Please help - russian tortoise pet hasnt eaten in 1.5 weeks!

[Tortoiseforkid]

We got a Russian tortoise (about 4in big) for my son from the pet store 1.5 weeks ago and have him in a 40gallon terrarium that we also purchased from the store (it came with 2 light sources, one for providing heat and the other for night time viewing). The turtle was quite active in the store but since it came home it hasn't eaten anything we have tried to give it (spinach, baisil, readymade food mix we bought at the pet store etc). All it does is burrow itself in a corner and not move for the whole day. I have tried to soak it in warm water 2-3 times and it appears to drink some of it but then walks out and just goes back to its burrowed spot or creates a new one.
At first we thought it may take some time to acclimatize to the new environment but now I am worried that something may be wrong with the setup or we need to take it to the vet. Can someone please advise?

 

[T Smart]

Hi,

Do you mind posting a picture of the setup? What are the temperatures within the enclosure?

Considering that it sounds more like a setup / husbandry issue, I don’t see a need to visit the vet. There are very experienced members here that can help.

If you haven’t already, take a quick look at these care sheets.

Russian Tortoise Care Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/

 

[TechnoCheese]

It is still getting used to its environment, so it is likely very stressed. However, answering these questions and giving us pictures of your enclosure may help us figure out any other things that could be the problem.

-what are your temperatures? Basking, cool side, and night.

-do you have any uvb? If so, what kind of bulb?

-what substrate are you using?

It sounds like there are definitely things that need to be changed about your enclosure.

-40 gallons is much, much too small for this tortoise. An adult Russian (you have a wild caught adult) requires a minimum enclosure size of 8x4 feet.

-this tortoise should be eating mostly weeds from outside. What rest made food are you using?

-colored bulbs should not be used at any time, day or night. Reptiles can see both the color and the light, so it can deny them of a day or night cycle and make them eat their substrate.

Please give these a read, and come back with questions.

Russian Tortoise Care Sheet https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/

Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

 

[Tortoiseforkid]

Here are some pictures of the setup. The two temperature gauges that came with the setup show 80f but I am not sure if that is truly the temperature on the ground. The substrate is a coconut husk material that we bought at the store. I was told this is a baby tortoise probably 6months old by the store clerk. One of the bulbs is a wide array 100W bulb that is supposed to provide heat and UVA/UVB (I didn’t keep the box unfortunately so don’t know the specifics).

 

[TechnoCheese]

Sadly, store clerks very rarely know anything about the animals they sell, and this is no exception. A 6 month old Russian looks like this-

Pet stores in America can legally only sell tortoises 4 inches or larger. This means that they ship ones from the wild to sell instead of raising them for years. Yours is an adult, and anywhere from 4-15+ years old.

-those analog thermometers are completely inaccurate. You need a digital one with a probe, or a digital temp gun. Be sure that you are measuring the temperatures where the tortoise is, and not the air. Correct temperatures are crucial to an animal that can not regulate its own.

-your basking temperature should be 95-100 degrees. If it is 80, it is much too low, and would be the cause of the inactivity,

-be sure to replace the ramp bowl and food bowls with terra cotta saucers. Those ramps are huge flipping hazards, and much harder to use than the saucers. Your food bowls are too small and steep.

-what kind of pellets are those?

Be sure to read those links, and make changes. There’s no such thing as too many questions

 

[Tortoiseforkid]

Wow. Clearly we were misled by the pet store people. I have ordered a temperature gun and should be able to measure the ambient temperature with it when it arrives today. We did take the tortoise outside yesterday since it was quite warm here and it did seem active during that time. I am also looking at other changes as you have suggested and will keep you posted. Thanks again for all your helpful suggestions!

 

[TechnoCheese]

Wow. Clearly we were misled by the pet store people. I have ordered a temperature gun and should be able to measure the ambient temperature with it when it arrives today. We did take the tortoise outside yesterday since it was quite warm here and it did seem active during that time. I am also looking at other changes as you have suggested and will keep you posted. Thanks again for all your helpful suggestions!

No problem!