New to this! Does he look healthy to you? :)

[Courtneydael]

We just got a Russian tortoise last week and he is great! But the more I learn the more I realize the previous owner either didn't care for him properly or tried to make it seem easier than it is. I am just looking for opinions before he gets his check up so I can hopefully relax until then!

He seems great. Very active, good eater. He has a tank but I take him out and let him roam off and on throughout the day an he certainly gets around!

I added top and bottom picks of him. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! His name is Sherman (like the tank) but I kinda want to call him Skipperdee (like the turtle in Eloise) either way he is awesome!

 

[Yvonne G]

He looks fine to me, however, I wonder about the skin on his upper legs.

 

[tyler0912]

I agree, Beuatiful shell..But the legs..is that a problem or originality?

 

[Courtneydael]

I never even thought about his legs! :/ what are they suppose to look like? They look just like his neck... I need to do more research. Thank you!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome

 

[mainey34]

Hello and welcome. I wondered the same thing about his legs. They looked a little off.

 

[Courtneydael]

Here is a picture of hi legs from upside down (I felt bad flopping tr poor guy over!) do they look normal from this angle? :/

 

[Courtneydael]

Here I another!

 

[Tom]

I think you have a neat color variation of russian there. Looks okay to me from the one pic. There is not much we can see from a single pic.

 

[Laura]

when you let him roam... is it in a safe secure area? They will dissappear really quick...

 

[Levi the Leopard]

When I babysat a Russian tort for a friend, he had on his front legs and neck dark patches, similar to your pictures.

In this case I soaked the tort everyday for about a half hour in warm water. I also gently took a toothbrush in circular motion to the dark patches. He had lots of dirt packed on with dry un shed skin. It took a while to make a difference but by the end of his 3 weeks with me there was HUGE improvement. He wasn't getting soaks or that great of care :/ and the build up looked so uncomfortable.

For you, it may not be the same thing, could be a color variation.

But it can't hurt to give daily soaks a try. This may prove it to be coloration or you may help in removing build up.

Congrats on being in the tort family

 

[Courtneydael]

ooh, thank you! When I look at him his legs and head really do seem just dark, but I will try that with a toothbrush and some soaking. I would think it would have to feel good! He seems to like his neck and head rubbed/scratched a bit. and yes he is in a safe area while he roams. We live in a two story, not too big. so he wanders on the main floor... our couches are nice and low so he cant get under (he has tried!)and all doors and everything locked up tight, and no stairs or anything for him to fall down... we have a 2 and a half year old so everything is secure. I also have a baby gate type of thing I can set up for him if I want to let him roam but I am preoccupied or our son is super jacked up.

How much time should he spend out roaming? I get confused on the heat stuff... I know it is important for him to bask under his lamps but I know exercise is important too... should their be a limit to the time I let him roam? He seems comfortable roaming. Will stop for little naps sometimes but then get up and going again. :/ And I just LOVE watching him come out to the middle of the living room and see him stretch his neck out really far and high and just look around.

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

ooh, thank you! When I look at him his legs and head really do seem just dark, but I will try that with a toothbrush and some soaking. I would think it would have to feel good! He seems to like his neck and head rubbed/scratched a bit. and yes he is in a safe area while he roams. We live in a two story, not too big. so he wanders on the main floor... our couches are nice and low so he cant get under (he has tried!)and all doors and everything locked up tight, and no stairs or anything for him to fall down... we have a 2 and a half year old so everything is secure. I also have a baby gate type of thing I can set up for him if I want to let him roam but I am preoccupied or our son is super jacked up.

How much time should he spend out roaming? I get confused on the heat stuff... I know it is important for him to bask under his lamps but I know exercise is important too... should their be a limit to the time I let him roam? He seems comfortable roaming. Will stop for little naps sometimes but then get up and going again. :/ And I just LOVE watching him come out to the middle of the living room and see him stretch his neck out really far and high and just look around.

Congratulations! Stick with this forum, everyone on here is really helpful! The dangers of him roaming about, is he could eat anything, from dust bunnies to forgotten lost items. Not to mention biting an electrical cord! So just be careful! He looks like his beak may need to be dremeled, your vet can take care of that for you.

 

[Utah Lynn]

Welcome, Courtney. I think Sherman looks fine; however, by the looks of the bottom view, you have got a female tank there. Short, stubby tail.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Yes, I think you have a female

 

[Courtneydael]

He is a she?!?!?!? Poor little dudette has been misunderstood for years! :O

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

He is a she?!?!?!? Poor little dudette has been misunderstood for years! :O

So was mine The previous owners had "him" for 5+ years thinking it was a boy, I realized it was a girl when I found this forum