Male or Female??

[JoesMum]

From the pictures above.

The enclosure is too small - Russians are very active and need 4'x8' (1.5 x 2.2 metres) minimum.

The substrate is too dry. Replace with coco coir or orchid bark that you can tip water into and mix up so it's evenly damp (not wet)

Reptile bowls are not suitable - they're a tipping hazard and hard for a tort to use. Use a piece of flat rock or slate for food that will help with beak maintenance as your tort eats. Use a terracotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate as a water bowl.

Some plants in the enclosure like spider plant (sink the pot into the substrate) provide shelter and also give your tort something to browse on.

You need 35C directly under the basking lamp. The tube UVB is good.

 

[Marcus Harrison]

So all in all, it's rubbish haha. Not sure if i can really get a bigger enclosure. To be honest though, the tortoise is mostly out and about, the garden, the living room wherever really. I never leave her to wander off. Only problem is if the size of the tank is really important, then I will need to change it but as i'm sure you know, this is expensive and will take time to sort out so that will have to wait i'm afraid. The rest of your advice i can get to work on about Saturday so that is okay.

Temp is always around that so that is fine. thanks for the advice, i'll sort the water bowl when i can.

 

[Yvonne G]

We will need clear pictures of its tail area/plastron, from underneath...

I'm so confused. Is this Rue's thread or is it Marcus Harrison's thread?

 

[Gillian M]

So all in all, it's rubbish haha. Not sure if i can really get a bigger enclosure. To be honest though, the tortoise is mostly out and about, the garden, the living room wherever really. I never leave her to wander off. Only problem is if the size of the tank is really important, then I will need to change it but as i'm sure you know, this is expensive and will take time to sort out so that will have to wait i'm afraid. The rest of your advice i can get to work on about Saturday so that is okay.

Temp is always around that so that is fine. thanks for the advice, i'll sort the water bowl when i can.

Please do NOT allow your tort to roam around the flat. The floor is never clean, AND your tort could eat something harmful; GOD forbid.

 

[Yvonne G]

View attachment 188401

This Russian tortoise is plenty big enough to tell what sex it is. That's a female tail.

 

[Marcus Harrison]

Please do NOT allow your tort to roam around the flat. The floor is never clean, AND your tort could eat something harmful; GOD forbid.

Thanks for the information. Problem is where I bought her from told me NOTHING. What do I do in the winter??

 

[Marcus Harrison]

This Russian tortoise is plenty big enough to tell what sex it is. That's a female tail.

Thanks.

 

[Marcus Harrison]

I'm so confused. Is this Rue's thread or is it Marcus Harrison's thread?

Mine

 

[Yvonne G]

Russian tortoises hibernate, so you really don't have to worry about what to do in winter. Just box her up in a cardboard box full of shredded paper and set the box someplace cool and quiet. It should be between 40 and 50F degrees, and closer to 40F is better.

If you don't want to hibernate the tortoise you'll need a pretty big container to set up an indoor habitat for the winter. Container, lights (day and night), feeding station, waterer, substrate, hiding place, etc. It's much cheaper and easier to allow them to hibernate.

A Christmas Tree Storage bin mfg'd by Iris would be an ok size for an indoor habitat for a Russian tortoise:

http://cheapchrismastreesprice.blogspot.com/2012/01/artifical-christmas-tree-box-clearred.html

 

[Marcus Harrison]

Not hibernating her. I give her regular soaks in an unused washing up bowl and clean her up. Surely allowing her to run around the lounge for 10-20 minutes isn't the end of the world?

I normally use the garden anyway but sometimes when it is raining, I live in the UK sooo, she runs around the Living room for a bit of exercise. Like I say, she has regular baths and she's not out for long.

 

[Gillian M]

Thanks for the information. Problem is where I bought her from told me NOTHING. What do I do in the winter??

I'd NEVER trust those who sell anything, let alone torts. All they think of is MONEY.

As far as Winter is concerned; this depends on whether you are planning to hibernate your tort or not.

 

[Gillian M]

Not hibernating her. I give her regular soaks in an unused washing up bowl and clean her up. Surely allowing her to run around the lounge for 10-20 minutes isn't the end of the world?

I normally use the garden anyway but sometimes when it is raining, I live in the UK sooo, she runs around the Living room for a bit of exercise. Like I say, she has regular baths and she's not out for long.

I used to allow Oli to roam around my flat till I joined this forum and was advised NOT to. Since then I do not allow him to. It just is NOT safe, even if it's not the end of the world.

 

[Marcus Harrison]

I used to allow Oli to roam around my flat till I joined this forum and was advised NOT to. Since then I do not allow him to. It just is NOT safe, even if it's not the end of the world.

I understand that and i get why, but I just think that the positives out weigh the negatives. Giving her exercise is probably more beneficial and especially if her tank isn't large enough for her.

I will be taking that up with the place I bought her from because to be honest, it's wrong to sell me a tank, which I was told would be perfect for her (They even said it was male) that isn't. Even if I get nothing, at least they can be aware of what wrong they are doing, so it doesn't happen again.

I will give her Baths after roaming around, maybe that will help? However, I think it would be cruel to keep her stuck in the tank on rainy days.

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

You'll need to post a picture of the underside of the shell near the tail area for us to determine the sex. Russians are pretty easy to sex. Long tail = male, short stubby tail = female.

 

[wellington]

I'm so confused. Is this Rue's thread or is it Marcus Harrison's thread?

I'm thinking someone did something to the original thread and somehow lost part of it. It's not Rue's thread

 

[Marcus Harrison]

You'll need to post a picture of the underside of the shell near the tail area for us to determine the sex. Russians are pretty easy to sex. Long tail = male, short stubby tail = female.

I have done

 

[Marcus Harrison]

I have done

Further up

 

[RussianTortKing]

You might want to change the bedding in her enclosure. I recommend coco coir and wood chips.

 

[Marcus Harrison]

You might want to change the bedding in her enclosure. I recommend coco coir and wood chips.

Okay, everyone seems to be picking up on the floor. Do the Russians not like the floor I have currently or is it just a recommendation? She spends a lot of time digging but that is in their nature?

 

[JoesMum]

Digging is a Russian's nature. They spend up to 60% of their life burrowing in the wild