I am new to all this and I need help!!!!

[mkpoucher]

We recently just got a new Russian tortoise the day before Christmas Eve and she is being VERY shy. She doesn't move much at all... and she hasn't taken the 1st bite of food. I picked her at the pet store because she was the friendliest. Now all she does is hide. Yesterday we went back to the pet store to get a 75W heat light instead of the 50W thinking she's too cold and we ended up getting their other Russian to thinking she might be lonely because they've been together for about 6 months now. He has been very active although he goes in his shell when you handle him. He hasn't eaten any food but he did try the bedding when we first put him in the terrerium. Should I be concerned about the female? What could be wrong? Please give me any input. I will try to answer questions to the best of my knowledge, but I am still new to all this. I will post pics of the terrerium this evening so maybe you can get a better idea of what we have set up. But my husband did do a lot of research on how to build one before we started all this.

Thanks,

Michelle

 

[Orpexo]

Hi and welcome

a few questions to understand the situation:
- How big is the habitat? is it a glass tank, or plastic/wooden box?
- what is the substrate? does she has hides?
- Do you have thermometers in the habitat to know how many degrees near the basking bulb, and also to the colder side?
- Would she eat if you put the food just in front of her? what food did you give?
- Does she sleep out in the open or does she tries to get near a rock or furniture? what is the bedding you mentioned made of?

Tortoises can be stressed when you change their habitat and it can take a couple of days for her to cope with that. They would generally not be lonely, in the wild they roam alone. If they are used to be in group, they may act weird when put alone but would not be inactive as far as I know. The inactivity is probably due to stress of being in a new place. Or she could be sick, and the stress is just increasing the symptoms. I would also recommend to test feces for worm eggs. It was a good advice I received when got my tortoise from (which also came from a pet store), even if she was active and healthy.

If you can post pictures of your tortoise and her habitat

 

[coreyc]

Welcome to the forum Michelle your right she probably cold what is the temp? what kind of light do you have a MVB ?

 

[mkpoucher]

It's a wooden box with a plexiglass front it's about 5ftx18in. She has a bark/tree thingy for a hide plus a fake plant thing and a little rock thingy. I did try to put her in front of food and she hasn't eaten. We do have a thermometer put it's placed high so they don't try to bite it and it usually reads about 73-75 BUT when it's placed on the bedding under the heat lamp it gets in the upper 80s so I don't think it's reading right where we have it. She usually goes and digs in a corner to sleep. The male that we got yesterday was all sprawled out sleeping last night. The only time he seemed shy was 1st thing this morning when he was waking up. He walks all over the cage. The bedding is made up of mostly that brick stuff that you wet and it expands and a little bit of cypress bark/mulch. We have it about 3-4inches thick. I will post pics as soon as I get home from work. Oh I have only given them spring mix lettuce thus far... I intend to give them some carrots tonight the pet store said they loved carrots while they were there put they also ate spring mix. Oh and as far a feces I have only seen her poop 1 time when I introduced my lab to her.. I guess it scared her.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Michelle:

Welcome to the forum!!

Your new Russian tortoises aren't warm enough. Think about it...YOU'RE normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees. That's pretty hot, huh? Almost 100 degrees. Well same goes for your tortoise. He has to be able to warm up to almost 100 degrees in order to digest his food. If he can't find a spot in the enclosure to get that warm he knows not to eat or the food will rot in his intestinal tract.

I like your habitat, but I think your going to have to do some tweaking to get it warm enough. I'd cover the top on one side and remove the wire on the other side so you can lower the light. It should be 100 + directly under the light, then fading to around 75 way over on the side away from the light. If you can't get the temp up with one light fixture, then you might have to consider buying another fixture for a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). That's a porcelain thing-a-ma-bob that has heat coils embedded in it and it screws in like a light bulb...heat with no light.

It usually take a while for a tortoise to accept his new environment, so once you get it warmed up for them, give them some time to settle in.

 

[mkpoucher]

Hi Michelle:

Welcome to the forum!!

Your new Russian tortoises aren't warm enough. Think about it...YOU'RE normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees. That's pretty hot, huh? Almost 100 degrees. Well same goes for your tortoise. He has to be able to warm up to almost 100 degrees in order to digest his food. If he can't find a spot in the enclosure to get that warm he knows not to eat or the food will rot in his intestinal tract.

I like your habitat, but I think your going to have to do some tweaking to get it warm enough. I'd cover the top on one side and remove the wire on the other side so you can lower the light. It should be 100 + directly under the light, then fading to around 75 way over on the side away from the light. If you can't get the temp up with one light fixture, then you might have to consider buying another fixture for a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). That's a porcelain thing-a-ma-bob that has heat coils embedded in it and it screws in like a light bulb...heat with no light.

It usually take a while for a tortoise to accept his new environment, so once you get it warmed up for them, give them some time to settle in.

Thanks a lot I will try this... I am scared they've been in this crazy environment too long so I will make adjustments tonight!!! Thanks I will let you know how the next few days go... I have also tried a heater in the room to warm up the room and it hasn't worked. I am worried about closing the other side up.. What about breathing????

 

[Yvonne G]

Don't worry, plenty of air exchange will occur through the other side. Covering will help to hold in what heat comes off the light.

 

[Angi]

I love your enclosure, but you might want to put a sight barrier on the bottom so she can't see out. It might make her fell more secure. I would soak her in a warm (not hot) dish of water. Just a couple inches deep. Go to the food and diet section of the forum and read up on Russian diets.
Where do you live? Do you have weeds? Some are great tort food also some plants, but they have to be chemical free. Good luck!

 

[Orpexo]

The terrarium seems good, with the comments above it would be perfect. Maybe add another hide also in a corner. For an inexpensive one you can pile up a few flat stones like this: http://okibul.free.fr/koopa/29102010/29102010863.jpg I m not sure a tortoise like a hide in the middle of the habitat, they tend to look for corners to sleep, and be surrounded by walls/rocks.
The fact that she diggs a corner to sleep is good IMO.

Do you have have a fluorescant tube (or equivalent) for uvA and uvB? Or is the basking bulb the only source of light in the terrarium? maybe it's darker than at the shop and that could make her less active?
Or the temp might be lower than it was at the shop.

Here's a caresheet if you didn't found one allready: http://www.russiantortoise.org/care_sheet.htm

What I didn't understand well (I'm a bit slow sometimes ):
Did you buy both tortoises at the same time?
Are they seperated now or together? If together, does the male interact with the female?

 

[PeanutbuttER]

I have terrarium envy You didn't build that yourself did you?

Have you changed the heating situation and what are the temps like inside now?

 

[pdrobber]

that enclosure does look nice! once you get it filled with lots of goodies it will be great.

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum Michelle

How long are your lights on for?

Danny

 

[mkpoucher]

I have terrarium envy You didn't build that yourself did you?

Have you changed the heating situation and what are the temps like inside now?

My husband built it himself! After LOTS of research!

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The terrarium seems good, with the comments above it would be perfect. Maybe add another hide also in a corner. For an inexpensive one you can pile up a few flat stones like this: http://okibul.free.fr/koopa/29102010/29102010863.jpg I m not sure a tortoise like a hide in the middle of the habitat, they tend to look for corners to sleep, and be surrounded by walls/rocks.
The fact that she diggs a corner to sleep is good IMO.

Do you have have a fluorescant tube (or equivalent) for uvA and uvB? Or is the basking bulb the only source of light in the terrarium? maybe it's darker than at the shop and that could make her less active?
Or the temp might be lower than it was at the shop.

Here's a caresheet if you didn't found one allready: http://www.russiantortoise.org/care_sheet.htm

What I didn't understand well (I'm a bit slow sometimes ):
Did you buy both tortoises at the same time?
Are they seperated now or together? If together, does the male interact with the female?

I am not sure if it's a uvA or uvB... I know the fixture has a light and a heat bulb in it. I was told that would be perfect for it. It is a little darker then at the shop well on one side anyway. They couldn't get away from light at the shop. No I did not buy them together. The male was bought 3 days later, but they were together at the pet shop along with some redfoots in the same cage which was MUCH smaller. The male goes around the female infact he acts like she's a rock and just climbs her. She just sits there mostly in her shell. He's real active but she's not..

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Well that looks great. Congrats to him.

 

[mkpoucher]

I have terrarium envy You didn't build that yourself did you?

Have you changed the heating situation and what are the temps like inside now?

My husband built it!!! I love it myself! I have not changed the heating situation yet I am at work... I will let you know tomorrow if anything changes.

---

Welcome to the forum Michelle

How long are your lights on for?

Danny

There on from about 6am till about 8 or 9pm... I did the heat not the light on all night the 1st night because it was cool then...

 

[Laura]

try a good warm water soak, and watch her, but dont hover. let her get used to the new home. Also, once she does. you may need to seperate them. the male may pester her to the point of her hiding and not wanting to eat.
If she is too cold, she wont eat and cant digest. also cool with not enough daylight will put her into hibernation.
ENJOY!!!

 

[egyptiandan]

Your light is on long enough, just that like Yvonne said it isn't warm enough and there isn't enough light. The best thing for a basking bulb would be a MVB (mercury vapor bulb). They produce heat as well as UVB which is needed for your tortoise. They come in 100w and 160w sizes and from a few different companys. You will also need a 4 foot shop light to add more light to the enclosure.

Danny

 

[PeanutbuttER]

MVBs seem to me to produce more heat than heat lamps so just switching your UVB over to an MVB should raise the temp a little bit by itself.

 

[Tom]

All good advice above. I just want to add that you will probably need to separate them as the male can literally harass the female to death, eventually. Usually you'll need a ratio of at least 2 or 3 females to one male and a much bigger enclosure for that. In the wild (or even a large backyard) she would move away and hide from him. In a relatively small indoor enclosure, she can't get a way from him. Soon he will likely start to bite her and remove leg scales.

Tortoises live for decades, maybe even longer. A few days of being too cool won't hurt them, in the long run. Next year, if they are healthy, you may even want to hibernate them. The best thing you can do for her right now is warm up the enclosure and leave her alone.

... and keep your dog away from her too. They don't need to meet and be buddies. Dogs look at torts as fun chew toys. Even "good" dogs who "would never do that." Please use extreme caution with your dog. Never leave him/her unsupervised with access to your tort. I'm not worried about you current enclosure. I'm thinking ahead to your outdoor pen, in the warmer weather.

 

[earthyman71]

Hi Michelle!

My name is Sean and I have 12 russian tortoises (2 breeding colonies of 6). You look like you're off to a good start! I'd look into a t-rex uva/uvb 100 watt instead of what you currently have.

Every russian has a different personality - some are really outgoing and active and others aren't. The male from what you describe may be trying to mate with the female.

And DEFINITELY visit www.russiantortoise.org - amazing and spot on source about the care of russians. Check out their feeding lists and info about light/heat/humidity.

Keep up the good work! Sean