New tortoise “Frank”

[kaitlinamber123]

hey everyone, I got a new tortoise and named him frank!
I think he’s a Russian tortoise.
He has not been coming out of his home and I can’t get him to eat, he has drank some water when he was soaking though. He has been leaving his legs sprawled out weird behind him which I thought wasn’t good.
Any suggestions??

 

[Yvonne G]

Not warm enough. Give us some info on how he is set up, lights heat, etc.

 

[Yvonne G]

In the meantime I'll give you some helpful hints on what I see wrong in your picture.

Tortoises have no way to bend their shell, so in order to get up, over, then down into those high-sided bowls, they have to extend their neck very far out, and that doesn't feel safe to them. It puts them in a bad position far as predators are concerned.

Most russians from pet stores are wild caught and they don't recognise pellets as being something to eat. Russians eat broad leaf plants and weeds. Try offering him some endive and escarole on a flat surface, like a tile or piece of cement.

 

[kaitlinamber123]

Not warm enough. Give us some info on how he is set up, lights heat, etc.

I tried a dehydrated food mixture I added water too that is what they used at pet store, he didn’t like that, I tried an apple, kale and romaine, as well as the pellets. I have one heat lamp and one uv lamp they all came together in a starter kit. The temperature by the heat lamp is around 90 degrees. Should I get another heat lamp??

 

[kaitlinamber123]

Here is total set up

 

[daniellenc]

I would also swap out the bowls for flat terra-cotta saucers or just a piece of slate. How are you measuring the temps?

 

[kaitlinamber123]

Two temp gauges came with the starter kit

 

[daniellenc]

Here is total set up

Those are always wrong. I hate pet stores even sell these silly kits. You can get a cheap digital thermometer off amazon that is much more accurate.

 

[kaitlinamber123]

Okay, so do you think it isn’t warm enough for him?

 

[daniellenc]

Well I’m not sure. Is your CHE on a thermostat? If so what’s it set at and what are your temps in your house? Russians can handle a drop in temp at night so room temp is fine but they do need a basking spot around 90-95 degrees during the day to digest food. Pet stores give horrible advice so don’t beat yourself up. Check out the Russian tortoise care sheet on here.

 

[Yvonne G]

Aw geez. I'm so very sorry you bought the stuff the pet store talked you in to. It's all wrong. About the only thing right in that set up is the substrate and the hiding place.

Russian tortoises are travelers. In the wild they wander great distances looking for food. This is something that's hard wired into them, so even though you provide food, they still have the need to wander great distances. Your little aquarium doesn't offer enough room for wandering. In fact, with all the bowls there's no room at all for any kind of walking. It's like you living your life in a well-lighted closet. Money probably is tight now, after spending so much for these supplies, but as soon as you can afford it, you need a much bigger enclosure for him. We recommend 4'x8', but I doubt there are many of us who have that kind of room in the house to devote to a tortoise enclosure.

This is the time of year you can find Christmas tree storage bins manufactured by Iris. They'r about 4' long and would be a much better fit for a Russian tortoise than what you have him in. They cost $25 to $30 and you can usually find them at Walmart. If you can't find a Christmas tree tote, you can buy a couple of the largest (by largest, I mean floor space, not tall sides) plastic bins you can find. Cut out opposing ends and tape them together, end to end.

You are measuring the temperature at the top of your aquarium. You need to move your gauge down to tortoise level. I think your tortoise's problem is too small an area (making him depressed) and not warm enough.

Another thing: Wire screen tops with the lights on the outside of the wire stops the UVB from reaching the tortoise. The screen filters out the UVB rays. And if the pet store sold you a compact fluorescent bulb (those curly shaped bulbs) they are know to be harmful to tortoise's eyes. Besides that, they aren't a good provider of UVB.

 

[Yvonne G]

Here's what a Christmas tree storage bin by Iris looks like:



This set up is for babies. For your Russian you wouldn't use so many plants, giving him more space to walk.

 

[kaitlinamber123]

Okay! I took out the other rocks and lowered the temp gauges. I will be in city Monday again so I will look for better temp gauges, what is a better uv bulb to get and where can I find it?
Thanks for all you’re help!

 

[daniellenc]

You can order a digital thermometer on amazon for about $10 and the bulbs. In the meantime you can sink your food and water bowls into the substrate so they are easier and safer to access.

 

[vladimir]

Okay! I took out the other rocks and lowered the temp gauges. I will be in city Monday again so I will look for better temp gauges, what is a better uv bulb to get and where can I find it?
Thanks for all you’re help!

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You're in great hands here with the advice you've gotten. I can't wait to see how you and your new tort get adjusted

 

[daniellenc]

You're in great hands here with the advice you've gotten. I can't wait to see how you and your new tort get adjusted

All these Russian tort posts make me almost want one but limited space and time.

 

[kaitlinamber123]

So what do I do if he continuous to not eat?
When should I be concerned?

 

[daniellenc]

So what do I do if he continuous to not eat?
When should I be concerned?

It can take weeks. Especially since most pet store Russians are wild caught. The good news is no healthy animal will ever starve themselves but you’ll need to not disturb, not handle, and keep it low key for awhile. If after 2 weeks and still not eating you may need a vet to rule out parasites/worms but most if left alone will absolutely start eating!