New excited Russian Tortoise owner!

[rsmit02]

Hello everyone,

Im a new Russian tortoise owner I bought the little guy from Petsmart 3 days ago. Of course once home I did a ton of research and now feel bad I used petsmart + didnt go to a breeder!! Of course turns out the person in petsmart didnt have a clue sold me a tank and mulch bedding which I have returned!

So my little guy is in a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub with a uvb light, a 100w basking lamp and a moonlight lamp for night. I have 50/50 play sand and organic nothing in it topsoil. There is a bath, fake plant and a hald log for hiding in. I have a thermomter in the basking side which reads between 85 and 90 deg. In the cooler side it is about 72 degrees, humidity is around 65-70. I am feeding her tortoise pellets, romaine lettuce, dandilion leaves, collard greens.

I do have a few questions though,

Is the basking area hot enough I read 95 deg is good how do I get it hotter put the lamp lower?

If I post some pics anyone tell me the age roughly and if she looks healthy enough and if she is a boy or girl. Petsmart didnt know the sex and said the tortoise was a few months old but her shell from top to bottom so am I right in thinking he is around 5-6 years old? How can you tell if they are captive bread or wild caught? His shell is very smooth.

He hasnt eaten much since being home or really gone into basking area is this normal he is kind of slow to come around cage yet he was running atound petsmart cage and loved basking in the store.

I let him out in the garden supervised what plants could be a harm to him.

Ok enough of the questions I look forward to getting to know you all!!

Ruth x

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[Yvonne G]

Hi Ruth:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Give your new little Steppe tortoise (Horsfield's) a week or so to get used to his new surroundings.

Also, pet stores are notorious for telling their customers the wrong age of their new tortoise. If it was sold in Petsmart, chances are it was wild caught, and probably around 10 to 15 years of age. They don't grow very big, and that fools people into thinking they're younger than they really are.

May we know appx. where in the world you are?

 

[wellington]

Hello and WELCOME.. We are glad you found us.

 

[kanalomele]

Love my Ruskies. They are so sweet natured. Welcome to both of you.

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome

So my little guy is in a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub with a uvb light, a 100w basking lamp and a moonlight lamp for night. I have 50/50 play sand and organic nothing in it topsoil. There is a bath, fake plant and a hald log for hiding in. I have a thermomter in the basking side which reads between 85 and 90 deg. In the cooler side it is about 72 degrees, humidity is around 65-70.

Your tort does not need any light at night. Complete darkness is better. If you need additional heat use a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) .

I am feeding her tortoise pellets, romaine lettuce, dandilion leaves, collard greens.

They key to healthy tort is heat, humidity and hydration... and a varies diet.
Look up plants you can buy in the grocery store and garden centre or that grow in your yard in The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability. This Plant Booklet is handy for looking stuff up too.

Is the basking area hot enough I read 95 deg is good how do I get it hotter put the lamp lower?

Raise and lower the lamp to adjust the temperature. You are aiming for 95-100F

If I post some pics anyone tell me the age roughly and if she looks healthy enough and if she is a boy or girl. Petsmart didnt know the sex and said the tortoise was a few months old but her shell from top to bottom so am I right in thinking he is around 5-6 years old? How can you tell if they are captive bread or wild caught? His shell is very smooth.

Unfortunately your pics didn't show up. It is likely to have been been Wild Caught.

He hasnt eaten much since being home or really gone into basking area is this normal he is kind of slow to come around cage yet he was running atound petsmart cage and loved basking in the store.

Tortoises are poor at handling change and he doesn't know whether he can trust you yet. Get into a routine so that he knows what to expect and when. Use a timer to switch the lights on and off at the same time each day. They should be on for a 12-14 hour period and then go off completely. Start the day with Lights and heat on, then soak before he's warmed up properly (gets him used to being handled and keeps him hydrated) and then feed him. After this leave him alone and don't intimidate him by watching him
My soaking tips are here

I let him out in the garden supervised what plants could be a harm to him.

Outdoors is the best place for a tort, so do take him out.

Torts are pretty good at making their own decisions in the wild. If he has access to a large outdoor enclosure with plenty of choice, he is unlikely to make the wrong decisions. I've never bothered pulling up potentially poisonous plants in my garden and Joe's made it through the last 42 years. You can look up plants in the Plant Database and Plant Booklet that posted earlier in this answer.

 

[Talka]

I have 50/50 play sand and organic nothing in it topsoil.

I'm not a fan of sand. I've been told it can mess up their digestive tract badly if they ingest it. People do keep tortoises safely with sand though so I'm not sure. I'm just cautious and avoid it just in case.

 

[clare n]

I was using "tortoise life" dirt kind of stuff but have just switched to Eco earth, it's cheap and expands a lot, comes in a small dry brick. Definitely have a look at joes mum's links they were incredibly helpful to me