Hey TortoiseForum!
I just got my first Russian tort yesterday and I'm pretty excited. I've attached some pictures of my little guy and his housing as it is right now, I do have some plans for his home in the near future. His name is Yortoise. I've done a ton of research and reading on raising a tortoise and I'm pretty confident I am doing everything I need to be doing for him.
He is definitely a bit smaller and presumably younger than I was originally planning on. I was going to get one that was about 2.5-3 inches but when I went to the friendly neighborhood reptile shop this little guy came running right to me. He is a bit bigger than an inch now, maybe 1.5" or so.
As far as I've been able to find the only difference between raising a little tort and an older one is they are more susceptible to dehydration. I've made sure to keep his home a bit more humid and kept his basking temp closer to the 90-95 ranger rather than the 95-100 range. I have been soaking him for about 15-20 minutes every other day as well. Do you guys think this is all appropriate?
I'm also curious about your opinions on calcium supplements for him. A lot of sources say its recommended especially for growing torts but guys at the shop say they don't use it and haven't had any problems without. I know babies sometimes need the extra calcium to help them grow healthily. I don't have a cuttle bone in there just yet but I will in the next few days. What are your opinions on the matter?
Other than that, I'm unbelievably excited to join this community. I've wanted a tortoise for a very long time and I've been gushing tortoise cuteness since I picked Yortoise up yesterday! If you have any advice or other bits of information about a raising a young tortoise let me know!
I just got my first Russian tort yesterday and I'm pretty excited. I've attached some pictures of my little guy and his housing as it is right now, I do have some plans for his home in the near future. His name is Yortoise. I've done a ton of research and reading on raising a tortoise and I'm pretty confident I am doing everything I need to be doing for him.
He is definitely a bit smaller and presumably younger than I was originally planning on. I was going to get one that was about 2.5-3 inches but when I went to the friendly neighborhood reptile shop this little guy came running right to me. He is a bit bigger than an inch now, maybe 1.5" or so.
As far as I've been able to find the only difference between raising a little tort and an older one is they are more susceptible to dehydration. I've made sure to keep his home a bit more humid and kept his basking temp closer to the 90-95 ranger rather than the 95-100 range. I have been soaking him for about 15-20 minutes every other day as well. Do you guys think this is all appropriate?
I'm also curious about your opinions on calcium supplements for him. A lot of sources say its recommended especially for growing torts but guys at the shop say they don't use it and haven't had any problems without. I know babies sometimes need the extra calcium to help them grow healthily. I don't have a cuttle bone in there just yet but I will in the next few days. What are your opinions on the matter?
Other than that, I'm unbelievably excited to join this community. I've wanted a tortoise for a very long time and I've been gushing tortoise cuteness since I picked Yortoise up yesterday! If you have any advice or other bits of information about a raising a young tortoise let me know!
! 
