April_PDX

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2FB51B9E-F70D-4B06-91A4-B1A3A34B28A9.jpeg FBF3F0CF-2021-41CF-AC88-76E36F2954BF.jpeg BC42AC48-2A8A-43AA-936F-E87BDF9B069A.jpeg 2FB51B9E-F70D-4B06-91A4-B1A3A34B28A9.jpeg FBF3F0CF-2021-41CF-AC88-76E36F2954BF.jpeg BC42AC48-2A8A-43AA-936F-E87BDF9B069A.jpeg Hello everyone, my name is April. I live in Portland, Oregon. I just purchased a baby/juvenile Russian tortoise yesterday. He’s my first turtle/tortoise. His name is Boris. Boris the Tortoise. He’s about 4 inches long and the pet store said he’s roughly 1.5-2 years old, so basically just a toddler, considering how long these guys live for.

Anyway, I got him the whole setup, a spacious terrarium, bedding, a hiding spot, a basking light, a water dish big enough for him to get inside but not too big for him to drown in, a food dish etc. However, before I was able to set that up for him, he was in a cardboard box during the 2 hour car ride home. We stopped for coffee about halfway through that trip home and I let him out of the box. He seemed active and playful and was running around in he grass and cuddling up in my neck. It was the cutest thing.

When I got him home and took him out of the box, he hissed at me. So I soaked him for 20 minutes in luke warm water, hoping it would calm him down because I figured he must just be stressed from the journey. He did not seem to like that at all. The entire time he seemed to be trying to get out of the opaque soaking tub. While I was setting up his habitat my partner took him out to the backyard to roam around, but he just hid under some plants.

I got his habitat set up very nicely. I put him inside with a bunch of leafy greens as well as some of those nasty pellets they were feeding him at the pet store, just in case he wanted something familiar. He immediately burrowed himself into the bedding and stayed there.

When I went to bed, I turned off his basking light. When I woke up, he was in the exact same spot. No food had been eaten. So I gently moved him out of that spot to make sure he was still alive, he is! I put some kale in front of his head and I went to the restroom. When I came back, he was in his hiding rock and no food had been eaten.

What is going on? Does his leafy greens need to be cut up into small pieces in order for him to be able to eat? Is he just scared and will eventually settle in? Or is there something more serious I should be worried about? Please help!!
 

Yvonne G

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As is usual, the pet store has it all wrong. Boris is a wild caught tortoise and wild caught tortoises have to be 4" from front to back before pet stores can legally sell them. Because Russians are a small species, some pet stores feel they are young. Not so. For a Russian to get to be 4" front to back he will have lived and grown for about 5 or 6 years. I'm guessing Boris is about 8 or 10 years of age. . . full grown.

It takes a wild caught tortoise a long time to settle in to being captured. He will probably hide or stay quiet for about two weeks. You can continually place him in front of the food dish. This way he'll get used to you touching him and realize he's in a safe place.

Read our care sheet. You'll find it pinned at the to of our Russian section. Don't bother reading the care sheet for young/baby Russians, as it really doesn't apply to Boris.
 

TechnoCheese

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Welcome to the forum!
To add to what Yvonne said, as beautiful as your enclosure is, it’s sadly much too small. Adult Russian tortoises like yours need a minimum enclosure size of 8x4 feet.
Please give these a read and come back with questions :)
Russian Tortoise Care Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Russians are notorious for not enjoying soaks. However, it is beneficial to them, so it must be done. Make sure the water temperature is constantly 95-103 degrees, and you can put it near the heat lamp to keep it that warm. Also try soaking in the morning. That seems to usually keep them calmer.
Tortoises cannot hiss. That noise you heard was actually him expelling all of the air from his lungs to pull into his shell. They usually do that when they’re startled.
Your little guy is very cute!
 

April_PDX

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Thank you for your responses. As for the terrarium being too small, I am actually working on getting an area of my beautiful back yard set up just for him. I just need to make sure I remove any plants that might not be healthy for him to eat first. This terrarium is just a temporary habitat for him. I will read those links now. Thanks again!
 

daniellenc

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Russians are diggers, climbers, and super escape artists so definitely get help here before building something he can tunnel or climb out of. Also, just to third the notion his behavior is normal and settling in takes weeks. You can also start growing broadleaf weeds now for him to replant in his enclosure and start getting kale, spinach, and similar leafs on the menu as treats and not main staples. They are high in oxalic acid which causes stones if fed in abundance so limit them. Luckily though there are tons of safe greens growing in the wild now and in grocery stores year round.
 

April_PDX

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Ok. I read the links and they were very helpful. I do have another question though. I would like to handle Boris and bond with him by hand feeding him and petting him. He seemed to really enjoy that first handling interaction when he was cuddling up in my neck but ever since he started acting upset, I haven’t really handled him much, except to transfer him to the soaking tub/outside/terrarium. My question is, should I wait the 2 weeks for him to get settled before I start handling him again or should I start getting him used to being handled now, before he’s settled? I can see both pros and cons for either option so I just want to know what you experienced tortoisers think.
 

TechnoCheese

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Ok. I read the links and they were very helpful. I do have another question though. I would like to handle Boris and bond with him by hand feeding him and petting him. He seemed to really enjoy that first handling interaction when he was cuddling up in my neck but ever since he started acting upset, I haven’t really handled him much, except to transfer him to the soaking tub/outside/terrarium. My question is, should I wait the 2 weeks for him to get settled before I start handling him again or should I start getting him used to being handled now, before he’s settled? I can see both pros and cons for either option so I just want to know what you experienced tortoisers think.

I would definitely let him settle in :)
 

TriciaStringer

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So he still has not eaten anything. I’m afraid he’s going to starve himself.
Don’t worry too much. He is still settling in and can go days without eating (not recommended though). Keep soaking him to keep him hydrated. That is the most important thing right now. He will start eating. He needs time to adjust. Tortoises don’t like change.
 

I_love_tortoises

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Hi! I am not an expert but this same thing happened to my tortoise. I realized the hissing noise was just him putting his head in his shell. Mine didn’t eat for the first week either, I figured out he only likes the end crunch part. Try mixing up your food and try giving him different parts like the ends. Also cut it in small pieces. Also give him time to adjust to his surroundings, you don’t want to stress them out too much. Best of luck!
 

Hayden5555

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Please help! It’s been a few days since I have received my male Russian tortoise about (4-5 inches) from a online tortoise store. It hasn’t eaten or drank anything. I have soaked him once in room temperature water. I try to feed him mushed tortoise pellets, dry tortoise pellets and organic baby spring mix lettuce. Please please help me ! He has peed once and pooped once but he doesn’t really move or anything! I have a baby Greek tortoise and he’s a hatchling and he eats everything I give him. I’m concerned. Please help
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Please help! It’s been a few days since I have received my male Russian tortoise about (4-5 inches) from a online tortoise store. It hasn’t eaten or drank anything. I have soaked him once in room temperature water. I try to feed him mushed tortoise pellets, dry tortoise pellets and organic baby spring mix lettuce. Please please help me ! He has peed once and pooped once but he doesn’t really move or anything! I have a baby Greek tortoise and he’s a hatchling and he eats everything I give him. I’m concerned. Please help
It takes tortoises time to adjust to new surroundings. I would continue soaking and offering fresh food and water daily. The new tortoise will start to eat when he feels comfortable in his new home.

Hopefully the tortoise isn't sick or ill, which is common with tortoises bought from online stores. They aren't breeders and are more like tortoise farms, so no telling how the tortoise was cared for before you got it. I do hope it has it's own enclosure, and it should always be kept separated from your Greek.
 

Lyn W

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Warn soak him more regularly to make sure he is hydrated and just keep making the food and fresh water available for him.
Are his temps warm enough? He won't eat unless he is warm - a digital temp gun is great or spot checking temps at tort level.
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is a good guide to what foods to offer him and to make sure your garden is safe.
 

Hayden5555

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It takes tortoises time to adjust to new surroundings. I would continue soaking and offering fresh food and water daily. The new tortoise will start to eat when he feels comfortable in his new home.

Hopefully the tortoise isn't sick or ill, which is common with tortoises bought from online stores. They aren't breeders and are more like tortoise farms, so no telling how the tortoise was cared for before you got it. I do hope it has it's own enclosure, and it should always be kept separated from your Greek.
Yes it’s separate. They come from two different climates and places so yes I keep them separate. The Russian is kept in a wood tortoise house with aspen chips for a substrate. He has a water dish and I give him food daily. Thanks for replying!
 

Lyn W

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Yes it’s separate. They come from two different climates and places so yes I keep them separate. The Russian is kept in a wood tortoise house with aspen chips for a substrate. He has a water dish and I give him food daily. Thanks for replying!
Hi Hayden and welcome
You need to read the Russian and Greek caresheets which will tell you all about diet temps, substrate and humidity etc. for each species. That will help you improve their diet and enclosures. I think the substrate for your Russian may be too dry for him but check what the caresheet says .
Starting your own thread and posting a picture of their enclosures with what bulbs/lamps you use and the temperatures will also help you get good advice.

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-care-guide.174622/
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

Pellets are OK as a supplement but leafy weeds etc are much better - see www.thetortoisetable.org.uk which is a good guide.
 

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