shy new tortoise

[Mercy from Minnesota]

I got a new Russian Tortoise from a reputable reptile store about 6 weeks ago, She is about 41/2 inches and appeared active and healthy when I bought her. She continues to be very shy, not eating from my hand and withdrawing when picked up, generally hissing. This is quite different from my first tortoise who was very responsive, liked to be scratched on her neck, and responded positively to attention. Help!

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

You've got a wild caught animal. It will take some time to get comfortable in its new home. Also, per stores usually give terrible care advice and sell you all the wrong products. Take a look at this thread for the correct and current care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[saleena.lewis]

They will be shy at first. Can we see your setup?

 

[TortoiseWarrior]

I would give it 3 to 6 months. After being caught from the wild and being shipped from place to place a lot of stress can build up. They need a lot of time to settle in and adapt. After a lot of feedings they realize who you are and tend to be more social