Humidity for Russians

[abra]

I was wondering how much humidity Russians should have. I can't find the exact numbers for some reason. Do they pyramid? Do all breeds of torts pyramid without proper care? I went to Petco a few days ago (one of my favorite things to do, it's like a free zoo haha) and I saw some Russians that look pyramided but I wasn't sure if Russians even pyramided.

I'm going to Walmart to see if I can find plants to plant in his enclosure to help with humidity, what else can I do that's relatively cheap? Thanks, I just want my baby to be a happy as possible

 

[zzzdanz]

Hey Abra, Home Depot has a ton of plants all on clearence..they where around $2-$4 each.

 

[abra]

Hey Abra, Home Depot has a ton of plants all on clearence..they where around $2-$4 each.

Thanks! I'll check Plus Home Depot and Walmart are right next to each other here, and Petco's close too so I can get him some Cuttlebone too!

 

[jeffbens0n]

They can pyramid, they do not seem to be one of the species that is prone to it however. Also, pyramiding typically happens at a young age, and since alot of russians are WC, they are caught as adults, or young adults. In the wild they spend alot more time in burrows as hatchlings where humidity is high, hence why not many WC's are pyramided.

 

[abra]

They can pyramid, they do not seem to be one of the species that is prone to it however. Also, pyramiding typically happens at a young age, and since alot of russians are WC, they are caught as adults, or young adults. In the wild they spend alot more time in burrows as hatchlings where humidity is high, hence why not many WC's are pyramided.

That's what I thought but I wasn't sure. Yeah, at Petco they looked more lumpyish that pyramided like I see on other torts.

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Does anyone like the exact percentage range?

 

[Laura]

cuttelbone is probably cheaper at walmart!

 

[abra]

cuttelbone is probably cheaper at walmart!

You can buy cuttlebone there? Cool

 

[abra]

All I got was Cuttle Bone and a spray bottle which came to about two dollars There were no seeds or plants I could find but some TFO members are sending me seeds. I am also going to look for some seeds from last summer in my garage So hopefully he'll get some nice humidity!

 

[MichelleCarrigan78]

I can never find cuttlebone at my Walmart.

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Oh and I put a plant in my russians enclosure and within a week or so he totally demolished it. So definately dont spend a lot

 

[jeffbens0n]

Be careful with potted plants bought from walmart or lowes as they are likely sprayed with some type of pesticides at some point.

 

[-ryan-]

Russians don't need a lot of humidity, but the average household humidity is too dry for any tortoise, which is why I restrict some of the air flow through the top of the enclosure and keep them primarily on deep layers of dirt. This also allows them to burrow.

My hatchlings all burrow in very moist substrate and spend the majority of their time underground for the first couple of months, and I think this has a lot to do with how smooth my tortoises tend to come out. Russians can pyramid, but since they are generally built lower to the ground, it is less apparent if you aren't looking for it.

I can't get my russians to eat their cuttlebone, except for every once in a blue moon a gravid female will pick away at it. Most of the time they just seem to bury it in their dirt, and I don't find it until I go through and turn all the hundreds of pounds of dirt. I think they are messing with me!

 

[abra]

Okay thankyou Even if he doesn't eat the Cuttle Bone, it's okay, it only cost me one dollar haha

 

[tortoisenerd]

It seems rare for Russians to pyramid. In my limited experience (ie. the forum), the pyramided Russians seem to be cases of very poor diet (dog food for example...high calorie & protein). The wild caught Russians are close to or at final size due to the 4 inch rule. A tort can have some lumpiness without being pyramided, you may have not seen another tort breed that looked like a Russian, or yes they could have been pyramided. I would never get plants from a nursery or home improvement store unless I had then sit out for at least 6 months before letting my tort come into contact with it...they don't make those for eating, but to look pretty (ie. even more pesticides). If you wanted fresh plants now, see if you can find organic, or grow them from seeds. But, I don't use any humidity with my Russian. He lives on aspen indoors. Out house is probably slightly more humid than average though because we live in a damp climate and don't use much heat (and don't have a/c). If you were still worried about pyramiding, a moist substrate is the best thing you can do...just make sure you don't add moisture without adding heat. If you had dry substrate but added plants, that would do very little. By the way, I love fake plants for hides for my Russian (and a pile of timothy hay). I get them from Michael's, and after the initial investigation and maybe a test bite (not actually biting anything off), he doesn't try to eat it or anything. My tort as well ignores his cuttlebone. I do supplement calcium though.

 

[-ryan-]

tortoisenerd,

You're on the right track, but pyramiding generally has a lot to do with humidity and surprisingly little to do with diet. Specifically the humidity and general care the tortoise receives in the first few months of its life often determine how smooth the tortoise will grow. Imported Russians are, at 4", not yet fully grown. The males still have the potential to put on another inch or so, and females can grow double the length and more than four times the weight. However, you're right that at that point it is unlikely for the tortoise to experience any noticeable pyramiding, partially because the tortoise's growth has started well (in the wild) and also because at that stage in the tortoise's life it grows much much slower than younger tortoises.

I have seen pictures of russians with pyramiding, and even what I would consider fairly extreme pyramiding, but fortunately it is the exception, rather than the rule.

If you keep your Russian on some sort of soil substrate that is kept damp (just like dirt in the ground), it will naturally raise the humidity within the enclosure as the water evaporates out of the soil, and it will allow the tortoise to dig into the moist soil and utilize the humid microclimate as they would in the wilderness. These tortoises naturally spend a large amount of time under debris and dug into the ground.

BTW, tortoisenerd, what part of Washington are you from?

 

[abra]

Thanks guys for all the information

 

[Laura]

Cuttlebone is in the bird dept. you can sometimes find it at Feed stores in bulk for cheaper or even flea markets.
my Russian has a bumpy shell.. he was found crossing a street years ago.. so i dont know what his care was.
There might be a pic of him on Facebook.. since I cant post things here easily..

 

[abra]

At walmart it's $.98 with tax

 

[tortoises101]

tortoisenerd,

You're on the right track, but pyramiding generally has a lot to do with humidity and surprisingly little to do with diet. Specifically the humidity and general care the tortoise receives in the first few months of its life often determine how smooth the tortoise will grow. Imported Russians are, at 4", not yet fully grown. The males still have the potential to put on another inch or so, and females can grow double the length and more than four times the weight. However, you're right that at that point it is unlikely for the tortoise to experience any noticeable pyramiding, partially because the tortoise's growth has started well (in the wild) and also because at that stage in the tortoise's life it grows much much slower than younger tortoises.

I have seen pictures of russians with pyramiding, and even what I would consider fairly extreme pyramiding, but fortunately it is the exception, rather than the rule.

If you keep your Russian on some sort of soil substrate that is kept damp (just like dirt in the ground), it will naturally raise the humidity within the enclosure as the water evaporates out of the soil, and it will allow the tortoise to dig into the moist soil and utilize the humid microclimate as they would in the wilderness. These tortoises naturally spend a large amount of time under debris and dug into the ground.

BTW, tortoisenerd, what part of Washington are you from?

Ryan has it right. Russian torts in the wild are found in deep burrows, which is less arid than on the ground. The process of evapouration in their burrows helps increase the humidity, which prevents pyramiding.

 

[mousenut]

Ryan has it right. Russian torts in the wild are found in deep burrows, which is less arid than on the ground. The process of evapouration in their burrows helps increase the humidity, which prevents pyramiding.

Do wild humidity fluctuations matter as long as they don't get too low?

What is too low exactly?