New Russian Tortoise Mom, need info please.

[rachel__78]

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Hi Guys!!! I am a new tortoise mom and I have a few questions about my little guy. I assume he is a boy, but Im not sure.

1. He is just at 5 inches long from front of shell to back of shell. How old do you think he is?
2. Does he look captive bred or wild caught?
3. Is it a boy or a girl?

I have attached photos and hope they help. Thank you so much and I look forward to your responses.
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[Yvonne G]

That flat under-shell (plastron) fools you every time, huh? Male Russian tortoises don't get a concave plastron. Your little gal is a female. And she has a bit more growing to do. I'd say she may be just about coming into breeding size.

Welcome to the Forum!!

We have a pretty nice care sheet for Russian tortoises in the "important Threads" section at the top of the Russian section.

The tortoise looks wild caught to me, and maybe about 8 to 10 years old. Hard to tell with wild caught animals.

Oh, and just a note about your waterer. Some tortoises are able to use those type dishes just fine, but other have difficulty climbing in and out of them. It's not unheard of to hear of one who tipped over backwards and drowned. You might consider sinking it down into the substrate so it's not so hard for him to reach.

 

[bigrussiantortoise]

Another thing is she has a stubby tail telling that she is a female males will have a long tail and is usually to one side

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You might want to also try this site to for more info. http://russiantortoise.net

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Welcome new tortoise mom! I've got a few russian tortoises as well. I agree with above posts, you have a female. The males have a much longer tail. Long enough that they hold it to the side and will cover almost an entire leg opening. Ask questions. They are a great specie of tortoise. Have you had a fecal done yet to rule out worms?