Help (with new Russian tortoise)

[DiabloPanther]

Hi my name is Terrell I have always kept reptiles but never a tortoise so anyway had lizards and snakes but I know tortoises are completely different. So my mum's next door neighbours dog kept barking at her tortoise and she said this was unfair so I decided to take her on. She's in a crappie little plastic container to start so that will be changed but I have no clue what I'm doing can anyone give me the top ten do's and don'ts please

 

[Yvonne G]

WElcome to the Forum, Terrell. Here's a link to a good article for you to read:

Things you wish you knew before getting a tortoise

Hi guys! :) I'm new here and I don't have any tortoises (yet!). I have been doing my research for about half a year, but I want to as knowledgable as possible before bringing a tortoise into my life. Title of the thread explains it all really. What are some things that you wish you knew...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like a Russian tortoise. If it were my tortoise I would not use the artificial turf nor the pellets. My substrate of choice is small particle fir bark. He'll need a bigger enclosure and a hiding place. I like to use plant saucers for food and water instead of those made-for-reptiles bowls.

 

[Diane771]

Hi my name is Terrell I have always kept reptiles but never a tortoise so anyway had lizards and snakes but I know tortoises are completely different. So my mum's next door neighbours dog kept barking at her tortoise and she said this was unfair so I decided to take her on. She's in a crappie little plastic container to start so that will be changed but I have no clue what I'm doing can anyone give me the top ten do's and don'ts please

I got a 20-gallon fish tank with a mesh top. I put Sally in that and she loves it. I put it in front of a mirror and I think she thinks she is not alone. I turn the heat lights on when she is there, but she spends a lot of time out of it too

 

[Krista S]

Hi my name is Terrell I have always kept reptiles but never a tortoise so anyway had lizards and snakes but I know tortoises are completely different. So my mum's next door neighbours dog kept barking at her tortoise and she said this was unfair so I decided to take her on. She's in a crappie little plastic container to start so that will be changed but I have no clue what I'm doing can anyone give me the top ten do's and don'ts please

Welcome to the forum! Although the tortoise may seem small, your tortoise actually requires a lot of space. The minimum enclosure size is 4ft x 8ft. In the wild they wander a lot to aid their digestion, keep nails trim and all sorts of things. It’s important that she get a much larger enclosure very soon. She also requires a heat source and UV. Here is an excellent care sheet that was created by one of our members based on his many years of experience.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Maggie3fan]

The rabbit pellets roll when walked on, that gives a surface that provides no grip for their feet and 'can' cause "splay-leg"...I use astro turf for a box turtle just the way it is for that Russian, but instead of the pellets use fine grade orchid bark. Russians need more exercise then they would get in that container. Walking helps aid in digestion....