Just checking that im doing it right. A couple concerns

[Momagn36]

My baby seems to be doing well. Her name is Kiah. But I'm slightly concerned about her shell. I know the white spaces are growth and that excites me but she seems to have some divets (cant think of another word to describe them) in places that concern me a bit. I currently feed Kale, butternut squash, dandelion greens, radish, brussell sprouts. I sprinkle calcium twice a week. Her enclosure is 40 gal tank with screen lid and a UV light / Heat lamp. I take her outside almost daily to roam and soak her twice a week.

 

[Momagn36]

oh I also keep pellets in her cage in case she wants to munch on them

 

[zovick]

Hi. The substrate in the photo of the tank set-up looks like pine or maybe aspen shavings while the substrate in the first photo of the tortoise appears to be a type of mulch. It is not recommended to keep tortoises on shavings. They often eat them either purposely or accidentally and their intestines can become impacted from doing so.

You should probably soak the tortoise daily or at least 3-4 times weekly and also expand the diet to include many other items.

 

[Momagn36]

The first substrate I got her was Cypress mulch but it was so wet that she felt cold all the time and I was afraid it would mold or something so I went and got Aspen. I read so many conflicting things on what tp buy, how often to soak, ETC which is why I came here hoping to find a solid advice place to come rather than researching and getting so much different results.

 

[zovick]

The first substrate I got her was Cypress mulch but it was so wet that she felt cold all the time and I was afraid it would mold or something so I went and got Aspen. I read so many conflicting things on what tp buy, how often to soak, ETC which is why I came here hoping to find a solid advice place to come rather than researching and getting so much different results.

So let the cypress mulch dry out a bit and/or increase the temperature of your enclosure. What is the temperature in there as a rule? BTW, mold is not going to hurt your tortoise. I have used mulch with a bit of mold on it myself from time to time and the tortoises always survived. Think of what they may encounter in the wild.

I am telling you from personal experience to stop using the Aspen Shavings. My most beautiful breeding adult female Indian Star Tortoise died from an impacted gut before I learned not to use them. When the necropsy was done, there was nothing in her entire digestive tract except Aspen Shavings and I had never once seen her eating them. She must have gorged herself with them over a period of days and always when I was not looking.

 

[Momagn36]

I will replace it tomorrow. Have her soaking now and will increase times a week I soak her. Did her shell seems okay to you? also, cherry tomatoes (she loves them) fruit or vegetable? I know she shouldn't have fruits often only as treats but not sure where tomatoes fall on the scale. If I switch to a dirt / sand mixture, what type of dirt / sand? Ill check temp now.

 

[Tom]

My baby seems to be doing well. Her name is Kiah. But I'm slightly concerned about her shell. I know the white spaces are growth and that excites me but she seems to have some divets (cant think of another word to describe them) in places that concern me a bit. I currently feed Kale, butternut squash, dandelion greens, radish, brussell sprouts. I sprinkle calcium twice a week. Her enclosure is 40 gal tank with screen lid and a UV light / Heat lamp. I take her outside almost daily to roam and soak her twice a week.

Hello and welcome. I agree completely with zovick.

There is a lot of confusing and conflicting info out in the world regarding tortoise care, but you have now found the best place to get the right info. Lots of experienced tortoise keepers here, like Mr. zovick who will help steer you in the right direction and offer you hard-earned, experience based tips.

Here are my tips. Included in these are info on diet, temperature, heating and lighting and substrate:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Read these and then come back with any questions. Hope this helps.

 

[Momagn36]

Temp now is 72 degrees 62% humidity.

 

[Momagn36]

Hello and welcome. I agree completely with zovick.

There is a lot of confusing and conflicting info out in the world regarding tortoise care, but you have now found the best place to get the right info. Lots of experienced tortoise keepers here, like Mr. zovick who will help steer you in the right direction and offer you hard-earned, experience based tips.

Here are my tips. Included in these are info on diet, temperature, heating and lighting and substrate:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Read these and then come back with any questions. Hope this helps.

So when I go to hardware store, am I looking for top soil, potting soil? I read the sheet and it says soil free of stuff but how do I know? Also her shell concerns...

 

[Tom]

Temp now is 72 degrees 62% humidity.

72 where?

There are four temps to know and maintain: Warm side, cool side, basking area, and overnight low. For a russian tortoise, the warm side should be 80-90ish during the day. The cool side can be 65-80ish. I'm including winter and summer temps here. If the cool side stays 65 on a chilly winter day in your cooler house, that is fine as long as the warm side is a little warmer. If the cool side/ambient temp creeps into the low 90s during a hot spell in summer, like right now here in SoCal, that is okay too. Basking area needs to be around 95-100. Over night low for adult russians can be as low as 55-60, but 70-75 is fine too in summer. There should be a nightly drop in temp when compared to the day time. If your summer high was 95 and it only drops to 75 at night, that is okay. If ambient only reaches 65 on a winter day and drops to 60 at night, that is fine too. What you don't want for a temperate species is all warm all the time.

Russians come from an area of the world with a very harsh temperate climate. In some areas the are only active for 6 weeks in the spring time, and then aestivate all summer long, then active for 6 weeks in fall, then hibernate all winter. Only active for 12 weeks out of 52! Because of this harsh reality, they are generally very adaptable and hardy in our captive environments.

 

[Momagn36]

Its 72 under the heat lamp, but her tank is currently right beside our air conditioner in the bedroom. Ill add moving it to the list of things to fix and see what temps look like then.

 

[Tom]

So when I go to hardware store, am I looking for top soil, potting soil? I read the sheet and it says soil free of stuff but how do I know? Also her shell concerns...

I wouldn't use soil. Fine grade orchid bark works best for this species and it won't mold or mildew. You can get it in bulk at a garden center, but probably won't find it at a hardware store. I've been using this one lately and love it:

$10 for this giant bag.

 

[zovick]

I agree completely with Tom. Don't use sand or soil as a substrate. It is easily ingested accidentally and can cause impaction of the gut. Again, I am telling you this from painful personal experience. I once loaned an adult male Ploughshare Tortoise, yes, a real, live Geochelone yniphora, to the Bronx Zoo and they kept him in an enclosure with a sand substrate. Even though the tortoises were fed on trays, much of the food was pushed off the trays while the tortoises were feeding and then eaten directly off the sand. Nine months later, my beautiful G. yniphora died from a necrotic intestine which had been caused by a 6" x 2" x 2" brick of hard sand blocking it and cutting off the circulation. This was an irreplaceable tortoise.

Here is his photo taken in June 1976.

 

[Momagn36]

I agree completely with Tom. Don't use sand or soil as a substrate. It is easily ingested accidentally and can cause impaction of the gut. Again, I am telling you this from painful personal experience. I once loaned an adult male Ploughshare Tortoise, yes, a real, live Geochelone yniphora, to the Bronx Zoo and they kept him in an enclosure with a sand substrate. Even though the tortoises were fed on trays, much of the food was pushed off the trays while the tortoises were feeding and then eaten directly off the sand. Nine months later, my beautiful G. yniphora died from a necrotic intestine which had been caused by a 6" x 2" x 2" brick of hard sand blocking it and cutting off the circulation. This was an irreplaceable tortoise.

Here is his photo taken in June 1976.


View attachment 216781

Beautiful!!!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, nice looking Russian you've got there.

 

[Eduardo Hernandez]

I'd like to add that a 40 gallon tank isn't nearly as big enough for a Russian tort. You should look to either building or buying an enclosure thats at least 8 feet by 4 feet.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Beautiful tortoise!

I didn't see this question answered yet. Tomatoes are fruits and thus not good to feed.

 

[Momagn36]

Hello, nice looking Russian you've got there.

Thank you! I love her

 

[Momagn36]

Beautiful tortoise!

I didn't see this question answered yet. Tomatoes are fruits and thus not good to feed.

Aww that stinks because she loves them. Had one stuck on her face the other day and looked like a clown with a big red nose. Ill use for treats every so often but stop adding to regular diet.

 

[Momagn36]

Ok, so ill fix issues noted so far and update on Saturday. No one has answered my shell concern yet so maybe ill post that in new thread all by itself.