To start off this tortoise isn't mine but is my brother's. I am a teenager without a job and he is unwilling to help me try to upgrade the enclosure. Is there anything I can do to make her happy while I save up to build her a better enclosure
How can I make my tortoise happier
- Thread starter Josie16
- Start date
Are you able to post a pic of your current enclosure? My tort LOVES to climb on and over stuff. Maybe some ramps?
how big the space, and how old is the tortoise?
Yes, I just attached a photo do you have any recommendations for ramps?
Attachments
We need a bunch more info.
Species of tortoise?
Age/how big, measure bottom shell?
Lighting you are using? Day light? Uvb? Night heat?
Temps, basking? All over? Cool end? Night?
Humidity?
Diet?
Water dish you are using?
How often do you soak it?
Does it have an outdoor enclosure?
Species of tortoise?
Age/how big, measure bottom shell?
Lighting you are using? Day light? Uvb? Night heat?
Temps, basking? All over? Cool end? Night?
Humidity?
Diet?
Water dish you are using?
How often do you soak it?
Does it have an outdoor enclosure?
Hi Josie, I'm looking at your other posts from last year and unfortunately the information isn't going to be any different than what you were told before. At 16/17years old its going to be hard for you, in your situation, to fix all the things that are wrong here, if your older brother and/or your parents won't help you. the fact is, that space is much too small for an adult Russian tortoise. I know you said she can go outside in the summer, but there's still a lot involved in caring for a tortoise properly. Its a lot of effort and it might make sense for you to see if you can find a home for it where someone will be able to own her and care for her properly for years, since it sounds like its not getting the care it needs now, and you will probably go off yourself in a year or so.
@wellington, any suggestions for rescue options in your neck of the woods?
Its good of you to try to want to to help her, but again, based on what was provided last fall, there's no magic wand that can fix the bigger issues here. She needs bigger space and better space and if you can't get your brother or parents to help with that, there is not much you'll be able to do.
@wellington, any suggestions for rescue options in your neck of the woods?
Its good of you to try to want to to help her, but again, based on what was provided last fall, there's no magic wand that can fix the bigger issues here. She needs bigger space and better space and if you can't get your brother or parents to help with that, there is not much you'll be able to do.
I added a picture of the tank, the tortoise is around 5 I believe
I don't have any personal knowledge of any of the rescues but if you Google reptile rescues in Illinois you will find some.
I think SinLA gave the best advice, specially if this has been going on over a year give or take that she has been kept in not great conditions.
I think SinLA gave the best advice, specially if this has been going on over a year give or take that she has been kept in not great conditions.
Yes see my post above this one. There’s not really a “fix” here. I don’t think a ramp will help, and she may flip over. Plain and simple she needs more space and better care. I know you want to do right by her, but she may need more help than you can provide
I've discussed with my parents before and they don't believe that she requires a bigger space so I'm going to write an essay about why we either need to re-home her or upgrade the space, do you have any helpful website recommendations I can use as sources. I've been pushing for her to be re-homed for a while but they won't allow it. If you have any helpful sources please let me know sadly my brother didn't do the proper research when he got the tortoise so I'm left to do the convincing
This may seem like a silly question but would a 50 gallon Rubbermaid container be better than the tank she's currently in until I can convince my parents to either re-home or allow me to build a bigger enclosure
Not really. A 50 gal. Is what we use for a hatchling. This poor tortoise needs at least a 4x8. If she has a big outdoor enclosure then she might be able to go out soon. On the warmer days, put her out and bring her back in for the nights or when too cold.
Then you can work on something bigger or finding her a home.
Do you have any source recommendation for finding a plan to build a 4x8 I've been trying to find one to calculate costs to save up and show my parents but haven't been able to find anything
Plywood comes in 4x8 sheets.
A less expensive way is to buy a pop up green house. Like the one in pic. Buy a tarp for the floor and tape the tarp to the outside of the green house. Lights and heat can be hung from frame. The greenhouse is 40 on up.depending the size and where purchased. Try to get a 4x8 or 3x6 at the minimum. I think they come 3 wide by however long.
A less expensive way is to buy a pop up green house. Like the one in pic. Buy a tarp for the floor and tape the tarp to the outside of the green house. Lights and heat can be hung from frame. The greenhouse is 40 on up.depending the size and where purchased. Try to get a 4x8 or 3x6 at the minimum. I think they come 3 wide by however long.
Print out this for them:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
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That looks like the Aivituvin "Large Turtle Habitat" which is a definite misnomer as it is definitely not "Large".
https://aivituvin.com/products/wooden-tortoise-house-large-tortoise-habitat-air21
It's pretty well built, but at 2 feet by 3 feet, it's maybe just barely big enough for a hatchling tortoise. It's not even remotely close to big enough for a 5-year-old Russian tortoise.
The 4-year-old Hermann's tortoise that I recently acquired came with one of those Aivituvin boxes and I plan to make use of it since the windowed sides and waterproof base are nice, but it's going to become part of a 2 foot by 13 foot box with multiple hides and ramps to a "second floor" area to increase the total floor space. And even then, it will still probably be too small for a 4- or 5-year-old Hermann's or Russian tortoise, but it's all of the space that I have available and it will be much better than 2'x3'...
As others have said, if you want the tortoise to be happy, you need to give it a LOT more room to wander around!
That's exactly the tank she has, do you think if I bought another one and screwed it together it would be better? Or should I get a whole new tank
Yes here at TFO for sources. That's what I recommend.
Here is the care sheet for Russians, in case you haven't already seen it: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/ . I'm going to highlight the following paragraph to show your parents:
Enclosure Size:
Simply put: The bigger the better. I start babies in a 30x48 inch closed chamber. As a minimum, I would suggest no smaller than 36"x18" for a tiny hatchling, but you'll need to upgrade quickly. They need room to roam around. Once you put in the food and water bowls, the humid hide, and any decorations or potted plants, there is hardly any room left over to walk. Tortoises do not tend to do as well as some other types of reptiles when stuffed into small enclosures. They need room to roam inside their safe heated enclosures, and the floor is not a safe option. Don't think that you'll use a smaller enclosure, and just let Sheldon out to roam the floor for some exercise. This almost always ends in disaster. Its bad for your tortoise and impaction, sickness, injury, or death is the usual result. "But, but, but... I make it safe and supervise closely..." says every person until the day that disaster eventually strikes and they realize they were wrong. Its a terrible sickening feeling to hold a dead tortoise in your hand. Don't put yourself through this. Make a large enclosure. Don't have room for a large enclosure? Get a different pet that can live in a smaller enclosure that you have room for. Tortoises aren't good pets for everyone. They need huge enclosure compared to other similarly sized reptiles. I recommend a minimum of 36x18 inches for tiny hatchlings, and 4x8 feet for adult Testudo and similarly sized tortoises. More for a large marginated or desert tortoise.
Hopefully that will help convince them that you need a larger enclosure size. Good luck!!!
Enclosure Size:
Simply put: The bigger the better. I start babies in a 30x48 inch closed chamber. As a minimum, I would suggest no smaller than 36"x18" for a tiny hatchling, but you'll need to upgrade quickly. They need room to roam around. Once you put in the food and water bowls, the humid hide, and any decorations or potted plants, there is hardly any room left over to walk. Tortoises do not tend to do as well as some other types of reptiles when stuffed into small enclosures. They need room to roam inside their safe heated enclosures, and the floor is not a safe option. Don't think that you'll use a smaller enclosure, and just let Sheldon out to roam the floor for some exercise. This almost always ends in disaster. Its bad for your tortoise and impaction, sickness, injury, or death is the usual result. "But, but, but... I make it safe and supervise closely..." says every person until the day that disaster eventually strikes and they realize they were wrong. Its a terrible sickening feeling to hold a dead tortoise in your hand. Don't put yourself through this. Make a large enclosure. Don't have room for a large enclosure? Get a different pet that can live in a smaller enclosure that you have room for. Tortoises aren't good pets for everyone. They need huge enclosure compared to other similarly sized reptiles. I recommend a minimum of 36x18 inches for tiny hatchlings, and 4x8 feet for adult Testudo and similarly sized tortoises. More for a large marginated or desert tortoise.
Hopefully that will help convince them that you need a larger enclosure size. Good luck!!!
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