Russian Tortoise eating but not pooping

FomTarro

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Hello all!

My partner and I recently adopted a small female Russian Tortoise (named Coco). We've had her about 4 months. She generally seems pretty happy. However, recently, she has begun pooping far less than usual (once every ~3 or more days, rather than twice a day). She still eats the same amount every day, which seems good, but I'm worried. Is this normal?

Here's all the background info I have seen people ask for in other threads, if it helps:

I give her hot soaks for 30 minutes every other day, and she eats daily in the morning (Spring mix, but she heavily favors radicchio and picks it out over all other foods in the mix). She is about 4.5 inches long, and her enclosure is a little over 16 ft^2, with coco coir substrate. The hot end of the enclosure is ~95F with a UVB mercury vapor bulb, while the cool end is ~82F. Humidity is between 30-40%.
 

jsheffield

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I would increase the frequency of soaking to daily until the pooping is regular again.

Jamie
 

wellington

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What is the night temp? Russians can go with no heat except a basking bulb in the summer time. At night it should get as cool as 60-65 if possible, so no heat on during the summer at least.
She also needs more to eat then just spring mix. Take a look at the Russian care sheet under the Russian section.
Be sure when you feed, you give enough that she can graze throughout the day on it.
 

FomTarro

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Perhaps it does not adequately cool off at night, as it stays around 70-75 with no heat or lights.

With respect to diet, we have tried feeding her other greens, like dandelions, but she staunchly refuses to eat them. Even when left with that as her food source for days, she won't touch them. I am not sure how to rectify this behavior.
 
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SweetGreekTorts

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Perhaps it does not adequately cool off at night, as it stays around 70.

With respect to diet, we have tried feeding her other greens, like dandelions, but she staunchly refuses to eat them. Even when left with that as her food source for days, she won't touch them. I am not sure how to rectify this behavior.
Tortoises are stubborn and don't like change. But they'll never starve themselves. Keep giving her other foods and she'll start to eat them. You can try mixing different things together and slowly wean back on the stuff she prefers to eat so she starts eating more of the other things.
 

FomTarro

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Thank you all for the advice. I should clarify, historically she has eaten: red lettuce, radicchio, collard greens, endives, escarole, and grass we grow (but we are unable to grow enough grass for that to be her primary food). I really want to get her on to dandelions as well.

Could this change in pooping behavior be purely diet related? I'm mostly worried about constipation, but I feel like she wouldn't keep eating if she had a blockage.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Thank you all for the advice. I should clarify, historically she has eaten: red lettuce, radicchio, collard greens, endives, escarole, and grass we grow (but we are unable to grow enough grass for that to be her primary food). I really want to get her on to dandelions as well.

Could this change in pooping behavior be purely diet related? I'm mostly worried about constipation, but I feel like she wouldn't keep eating if she had a blockage.
Russians actually aren't a species that eats grass as their main diet. Their staple diet is weeds and broadleaf greens. In addition to the grocery greens you mentioned, I also feed mine prickly pear cactus (and the opuntia fruit, which has no sugars), and Mazuri.

There are a couple breeders who put together weed mixes for tortoises that are great to grow in an outdoor enclosure. Here are some links.

Arizona Tortoise Compound
http://www.arizonatortoisecompound.com/Edible-Tortoise-Seed-Mixes/

Tortoise Supply
https://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
 

FomTarro

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I think by grass, I meant weeds. I don't know what the specific mix is, but its a groundcover of some sort, which my partner bought marketed as tortoise food. So it should be safe. It reminds me of clover leaves. Some of them are straight blades like grass, others are small and leafy.

I apologize for not being more clear. They're not vegetables so I think of them as grasses. But you're right, it's not like, sod or anything.

I should also mention that, living in the northeast US, she is an indoor tortoise now that it's autumn.
 

Yvonne G

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If you think she's constipated you can feed her some 'wet' type foods like cucumber, aloe, cactus, etc. You can also spritz water over her food so she takes in more water.
 

FomTarro

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Good to know. I have to imagine she's well hydrated, as she urinates almost entirely clear sprays about once daily. I also didn't know cucumber was safe for them to eat! Thank you.
 

Yvonne G

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Good to know. I have to imagine she's well hydrated, as she urinates almost entirely clear sprays about once daily. I also didn't know cucumber was safe for them to eat! Thank you.
It's not harmful when fed in moderation, but the only health benefit is the moisture content, it's not high in nutrition.
 

FomTarro

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Thank you everyone for your good advice. Early yesterday morning, during a 40+ minute soak with repeatedly reheated water, Coco pooped. A lot.

I will look in to breaking her habitual diet and see if that helps prevent this from becoming a repeat problem. Thanks!
 

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