a kindly reminder about dogs in particular and your tort--- they should never be alone together...not even for a second. No matter how harmless you think a dog is, they will hurt or even kill your tort if given a moment together without supervision. Enjoy many, many years with your tort

 

[Yvonne G]

I may just be overthinking this, but since it seems to be that most Russians don't like to be put into a tub of water, maybe it's because over the eons they've not been conditioned to sitting in a puddle of water. Maybe there's isn't a lot of rainfall where they come from. At any rate, it's not harmful, and once they get used to it they stop struggling so much.

 

[vlad21]

I have had her for about a week and I've only seen her sit in her water bowl one time. Otherwise, she doesn't really have much interest in water at all. I will need to get one of those for the temperature, because now that you've said that I think the water may have been too cold. I thought it was warm, but I suppose she's used to much warmer climates! Anyways, I will try again. Thanks to you all for the advice!

 

[Pokeymeg]

My Hermann would always struggle to escape during bath time until someone mentioned to me to bathe him in the morning. If you give your tortoise a bath in the morning before he's all warmed up and active, he's more likely to sit and actually soak.

 

[W Shaw]

My rescued Russian HATED baths. He'd be totally traumatized and hide afterward. Tom told me to get him a bathtub that was totally opaque, and tall enough that he can't see over it, or almost see over it. I also realized that my apartment is a lot colder than his enclosure. So I now have a really tall dishpan for him, and I set up a heat lamp over his bath. Now he sits in his bath quietly, drinks, blows bubbles. Totally fine until he poops, whereupon he gets frantic to get out (who wouldn't?). So now I have 2 baths for him. When he poops in it, I fill another warm clean bath, and move him to it, and he stays in that one while I wash and refill the first one. He's good for 3 or four poops most nights.

 

[W Shaw]

My Hermann would always struggle to escape during bath time until someone mentioned to me to bathe him in the morning. If you give your tortoise a bath in the morning before he's all warmed up and active, he's more likely to sit and actually soak.

There's definitely something to that. When Ronan's a little cool. he seems to appreciate the warmth from the bath. Reading above though, I think I'm soaking him too warm. 85-90 would feel cold against human skin. I've been making it like... bath temperature. Like I'd bathe a baby mammal in.

 

[vlad21]

Hi and welcome! Do you have a temp gun? Maybe, the water was either too warm or too cool. A temp gun will get tell you if the water is just right for soaks. Remember, if the place you're soaking your tort is cold, the water will cool off pretty fast. You'll need to keep taking water out and adding warmer water to keep the temps just right (about 85-90 degrees). Tom will give you specific details about anything you'll need to know.

Just a kindly reminder about dogs in particular and your tort--- they should never be alone together...not even for a second. No matter how harmless you think a dog is, they will hurt or even kill your tort if given a moment together without supervision. Enjoy many, many years with your tort

You were right. I made her water much warmer this time and she was totally into it. Then she pooped and was ready to get out. Thanks for the help

 

[Oxalis]

I have been soaking my Russian rather regularly for a few years now and he still hates it! Occasionally he's calmer and kind of plays in the water, but usually he is frantic and dislikes it. I just thought he hates the water, but it's funny seeing him run through his terra cotta water dish (in his enclosure) and not even realize it.