help! (need care info on new tortoise)

[lollypop2210]

I recently bought my very first horsefield tortoise, stupidly without doing any research first, and now I really really want to get it right as he's such a little personality and the thought of doing something wrong and making him ill or worse is really awful. Please can anyone give me some top tips for this breed? I regrettably bought him from a pet shop which I've now heard wasn't the best idea. I just want to know when is best to let him outside/ how often to handle him/ how to safely bath him etc... I've been doing my best and he seems to be fine... burrowing, eating well, drinking... He even seems quite happy when I hold/ handle him which im trying to do most days too. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Ps attached a picture of my gorgeous boy after his first bath last night.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

We have an excellent care sheet for russian tortoises pinned at the top of our Russian section here on the Forum.

 

[Jodie]

Welcome to the forum. The care guides will answer your questions and probably give you a bunch more to ask.

 

[lollypop2210]

Thank you! Will take a look. Think just having somewhere to discuss any problems as well will do good in itself.

 

[lollypop2210]

Just a quick question... the heat lamp i was given by the pet shop was really bad. It started burning the original dry substrate I had in his enclosure at first and it even started smoking at one point!! For obvious reasons I dont really want to leave it on when I am out of the house or asleep etc.... ive ordered a new basking lamp and stand which should arrive in the next day or so and I've changed the substrate to topsoil now so that it can't burn but im worried that he will get too cold tonight when I have to turn the basking light off. I would say that his enclosure won't drop any less than 70 f will this be okay for him just for tonight and tomorrow day until the new lamp comes tomorrow? Also the lady told me to leave the basking lamp on 24/7 whilst it is cold in the winter but ive seen people mention on here that this is not good. What are thebest ways to heat my tank appropriately at night? Thank you!!

 

[Jodie]

I would leave the light on tonight. That's too cold. Get a ceramic heat emitter and hook it up to a thermostat for ambient temp and night heat. Lights should be out at night normally.

 

[tglazie]

Leaving the basking lamp on 24/7 is truly awful advice. Torts require a day night cycle. What's more, if you leave it on 24/7, your tort may just decide to sit under it for eighteen, twenty hours straight. This will result in dehydration and a drying and sloughing of the skin, possibly even burns. For night time heating applications, you can use radiant heat panels, ceramic infrared dull emitters, space heaters (for larger installations), or simple colored bulbs that they sell at stores for just said purpose. I'm surprised they didn't try to sell one of those to you. Well, I'm not really surprised, but they should have tried to sell you the whole package.

In my tortoise room, I use a space heater to maintain background heat, but as you have one tortoise, one of these options I've previously listed will work just fine.

T.G.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Welcome! What a cute little Russian you have there!

 

[tglazie]

Also, you say the lamp is burning the substrate. How far from the substrate was the lamp suspended? And you said the lamp was starting to smoke? Did you pay for this lamp? I mean, if I paid for something like this, I would take it back and demand a refund, then demand to be shown something better. Pet stores should have these things in regular supply, and since you made an impulse purchase, seeking these out locally would be preferable to having something shipped to you. If such local options are lacking, then I understand the shipping, but otherwise, treating this as an emergency, I must question why a local solution wasn't pursued.

T.G.

 

[lollypop2210]

Hi guys,

thanks for the advice.

The light I was supplied by the pet store was one that was thrown in to a 'starter kit' sort of set up which I've found out is basically all a load of cr*p. I've had to buy most things new I.e. new substrate etc...

The reason I've tried to ship the basking lamp instead is because I live quite far out from any sort of supplier. I had to travel an hour there and back just to purchase him in the first place and with work I wouldn't be able to do this again until weekend so it would actually be quicker for me to get this shipped. (I have paid for next day delivery as well to avoid even more delay)

I will be returning it to the pet shop but as I said I cannot do this until weekend as I live too far away.

I just feel like all the advice I was given was simply to get me to agree there and then. They made it sound very easy. Although I completely agree it is my fault for not doing my research beforehand!! Which is why I am here to try and get things right.

The lamp is definitely too low in the enclosure. I think they have given me one that is too big as it hangs quite close to the floor but it isn't adjustable either. I've tried to string it up so it isn't as close but its just impossible at the moment until the new adjustable one gets here.

In terms of the dark bulb you mentioned do you mean something like this?? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reptile-Viv...53499&sr=8-1&keywords=Night+time+reptile+lamp

I'm completely committed to getting this right. I know now I was stupid for not reading up first but I really do appreciate the advice and support. Just want to make my little guy as happy as possible.

I have a lot of other things on the way as well which are to be delivered today and tomorrow i.e. Slate, Cuttlefish etc.. but its just this horrible waiting period until they get here!

Thanks guys x

 

[lollypop2210]

ps. does anyone think it would be a good idea to perhaps take him to a reputable reptile vet to get a once over as I've heard a lot of pet shop tortoises can come with illnesses already? Or will this be too traumatic for him just yet?

I can't even explain how much I am panicking about all of this.

I have a heat mat that I used to use for my Gecko which is in good working order. Would this be handy just until the new deliveries come? I know people have said they aren't great because they can burrow down onto them but what are your thoughts on using it just to keep the temp up for now??

Thanks

 

[HotdogKnight]

I noticed a Greene King menu in your photo - where abouts in the UK are you?

I also have a year old (roughly) Russian that i've had a few weeks now so I'll gladly help you out. Our weather in England is rubbish right now but if your house has heating then don't worry about night temps - Russians can handle low heat when they're asleep. I use an Arcadia 100W basking lamp and have it 30-40cm from my table, which store did you get him from, also are you using a table or a viv? Tables are harder to get humidity/temps correct but it's not impossible as that's what I'm doing.

What substrate are you using?
If you bought a plastic water/food bowl, replace it with a terracotta saucer (less hazardous)
What are you feeding your tort at the moment?

 

[Jodie]

Russians can handle lower temps. As adults they only need humidity at around 30 percent. When they're young it is recommended to keep their humidity up. High humidity and temps much under 80 F will result in a sick tortoise.

 

[lollypop2210]

Im in the high peak in farmer country! Haha. Yes weather is awful at the moment. My house is always rather warm anyway as I always have my heating on as I'm always cold!

Im using a viv at the minute. Are the tables better?

In terms of food ive been feeding him 5/6 times a week but splitting the portions between morning and evening if that makes sense? Ive been feeding him leafy salad things such as lettuce/rocket etc... he seems to love green beans too so ive put a couple of chopped up pieces of them in and then every other day ive been giving him a little fruit such as a little bit of strawberry etc...

Yes, I thought it wouldn't be good to make it too humid whist its a bit coolertill my new equipment comes so so I've been holding off spraying the substrate with my water spray bottle till he new stuff arrives.

I'm currently using topsoil as my substrate. I ordered this from a reptile supplier and it contains calcium too asthey told me they sometimes eat little bits of tthe substrate.

Also... the woman at the pet store told me when bathing him to fill the box deep so he can swim. Ive seen some people mention soaking them in shallow warm water. What is best?

Thanks!

 

[HotdogKnight]

Ha, it's all farmers in the UK! I'm near Bristol originally!

If he's young then a viv is probably better to maintain humidity - I'm using a table with a cover which basically acts as the same thing.

I feed mine whenever his slate is empty/the leaves wilt, they're grazing animals so it's good to always have a little something nearby. I also plant clover/dandelion seeds in his coco coir as he likes to eat the sprouts.

The rocket salad is good especially as we have few weeds here this time of year, although I'd narrow down the fruit as it can get addictive and is more sugar than nutrients to them.

Top soil is good, when you decide to sort it all out properly give it a good soak and then top it up with a spray, that way it stays humid underneath but the top will dry out quicker under a lamp.

Ignore what she told you! Tortoises do not swim well, if you ever see them 'swim' it's normally a panic mode trying to get to dry land - they are NOT turtles. I soak mine in a cm of water, as much as comes up to the edge of their shell basically, you have to measure it yourself. Also keep an on the water because that little amount goes cold quite quickly

 

[lollypop2210]

Thank you thays really helpful!

I was told not to feed them everyday/only to feed him what he can eat in half an hour 5/6 times a week but i might just do as you suggested and keep a little bit near by unless it wilts.

Yeah I really panicked when I put him in the water as he didn't look like he enjoyed it at all so I've not done a full one since.

Literally everything I was told was utter rubbish!! So glad ive found you all!

 

[HotdogKnight]

I think feeding can vary really, if he seems fine on what you give him then you'll probably save more leaves than me!

When I got Vince the lady told me so much information which conflicted with what I read on here, I basically go by what I've learnt from people on this site who have bred and kept tortoises for their whole lives, the longer you're on here the more you'll learn there is also a Russian tortoise section towards the bottom of the home page (Under Mediterranean) which will have lots of specific info for you. Every question you ever have will have been answered here at least once!

 

[HotdogKnight]

Also is it strange I figured you were from the UK because your tort looks JUST like mine!

I think in some parts of America they can't buy anything smaller than 3 inches unless you know a specific breeder.

 

[lollypop2210]

Yeah, I'll definitely be using the info I've seen on here!! Much more reliable than the store it would seem!

Oh wow they do look very similar!! whats his name?

 

[lollypop2210]

Yeah, I'll definitely be using the info I've seen on here!! Much more reliable than the store it would seem!

Oh wow they do look very similar!! whats his name?