New to tortoise world

[BigDaveandBoris]

Hello,

My name is Richard (Dave is a nickname) I'm from West Yorkshire and have myself a 9-12month old horsfield tortoise

I've joined the forum as I'm very new to this, and this is my first ever tortoise or reptile... I'm worried about him/her as he/she doesn't seem to be eating or drinking that I can tell of anyway. I've put in clover leaves, lettuce (not iceberg) and dandelion substitute (kinda like pellets that you mix with water)

Every time I come to see him/her I notice that he/she is trying to climb the wall closet to the heat wall then when I move him/her to the heat wall he/she try's to climb that... Is it cold?

Thanks

Richard and Boris

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Richard:

Welcome to the Forum!

I'm not sure what kind of medium you're using for substrate, but it doesn't look like something that takes well to water. We like to use substrates that you can moisten a bit. It's good for the tortoise if the substrate is slightly moist underneath and dry on top.

Yes, your tortoise is a little on the cool side. The light needs to be hung so it shines straight down. Then you have to move it up, or down, while testing the temperature. Higher is cooler, naturally, and lower is warmer. You want to end up with around 100F directly under the light fading to around 80F on one end and room temperature on the other end.

Russian tortoises are great for not being satisfied in an indoor enclosure. They would much rather be free (or outside in a very large, well-planted garden). So you're just going to have to get used to the tortoise scrabbling at the corners and trying to escape. A bigger habitat might help a little. Some of us use very large plastic totes for habitats.

It sometimes takes a tortoise a couple weeks to settle down and realize this is his new home, but if a tortoise isn't warm enough, he won't eat. They have to be able to warm their inner core up to AT LEAST 80F degrees in order to digest their food. If they can't get at least that warm, they don't eat.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Richard welcome to the TFO from
Phx AZ. USA
You have gotten the same info . That
I could I've you good luck with the tort

---

Hello Richard welcome to the TFO from
Phx AZ. USA
You have gotten the same info . That
I could have given you
Good luck with your tort

 

[BigDaveandBoris]

Hi Richard:

Welcome to the Forum!

I'm not sure what kind of medium you're using for substrate, but it doesn't look like something that takes well to water. We like to use substrates that you can moisten a bit. It's good for the tortoise if the substrate is slightly moist underneath and dry on top.

Yes, your tortoise is a little on the cool side. The light needs to be hung so it shines straight down. Then you have to move it up, or down, while testing the temperature. Higher is cooler, naturally, and lower is warmer. You want to end up with around 100F directly under the light fading to around 80F on one end and room temperature on the other end.

Russian tortoises are great for not being satisfied in an indoor enclosure. They would much rather be free (or outside in a very large, well-planted garden). So you're just going to have to get used to the tortoise scrabbling at the corners and trying to escape. A bigger habitat might help a little. Some of us use very large plastic totes for habitats.

It sometimes takes a tortoise a couple weeks to settle down and realize this is his new home, but if a tortoise isn't warm enough, he won't eat. They have to be able to warm their inner core up to AT LEAST 80F degrees in order to digest their food. If they can't get at least that warm, they don't eat.

Thanks I Deffo will get the light closer soon as, ask for the dandelion substitute it does say add water which I did do and they have kinda swollen with absorbing the water. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to mush it though. I've added a lettuce leaf but today he has been preoccupied with chasing his reflection up and down the glass

 

[BigDaveandBoris]

What kind of bedding does a tortoise need?

 

[Yvonne G]

My favorite substrate is Orchid Bark (fir bark), and I buy the fine or small grade. If I can't find orchid bark I'll use cypress mulch. Some members swear by Bed-A-Beast (coconut coir), but I don't like it.

 

[vanilla13gorilla]

Hello and welcome!!.

From W. Yorkshire?. How neat...

I use Peat Moss for my RT, It's a little hydrophobic out of the bag but it just takes a little mixing and its a nice substrate, light, fluffy and they love to burrow in that stuff. I use 'Spring Mix' when I have nothing 'fresh' for them.. they love it. I don't know if you have the weather for this guy, might need sunshine. If your like me and socked in by the snow and cold, I use the T5 HO UVB bulbs and a T5 HO SUNLIGHT bulb, to substitute the sun. I know, it's no way near the quality of the sun but is better then nothing during the winter months. DO NOT USE the CFL UVB bulbs, I guess they 'fixed' the issues with these bulbs but I still don't trust them as far as I could spit into the wind. Tube florescent bulbs or Mercury Vapor Bulbs, they cost a bit more, are the way to go. I also read somewhere that 'Halogen' bulbs DO emit a small amount of UVA.. I use that for my basking light, 100 watt bulb you find at and improvement store...

Hope this helps a small bit...

Cheers!!....