ID help on new tort

[RiverBreezy]

I just got this tort from a coworker and would like to confirm ID as well as sex. She was told it was a Russian by the previous owner, and that it is 7 yo. She took it to a pet store and the owner told her it was a Golden Greek. I dont care either way. I just want to know which care sheet I should be following!

 

[wellington]

Looks to be Russian too me.

 

[mike taylor]

Thats a big one . Looks Russian to me as well. He looks well cared for.

 

[Yvonne G]

It is indeed a female Russian.

 

[bigsteaks]

Great looking tort there. Nice and big for a Russian.

 

[RiverBreezy]

Thank you! From what I was told, she has been kept in an aquarium her entire life, and fed grocery store salad mix. I'm suprised she looks as good as she does!

 

[WillTort2]

Either you have small hands or she is a big Russian!

 

[RiverBreezy]

We have pretty much finished her outdoor enclosure. It's roughly 8'x6'. There is a heat lamp built into the roof of her house. I think she will like it.

 

[Tom]

Careful. She can climb right up that chicken wire like you'd climb a ladder.

We'd need to see the cloaca and tail to really confirm sex, but judging from the size, you probably have a female. They get bigger then the males.

 

[RiverBreezy]

The chicken wire starts at the top of the wood base. But I will definitely be watching her close to see if we're going to have a problem anywhere.

 

[mike taylor]

If you put some sheets of that white shower plastic from home depot she will not be able to grip it to climb .

 

[Jacqui]

Careful. She can climb right up that chicken wire like you'd climb a ladder.

From what I could see, she can even climb out of the back of the enclosure and over that fence. I would suggest making an inner lip around the back. Russians (and hingebacks) are the best climbers of tortoises.

 

[RiverBreezy]

How would she climb straight up a 4 ft wood fence?

 

[mtdavis254817]

They can shimmy up using the corners

 

[T33's Torts]

You'd be amazed. My Fern climbed up an 7 inch FLAT vertical wooden board.

 

[guille24]

They can climb almost anything !! it's just amazing how this tortoises manage to do it !! Keep your eyes on them all the time !!!

 

[RiverBreezy]

I understand the corners, but not the 4' fence. In any case, we will be making some adjustments today. And until then, I am watching her like a hawk.

 

[WillTort2]

The Russians are fearless when climbing up. But, if you put a horizontal lip about 10" above the top of your substrate they will see that they can not climb there and try some other scheme for escaping....like digging under the timbers.

I have seen them dig 12" or deeper to get under the wall and then tunnel like a mole for 30 feet or so to aid their desire to roam.

Good luck.

 

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Love the russian tort. the beak is a little bit long. Put some cuddle bones in the enclosure, so she can take more "beak off"

Annette