Wanted male Russian

[Woodtortoise]

I am looking for a male Russian. I would prefer it be young and it would also be alright if it is one you are thinking is a male but will confirm as it gets older. My son is turning 7 and this is for him, he is set on a male and it is proving difficult to find.
Thanks!

 

[JoesMum]

The problem with sexing tortoises, as you have discovered , is that they all outwardly look female until they’re pretty much mature. Unless you adopt an older animal then it’s guesswork. A few breeders will use incubation temperatures to “breed for” a particular gender, but there are still no guarantees.

Which part of the world are you in? This is a global forum and you need a response from the correct country. (I am in the UK for example)

Make sure you and your son read the TFO care guides and don’t be afraid to ask us before buying anything. We can save you some expensive mistakes. Pet stores around the world seem to know very little about what tortoises actually need and are only too happy to sell you things that are unsuitable or cost twice as much as they should just because they have a picture of a tortoise on the packaging.

Our guides are written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Baby Russian Tortoise Care (if you’re planning in starting small)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

 

[Woodtortoise]

Thanks so much! I am in the US, TN. We have been doing research and that is how we landed on a Russian. We built a table and have reviewed the guides you linked. I don’t want to buy from a pet store bc it seems clear that the chains for the most part aren’t knowledgeable in my area, very few stores carry tortoise as it was illegal to keep a turtle/tort in Tn until like 5 years ago. I am still concerned about humidity and lighting even though I know we will get the tort outside daily. Other than that I feel pretty good.
I may just have to tell him that we have to roll the dice. I explained that he could name it whatever and we wouldn’t even know for years what sex it was until it was older. We shall see.
Thanks again!!
Dani

 

[JoesMum]

Thanks so much! I am in the US, TN. We have been doing research and that is how we landed on a Russian. We built a table and have reviewed the guides you linked. I don’t want to buy from a pet store bc it seems clear that the chains for the most part aren’t knowledgeable in my area, very few stores carry tortoise as it was illegal to keep a turtle/tort in Tn until like 5 years ago. I am still concerned about humidity and lighting even though I know we will get the tort outside daily. Other than that I feel pretty good.
I may just have to tell him that we have to roll the dice. I explained that he could name it whatever and we wouldn’t even know for years what sex it was until it was older. We shall see.
Thanks again!!
Dani

On this forum, Lola is a male Leopard Tortoise, Jacques a female mud turtle, etc. The gender guessed wrong, but the name stuck [emoji1]

My husband got Joe for his 7th birthday and chose a name that had a female equivalent, Jo, just in case. I acquired both Joe and my now husband 35 years ago.

Your son is getting a lifetime commitment not just a pet. He will be thinking tortoise and planning his life around it for the next 50 years and more. So will you until he gets a home of his own as they’re not portable enough to take on vacation or to have in a college room.

Enjoy [emoji4]

 

[Woodtortoise]

Thanks! We aren’t entering into this lightly. He has allergies to fur babies so this is a good option and he really is excited to grow old with his new friend. It must be a 7 year old boy gift of a lifetime.

 

[JoesMum]

. It must be a 7 year old boy gift of a lifetime.

My husband says it was