Tortoise doesn't seem to like his new enclosure? Please help :(

JennyBrown

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Hey!
I'm kinda at a loss here, I have had my russian tortoise for 2 years now, he used to be in a glass terrarium and he didn't seem to have any problems, I know it wasn't big enough but space and money makes my options limited.
I decided to make him a new terrarium out of wood and pond lining on the interior, but now he won't stop banging/headbutting the walls.
He also has a second floor in the terrarium to try and give him more room to run and climb, at first it started where he'd go in a corner on the second floor and just scratching at the corner walls for hours without end. I work from home so the noise was unbearable so I blocked off the second floor while I work... but now he's banging the walls on the bottom area none the less.
I've read that they'll bang on glass walls cause they can't understand that they can't get through, but he never did that in his old terrarium cause I put sight guards, but why is he doing it now??
What can I do to stop this/make him feel more comfortable? I'm not understanding what this behavior means.
 

JennyBrown

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1608047609703.png1608047645367.png1608047663670.png
Sorry if they aren't great,
Usually his food is next to his bath on the second floor, but I move it to underneath the platform during the day.
His lights is a UVB and 150w heating bulb.
 

Yossarian

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how long ago did you make the change to the new habitat? Also, has the tort been allowed to run around the house freely at all in the meantime?

Otherwise, based on the pics, your tort is big enough to reach the roof from the second level. That is the kind of thing they will spend forever trying to get through. I would remove it entirely.
 

Neon_xero

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Hey!
I'm kinda at a loss here, I have had my russian tortoise for 2 years now, he used to be in a glass terrarium and he didn't seem to have any problems, I know it wasn't big enough but space and money makes my options limited.
I decided to make him a new terrarium out of wood and pond lining on the interior, but now he won't stop banging/headbutting the walls.
He also has a second floor in the terrarium to try and give him more room to run and climb, at first it started where he'd go in a corner on the second floor and just scratching at the corner walls for hours without end. I work from home so the noise was unbearable so I blocked off the second floor while I work... but now he's banging the walls on the bottom area none the less.
I've read that they'll bang on glass walls cause they can't understand that they can't get through, but he never did that in his old terrarium cause I put sight guards, but why is he doing it now??
What can I do to stop this/make him feel more comfortable? I'm not understanding what this behavior means.
My female Russian tortoise does the exact same thing in her glass terrarium so since I live in Texas its usually hot here so we either let her walk in my house or in my back yard to relieve stress

Now I know you live in Canada soIts hard to take it outside but let it roam in a spot in your house cause being cooped up like that can cause stress to the tortoise
 
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JennyBrown

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how long ago did you make the change to the new habitat? Also, has the tort been allowed to run around the house freely at all in the meantime?

Otherwise, based on the pics, your tort is big enough to reach the roof from the second level. That is the kind of thing they will spend forever trying to get through. I would remove it entirely.
It's been a little over a week now since he's in the new one, could he just need a longer period of adjustment?
I try to let him out for a bit everyday, it's just harder during the day as I can't supervise him while working. Maybe I'll try setting up an area in the living room where I know he'll stay in.

The cover is JUST high enough for him not reach it, I'll remove it to.


Thanks for the help!
 

Neon_xero

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It's been a little over a week now since he's in the new one, could he just need a longer period of adjustment?
I try to let him out for a bit everyday, it's just harder during the day as I can't supervise him while working. Maybe I'll try setting up an area in the living room where I know he'll stay in.

The cover is JUST high enough for him not reach it, I'll remove it to.


Thanks for the help!
You know what you could also do is get a doggy playpen and just move it to where you want it or different spots every week because tortoises are super picky and with that, you can leave him there for a little longer:)
 

Yossarian

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It's been a little over a week now since he's in the new one, could he just need a longer period of adjustment?
I try to let him out for a bit everyday, it's just harder during the day as I can't supervise him while working. Maybe I'll try setting up an area in the living room where I know he'll stay in.

The cover is JUST high enough for him not reach it, I'll remove it to.


Thanks for the help!

Ok so two things. First a week is pretty new, The tort is still settling in their new habitat and pacing the walls and the like is pretty normal early on. Second thing is, letting it out of this enclosure to wander a larger area is a mistake. Torts that have the run of the floor, even temporarily dont like going back to a small enclosure.
 

KarenSoCal

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I think maybe some enrichment in the enclosure might help. Some pothos would give him a place to hide under. Plants help raise humidity also. Prayer plants, Boston fern, and spider plants do pretty good too, and are safe if he nibbles. Just be sure to get plants that haven't been loaded with chemicals. Try getting cuttings from friends and family.
 

Sleppo

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Like others have said they take a long time to adjust so you will need to be patient. Russians need a lot of space too, make sure you check out the care sheet for the specs of what a good sized enclosure would be. I am not a fan of the bi-level enclosures either too much risk falling off of the ramps and if the upper level gives any sort of sight advantage to an "outside" world your tort may not ever calm down.
 

zovick

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Sorry if they aren't great,
Usually his food is next to his bath on the second floor, but I move it to underneath the platform during the day.
His lights is a UVB and 150w heating bulb.
Based on what I can see, your enclosure is too small for the tortoise, which will probably make it go stir crazy. What are the dimensions of that enclosure? Also how big is the tortoise (IE, how long is it in inches)? For a Russian Tortoise of the size which yours appears to be in the photo an enclosure 4' x 8' is recommended.
 

JoesMum

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You know what you could also do is get a doggy playpen and just move it to where you want it or different spots every week because tortoises are super picky and with that, you can leave him there for a little longer:)
I would not recommend that, especially with a Russian. If they know there’s a wider world out there they will never settle. They are also escape artists extraordinaire!

Better to get a proper sized enclosure and leave the tortoise in that. This one still looks on the small side relative to the tortoise to me.
 

SJTort

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View attachment 313095View attachment 313096View attachment 313097
Sorry if they aren't great,
Usually his food is next to his bath on the second floor, but I move it to underneath the platform during the day.
His lights is a UVB and 150w heating bulb.

My Greek loves to wander around the house too. He was in a glass enclosure when we first rescued him. I blocked it so he couldn’t see out right away. He wasn’t trying to get out before, but he started to once he couldn’t see anymore. I built him a 2x3 wood enclosure (using a kit) as a first step when I was trying to get him healthy.

When he started feeling better, he would constantly climb the walls and eventually ended up on his back or side every single time. (Good thing we were home quarantining from March to September!) shortly after he started climbing the walls, I began building him a much larger wood enclosure. Basically, I bought a second kit exactly like the first one and and engineered a way to connect them. I’m still improving it, but he loves having more space.

While it was quite warm through most of October (Southern California), he still spent most days in a huge outdoor enclosed area. When I brought him inside each night, he would eat dinner and then bury himself and pass out. Once it got too cool to let him outside, he spent time climbing things in his tank trying to get out/see out of the top of his enclosure (a good 18 inches high!). I tried many different things, but never figured out if he was looking for me or wanted to get out. Possibly was both since he knows I bring him treats. See the picture below of him looking out. He climbed a bush to get up there.

After that scary incident, I made that side higher and moved and trimmed that bush. I also planted edibles all around the enclosure so that he had to “forage” for his meals instead of waiting for me. I wanted to break the association between me and food. It worked and he is doing much better. It’s also a little cooler in our house than it was over the summer (his tank still has warm areas of 85-75 during the day with a 98 basking area, but the cool corner is high 60’s at night). I think that affected his activity level quite a bit.

I’m not there to watch him all day anymore, but he is typically asleep in the “cold” corner when I get home at 4:30, and then he wakes at about 6:30 am, hangs out under the basking light for a while then eats his breakfast treats (a couple small flowers or a little of his favorite type of kale) that I put in there while he was still asleep. He seems bright and alert and eats like a pig when he is awake. I let him out to wander in our living room (an enclosed tort. proof space) on the weekends. He walks everywhere for like 30 solid minutes exploring, and when he starts trying to find a quiet place to nap, I put him back in his enclosure.

Sorry for the super super long answer! I think hearing the details my guy went through could help you problem solve. I’m definitely not an expert, but this is what has worked for him so far. Good luck to you!
 

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