questions for my russian tortoise

[russian tortoise boy]

ok i have several questions for you guys

i upgrade my russian tortoise's house 1st house : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYStStlxKD8 2nd house : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U49JZWcrSEw is her second house big enough.

what is supposed to be her daily food/diet.

i give her warm bath everyday is that good?

what light and heat should i give to her? is uvb lamp/light is for heat or just light and where can i get a uvb lamp and uvb bulb?

im planning to buy a male russian tortoise to breed with her, if she lay eggs where does she lays it, where do i need to put the eggs and how and how many days does it hatches.

thanks in advance!

 

[wellington]

I can't answer your questions. However you might find some of your answers in this thread. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-3890...z28R3vNn95

 

[lynnedit]

And here is another good source: you can find information on enclosure size, diet, etc.

http://russiantortoise.net/

The second enclosure that you created is better with the soil/coir substrate. However, it probably still needs to be larger.
An even better choice is a 50 gal Rubbermaid tote; very inexpensive at places like Home Depot or Lowe's. Fill the entire thing with the soil/coir.
Better yet is an enclosure, at least part of the year, outside.
Look at the above web site about foods: dark leafy greens and weeds are the best. You can start with an organic Spring mix from the grocery store as a base and add to that.

Please don't get one female. It is possible that the male will harass her to the point of illness and possibly death. A ratio of 1 male to 3 females and a MUCH larger enclosure outside would be essential. Often males and females have to be kept separately most of the year. Also, Russians are solitary creatures in the wild, so don't need 'friends'.

 

[Bobo's Dad]

And here is another good source: you can find information on enclosure size, diet, etc.

http://russiantortoise.net/

The second enclosure that you created is better with the soil/coir substrate. However, it probably still needs to be larger.
An even better choice is a 50 gal Rubbermaid tote; very inexpensive at places like Home Depot or Lowe's. Fill the entire thing with the soil/coir.
Better yet is an enclosure, at least part of the year, outside.
Look at the above web site about foods: dark leafy greens and weeds are the best. You can start with an organic Spring mix from the grocery store as a base and add to that.

Please don't get one female. It is possible that the male will harass her to the point of illness and possibly death. A ratio of 1 male to 3 females and a MUCH larger enclosure outside would be essential. Often males and females have to be kept separately most of the year. Also, Russians are solitary creatures in the wild, so don't need 'friends'.

Singing "Three Girls for every boyyyyy" Beach boys right? The must have been tort people!

 

[lynnedit]

Lol, but I think Surfers spend their time surfing, but male torts spend their time....well...

And now I have that song in my head!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Singing "Three Girls for every boyyyyy" Beach boys right? The must have been tort people!

hahahahahahaha I LOVE IT

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

ok i have several questions for you guys

i upgrade my russian tortoise's house 1st house : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYStStlxKD8 2nd house : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U49JZWcrSEw is her second house big enough.

what is supposed to be her daily food/diet.

i give her warm bath everyday is that good?

what light and heat should i give to her? is uvb lamp/light is for heat or just light and where can i get a uvb lamp and uvb bulb?

im planning to buy a male russian tortoise to breed with her, if she lay eggs where does she lays it, where do i need to put the eggs and how and how many days does it hatches.

thanks in advance!

1) Daily diet should be various leafy greens, such as chicory, dandelion, endive, escarole, cultivated lettuce, prickly lettuce, arugula, kale, collards, turnip greens, etc. You can also use a quality commercial food like Mazuri Tortoise Diet. All of these are fine, but don't stick to any one of them. Keep the diet varied, switching between different foods on different days.

2) I advise against giving tortoises daily baths, unless they are sick and need it. Too frequent bathing can be stressful. I recommend giving your Russian tortoise a weekly, warm-water bath for 5-15 minutes (whatever your tortoise is comfortable with).

3) Ambient temperatures should be in the 70s to low 80s, with a basking temperature of 95-100*F. Lighting should provide illumination and UVA/UVB radiation. I use a fluorescent strip light (ZooMed Repti-Sun 10.0) for light and UV, and a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) for basking.

4) If you keep multiple tortoises indoors, give each one a separate enclosure to prevent fighting or harassment. As for egg-laying, it's best to let females outside where they can choose a nice, sandy spot with the right amount of moisture and warmth on their own. Then you can either let the eggs incubate naturally, or else remove after the tortoise has left for artificial incubation indoors. Russian tortoise can lay up to 3 clutches per summer, with up 5 eggs per clutch, for a total of 15 eggs per year.