Second new Russian tortoise in 3 weeks

[Ambaez102889]

Hi everyone so I got my first Russian tortoise 2 1/2 weeks ago and she passed this Monday. She was gasping for air the second day I got her. I went back to we’re I got her and they said it was possibly a respiratory infection, parasite, or stress from the new habitat. Now I have a male tortoise named squirrel for 4 days and he is always burrowing. I know the tempts and lighting is good, so I assume he is srilll adjusting. The thing is I have not seen him eat a single thing. I believe he is drinking as the levels are different when I get home. I’m freaking out because I don’t want anything to happen to him. Please help me

 

[wellington]

What are the temps and humidity day night and basking? How old is he?

 

[Ambaez102889]

What are the temps and humidity day night and basking? How old is he?

90°f and I leave the basking and uv on for 12-14 hrs a day. The man that I got it from told me the substrate will hold more than enough moisture and that I shouldn't spray. He told me to soak him maybe twice a week for 10mins.

 

[Ambaez102889]

90°f and I leave the basking and uv on for 12-14 hrs a day. The man that I got it from told me the substrate will hold more than enough moisture and that I shouldn't spray. He told me to soak him maybe twice a week for 10mins.

Its a 100w backing bulb and a tube uv bulb

 

[Yvonne G]

From what I can see of him, he's a pretty nice-looking little Russian tortoise, but he's in way too small an enclosure. Go to Walmart or someplace like that and get a couple of very large plastic bins. Cut out the opposite ends of each of them and tape them together to make one large bin. Then figure out how to build some sort of framework to hold the lights so they can hang straight down over the enclosure. PVC goes together without glue quite easily. Of course, the best place for your new tortoise is outside, so once the weather warms up, be thinking about how you can set him up in a safe and secure outdoor area.

Give your new tortoise a couple weeks to settle in and once he feels safe in his new digs he'll be more active.

In the meantime, read our care sheet: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[wellington]

90 is too hot for a Russian unless that is only the basking area.
Over all temp should varied from 75-80 and all heat off at night but dont let it get lower then 60.

 

[wellington]

Oh also it for sure needs a bigger enclosure 4x8 feet minimum for an adult and the water dish is no good. Get a low sided clay saucer for water one he can fit all the way into.
Also screen blocks uvb.