Please help pet store Russian?

[HeatherFeather76]

Hey y'all just wondering if by all appearances does this Russian look healthy? She is around 4-5 " The white on the nose is questionable and I think the beak might need trimmed. She is in a 2' x 2' Glass aquarium And although my tortoise table and outdoor enclosure are not completely ready yet they are ready enough to save her today (supposedly a girl don't matter) just want to make sure she is going to be healthy enough until I can get her to our local exotic vet after Mother's Day. Also I'm not sure but I think she is captive bred because she seems really friendly.

 

[Taylor T.]

Yes, she does look quite healthy especially for a pet store tortoise that are usually wild caught. her beak is slightly too long but you probably can gently file it down with an emery board or, if that does not work you can try using nail clippers.

The other issue that I see in the photos are that carrots are not a very good food to be fed often. He should be fed a variety of leafy weeds such as Dandelion, Hawksbit, Plantain, etc. Here is a link to a website where you can look up different plans to see if they are edible:

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/

 

[HeatherFeather76]

Yes, she does look quite healthy especially for a pet store tortoise that are usually wild caught. her beak is slightly too long but you probably can gently file it down with an emery board or, if that does not work you can try using nail clippers.

The other issue that I see in the photos are that carrots are not a very good food to be fed often.

Yes I did notice that about the carrots it was just too late for me to edit my post ha ha! So many things are wrong with her environment. I can do a lot better thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I did ask him if she was captive bred he said yes I said well I saw the other ones you had in here a couple months ago and I know them we're not and he shook his head and he said well I really don't know. And I said either way it's a tortoise that needs a home and I can give it one.

 

[HeatherFeather76]

Yes, she does look quite healthy especially for a pet store tortoise that are usually wild caught. her beak is slightly too long but you probably can gently file it down with an emery board or, if that does not work you can try using nail clippers.

The other issue that I see in the photos are that carrots are not a very good food to be fed often. He should be fed a variety of leafy weeds such as Dandelion, Hawksbit, Plantain, etc. Here is a link to a website where you can look up different plans to see if they are edible:

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/

Omg yes! It has become my bible so to speak I have already collected sow thistle seeds and they just sprouted this morning ! Thanks for link anyways

 

[Taylor T.]

What kind of UVB bulb does she have? is one of the coil florescent bulbs that pet stores always try to sell? If so get rid of it immediately.

 

[HeatherFeather76]

What kind of UVB bulb does she have? is one of the coil florescent bulbs that pet stores always try to sell? If so get rid of it immediately.

No I assure you it will not be anything that the pet store recommends I have done alot research on here to know what I should and should not have right now she will have a regular incandescent flood light bulb for basking while indoors and she's going to have a tube light for uvb the 10.5 2' also for when she can't go outside. I am going by Tom's care sheet for adult Russians.I have built an L table and I will be making her outdoor enclosure this week. Here's my L ...I'm using orchid bark for the substrate I have all kinds of plants that she can go ahead and eat and I have some that she can't eat yet I have a 2 acre yard with tons of weeds think I even started a weed garden and my neighbors absolutely think I'm nuts lol! I've been digging up weeds and putting them in pots. I have clay water saucer a temperature gun I think I have everything I need except cuttlebone.

 

[Taylor T.]

Looks great! you may need to have another one of those UVB lights on the other side of the enclosure. It is a large enclosure (very good thing) so that one light may not cover enough of it.

 

[HeatherFeather76]

Looks great! you may need to have another one of those UVB lights on the other side of the enclosure. It is a large enclosure (very good thing) so that one light may not cover enough of it.

Thank you! Oh yes I know I've been waiting for more to show up at local flea market. I am also going to rig something up for it so it can hang over the center of the table. The plants will love the light too. Plus Lowes has these I thought would be really cool I could put a regular tube light and the UV be one in the same fixture. All I went in pet store for was coco coir (for future tortoise plants) I have passed on all...but her little cutie.

 

[HeatherFeather76]

Just wanted to share...Her she is! MAYDAY MAYDAY is her name! I swear she smiling at me Far as I can tell she's doing really good. I only have her in one part of the L for now first thing she ate was some sow thistle and spider plant. I soaked her this morning for about 15 minutes she did really good, did what she supposed to (went potty) she's running all over the place and keeps looking at me like is this real! I don't think she's ever seen a petunia. Taking her outside soon can't wait to see what she dose.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Glad you're here with us and so glad Mayday has you for her caretaker.

 

[wellington]

Glad you got her. She/he doesn't look bad. Even the beak could get filed down if you feed on a ruff surface like a clay tile flat stone. Also don't forget humidity. 30-50% at least or a humid hide.
She probably is wild caught. Very sad they don't know anything about the animals they sell. No excuses now days with Internet.

 

[HeatherFeather76]

First I’d like to start off by saying I’m sorry for not being a active member for so long. (early summer we lost my mother-in-law to cancer) Thanks y’all very much, I’m happy to be here and found this site! Mayday did end up being a boy. I took your advice put a flat stone in his feeding dish never did have to touch his nails or beak, which in my opinion is great, I think the less you have to mess with any of that the better off they are.(which I know means providing the right environment for them as well) I ended up using a mix of Coco choir and orchid bark for the substrate I keep it damp not soaking wet as per the advice on this forum. All the plants have grown up good there’s 50% humidity. He would not use a humid hide he tore down everything I built him. So I had to get creative. I put a great big Boston fern at one end of his tortoise table and that pretty much creates a humid hide between it and the substrate. I had the flowerpot and the plant already just needed to put them together and in the table. Looks awesome and he loves it! I have learned so much from the time I first appeared on this form till now I laugh at my old posts and my inexperience. But then I am amazed at what all I’ve learned and figured out for my tortoise and situation. Again thank you all very much! Here’s some pictures the sixth one I just took he’s waiting for his food LOL

 

[JoesMum]

Wow what an enclosure! So clever to make it a big but not an eyesore in the room!