I’m worried my tort is miserable and I cannot figure out why.

[wemakegreatpets]

i adopted Delilah from an adoption shelter about a month ago. She’s a full grown Russian, not sure of age, but about 9”.

She was kept in a 40 gallon tank—with another tort! For many years with her previous owner.WITH ANOTHER (male) TORTOISE!

I have her in an 8’ by 4’ enclosure. Heat/UVB lamp, hides, nice deep substrate of topsoil and cypress mulch. The past week she’s been using 80% of her day—whenever she’s not eating—to try to escape! She digs against the sides and even stands up and tries to get out.

I’m so confused. She has a space that’s 10x bigger than her previous enclosure and is alone. This enclosure doesn’t have see through walls. She eats well (loves safe foods) and has her uvb lamp, heat, and water. I’m afraid she’s somehow miserable! What the heck do I do? I’m trying to get a larger enclosure ASAP, but what if it doesn’t stop? Is this in any way normal? Can she possibly miss her mate? I just don’t know how to make her happier.

 

[Tom]

She's in a large unfamiliar territory and the awful male tormentor is out of sight for the moment so she's trying to make her escape. In time she will settle down. The enclosure could be 50x50 feet and she'd do the same thing.

Tortoises don't like change. They hate their furniture to be rearranged and they hate to be in a new and unfamiliar area. Even if the changes are for the better, it still stresses them out and then need tome to get used to it. Add hiding areas and safe plants for cover and sight barriers. This usually makes them feel less out-in-the-open and exposed. When spring comes and you put her outside in the warmer weather, she will likely have the same sort of "acclimation" period. Don't worry too much about it. Soak her two or three times a week, and and leave her be. Strong appetite is a very good sign that things are fine.

Sounds to me like you've given this tortoise an awesome life!

 

[TechnoCheese]

Very glad to hear you rescued her!

 

[Zaffy]

I'm in the UK and have a Greek Tortoise so this maybe irrelevant to you. Last week my tortoise woke from hibernation. Very cold outside so he walked around my kitchen hardly eating, even though I waved all his fav food under his nose, and I put electric fires on and rigged up a special light designed for tortoises. He did not appreciate any of it. Today it was only 16degrees outside but the sun was bright and I put him outside on my patio, which has plants and hedging and the sun shone on his shell and he stomped about and ate plantain weeds and lettuce and hawk-bit leaves and was very happy. And fell asleep amongst the daffodils. At about 4:00 I brought him in and put him in his box and he is fast asleep and very content. How to have a happy tortoise in my opinion is give it nature, natural sun and natural food. Please be aware, I am an amateur and have only in the past few years been caring for my brother's sixty + years old tortoise.

 

[Yvonne G]

The biggest problem with Russians not settling down is the fact most of them are wild caught. Take a wild Russian and plunk him down in a small cooped up space and he's going to try to escape and get back to his territory. The only thing you can do is provide him with the largest indoor space you can and build him a large outdoor space for when the weather warms up. Then sit back and try to not let his scratching, digging, climbing bother you.

With your tortoise, even though she was in a smaller space with a tormentor, that still was her territory. She'll keep trying to get back there until she realizes this new space is better and safer, food and shelter are provided. It takes time. Maybe even a month.

 

[Kasia]

i adopted Delilah from an adoption shelter about a month ago. She’s a full grown Russian, not sure of age, but about 9”.

She was kept in a 40 gallon tank—with another tort! For many years with her previous owner.WITH ANOTHER (male) TORTOISE!

I have her in an 8’ by 4’ enclosure. Heat/UVB lamp, hides, nice deep substrate of topsoil and cypress mulch. The past week she’s been using 80% of her day—whenever she’s not eating—to try to escape! She digs against the sides and even stands up and tries to get out.

I’m so confused. She has a space that’s 10x bigger than her previous enclosure and is alone. This enclosure doesn’t have see through walls. She eats well (loves safe foods) and has her uvb lamp, heat, and water. I’m afraid she’s somehow miserable! What the heck do I do? I’m trying to get a larger enclosure ASAP, but what if it doesn’t stop? Is this in any way normal? Can she possibly miss her mate? I just don’t know how to make her happier.

They need time... even a month or so to adjust. Keep her warm,offer food and water. She will be OK. Needs to get use to the „better” normal conditions

 

[RosemaryDW]

Thank you for rescuing this tort!

A month is nothing to a tortoise, they don’t work like mammals. And that’s on top of nine years she spent with a rapey male.

She is probably just settling down but if she is exposed to any natural light, she might also be noticing the days are getting a little longer. My wild caught tortoise becomes very anxious to get out of her very large enclosure (actually a small yard) when she comes out of hibernation. No doubt driven by the need to fatten up and mate in the very short period of time they have in the wild.

Not sure if you are seeing any sun yet in Illinois but thought I’d mention it. We’re looking forward to the end of hibernation here in California.