Help!! New tortoise owners?

MichaelL

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I actually think he is about 10 years old. In the wild, they grow way slower than captivity and grow approximately one line/growth ring per year, and usually these wild caught tortoises have about 10 growth lines,, therefore allowing a guestimate of ten years.
 

loki.the.tort

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I actually think he is about 10 years old. In the wild, they grow way slower than captivity and grow approximately one line/growth ring per year, and usually these wild caught tortoises have about 10 growth lines,, therefore allowing a guestimate of ten years.
oh I didn't know it was wild caught
 

jeneliza

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I actually think he is about 10 years old. In the wild, they grow way slower than captivity and grow approximately one line/growth ring per year, and usually these wild caught tortoises have about 10 growth lines,, therefore allowing a guestimate of ten years.
Wow, I didn't know this , about the difference, thanks for sharing this
 

jeneliza

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oh I didn't know it was wild caught
I got mine there too, I didn't know either, the employees don't either, there told they come from a large breeder supplier, which they do, how ever this supplier buys from a larger supplier, who buys from the people who take them, what is really sad is how much shipping and trading these guys go through before being homed, but ,a bright note he's safe now and has a permanent place to live, now, he's no longer being handled and now can live a good life
 

MichaelL

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I got mine there too, I didn't know either, the employees don't either, there told they come from a large breeder supplier, which they do, how ever this supplier buys from a larger supplier, who buys from the people who take them, what is really sad is how much shipping and trading these guys go through before being homed, but ,a bright note he's safe now and has a permanent place to live, now, he's no longer being handled and now can live a good life
Once he's adjusted and into the daily routine of eating, basking, etc. you can handle him. We just don't want people handling them excessively, stressing them out and holding them for a very long time, "playing with them," etc. while the tortoise is actually not having any fun as it doesn't feel safe/secure at all.
 

Maggie3fan

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I actually think he is about 10 years old. In the wild, they grow way slower than captivity and grow approximately one line/growth ring per year, and usually these wild caught tortoises have about 10 growth lines,, therefore allowing a guestimate of ten years.
hey...no disrespect meant...but a statement...I was always taught that you couldn't tell a tortoise's age by growth rings like trees...and now all the sudden you can? Here's a pix with new growth lines...how old is this tortoise? You need a better close-up? He's a rescue from the streets of downtown Portland...010.JPG011.JPG015.JPG007.JPG
 

jeneliza

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Once he's adjusted and into the daily routine of eating, basking, etc. you can handle him. We just don't want people handling them excessively, stressing them out and holding them for a very long time, "playing with them," etc. while the tortoise is actually not having any fun as it doesn't feel safe/secure at all.
It's been a long time, from when I got mine there, it's been 9 1/2 , years, but she's a redfoot, they no longer sell this breed, but she was always different, she was always super noise and social, still is, this why I chose her, mine loved being out and social, but she's always been different
 

jeneliza

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Once he's adjusted and into the daily routine of eating, basking, etc. you can handle him. We just don't want people handling them excessively, stressing them out and holding them for a very long time, "playing with them," etc. while the tortoise is actually not having any fun as it doesn't feel safe/secure at all.
Should have, stated that better, I was actually meaning shipping and handling, my bad, sorry, but its a good thing to point out that they need time to adjust, because the store's say to touch them and play with them to bond with them, right away,
 

BowzerMom0424

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Don't, please don't use there care sheets, there not complete, and so information is very wrong, and most employees don't know know much about the care, and one other note YOU do need a big encloser, there's if you bought it there are way to small for your little dude for long, and most don't know how to sex them so don't go by that either
Thank you!! My husband is going to built a bigger encloser eventually. He is 4 1/2 inches and the current one is 3 feet by 18 inches.
 

BowzerMom0424

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Should have, stated that better, I was actually meaning shipping and handling, my bad, sorry, but its a good thing to point out that they need time to adjust, because the store's say to touch them and play with them to bond with them, right away,
They told her not to handle so we have not much at all thank you.
 

BowzerMom0424

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Thank you so much, reading over everything have remove the lights for now until I can read what they are and replaced the water. My husband will be building a bigger enclosure when he's a little bit bigger.
 

BowzerMom0424

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Ok, here we go!
I agree that it's a he, and an adult Russian. That also means that he is wild caught. All those scuffs and dings are from his previous life in the wild. This is just FYI...doesn't make any difference in his care.

This is a link to our care sheet for Russians. It will answer most of your questions, especially re' heat and lights.

The tank he is in is much too small. Torts need a large amount of space. They have to walk a lot in order to digest their food. As Tom says in the care sheet, he needs a minimum enclosure size of 8ft x 4ft. And instead of a glass tank, he can live in a "tortoise table" that you would build. Lots of keepers get hold of a bookcase, remove the shelves, and line it with plastic, maybe an old shower curtain. Fill it with substrate and his "furniture" and you're good to go! Just make sure the sides can't be climbed...Russians are the Houdinis of tortdom!

His water dish is pretty, but not safe or convenient for him. Tort bodies don't bend in the middle, so those steep sides make it easy to flip onto his back. This can spell death to him, especially if he is in his water dish. Much better is a terra cotta flower pot saucer, big enough for him to lay in. Push it down into the substrate so it's flush with the substrate...easy to walk straight into and out of.

Take him outside as much as you want! In fact, he could live outside most of the year where you live if he had a large predator and escape proof enclosure. Just make sure he has shade available. They can overheat in our desert sun.

Inside, in the daytime, he needs a basking area around 100 deg. If he goes outside for an hour or two 3-4 times a week, he does not need any UV light. At night, he does not need heat if your house is at least in the 60's, and he has his basking light in the morning. At night, it should be dark. He doesn't want a nightlight. :D

Read over the care sheet, then come back with questions!
Thank you so much for writing this! Feeling overwhelmed at the moment. We have replaced the water and removed the lights for now until I can read the boxes more carefully.
 

MichaelL

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hey...no disrespect meant...but a statement...I was always taught that you couldn't tell a tortoise's age by growth rings like trees...and now all the sudden you can? Here's a pix with new growth lines...how old is this tortoise? You need a better close-up? He's a rescue from the streets of downtown Portland...View attachment 289779View attachment 289780View attachment 289781View attachment 289782
I have no idea for any other tortoise species, it definitely wouldn't work and for captive bred it probably wouldn't work either. I just use it for wild caught russians. I was never sure if you could count them on a russian. However, after seeing that mine would only grow one line every year, (living more like a wild caught- brumating for several months, diet of weeds and flowers) and after seeing that yvonne also would usually reply to threads about people asking how old their wild caught russian is, saying they're around 10 years old, I put two and two together that for wild caught russians you can use the rings for just a very rough age. It's definitely not a definite, certain age and i'm sure occasionally they don't grow exactly one each year. @Yvonne G can you use the rings for wild caught russians?
 

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