New Russian Tortoise Owners

[Quiche]

Hey, all! My husband and I did quite a bit of research before buying our first ever reptile, a Russian tortoise that we have named Da Vinci. We bought him from a pet store that was not properly caring for the little guy, so I'm hoping he will be in much better hands now.
We are slightly concerned because this is his second day with us and he has remained mostly hidden and hasn't eaten anything at all. (We offered him some dandelions and clover, but he seemed completely disinterested.) I also gave him a ten-minute soak in shallow, warm water in our bathtub so he did urinate and drink (and later defecated).
I am sure we will both have a million questions in these first few days/weeks. We are so excited to have him and enthralled by everything (loved getting to watch him drink!!). I'm kind of a worry wart, and I really want to treat him well and offer him the best home we can. Thanks in advance for the help!!

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[wellington]

Welcome and Congrats. It will take a while for him/her to get comfortable with the giants ( in his view) and realize they aren't going to eat him. Others may be able to give you some ideas on what his favorite food might be and you could try that. In the mean time, give him some quiet space and keep putting food in for him and keep up the soakings. Also make sure there is water available 24/7 that he can get in and out of. He should come around.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome, Quiche!

Is your husband's username Pandiculator?

 

[Quiche]

Welcome, Quiche!

Is your husband's username Pandiculator?

Thanks. And yep! That's him.

 

[kanalomele]

Welcome to TFO! There are a lot of Russian lovers here... Including ME! My only type of tort for many years now, so I'm whit prejudiced I must admit. But I'm crazy for them.
It is totally normal for him to not want to move for a couple of days. In fact you may hear him moving around before you see him. Make sure you give him what he needs, and leave him alone for now. Soon enough he will be out and in charge!

 

[Quiche]

Welcome to TFO! There are a lot of Russian lovers here... Including ME! My only type of tort for many years now, so I'm whit prejudiced I must admit. But I'm crazy for them.
It is totally normal for him to not want to move for a couple of days. In fact you may hear him moving around before you see him. Make sure you give him what he needs, and leave him alone for now. Soon enough he will be out and in charge!

So glad to hear that this is normal! Can't wait until we get to see him be more active. I'm already in love with the little guy, even though he's just a burried stress-ball right now. If he's not eating, should I leave the greens in there even if they're all wilted? And how long should I let him remain buried before I should be concerned?

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[Quiche]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes. He came out today!! He didn't eat all that much, but maybe that's because he knew I was watching him. I took him out of his enclosure and snapped a few photos (couldn't help myself). We've scheduled an appointment with the vet for Friday to make sure he doesn't have any worms/parasites/etc. Also, my husband is out getting a better water dish right now as I'm posting this. I realize the one we have has sides that are a bit too tall, and it's also not the best size for him. He still seems a little unsure of his surroundings, but it is all very new, so I'm not too worried. I'm just glad he ate a little something today.
Since I'm inexperienced, I'd really appreciate it if someone could let me know if 1) he seems pretty healthy in appearance? (To me, nothing stands out as being unhealthy, but you all that have been at this for much longer can probably see things I wouldn't.) and 2) about how old he is? I know this would only be a guess and that you can't know for certain unless you knew his hatch date. But I don't have any clue. Is he 1 year old or closer to 20? I wouldn't really know. hahaha.
Thanks again! You all have been so helpful already!!