What's your Russian's routine?

[sheilae04]

Just curious, what's your Russians routine like? I've had mine for 3 weeks now, and I thought I was getting to know him well and his routine, but he's switching it up in me now. The biggest thing I've noticed is he seems to "hunker down"for the evening much earlier than usual, like early afternoon. He used to be scratching to get out and play at that time before.

 

[surfergirl]

All mine have their own enclosure. I saw dominant behavior first day i brought them home yet they had all been housed together at their previous home. Separating them into was huge for them settling in and stopping their pacing and hiding.

Mine rise pretty early around 6:00 because i feed them at 5:300 even though the lights are not on yet, the lights come on at 6:30am and go off at 8:30 pm . I leave for work very early most days. The largest female i have comes out in the dawn and starts eating even with the lights off.. They all (3) russians are pretty active during the day but they dig in around 6-7 pm sometimes earlier most nights. If they hear me feeding them a snack in the evening they come out sometimes. If they do not come out for a snack mii just clean up what is not eaten when i go to bed. i soak them every other day. I also have a hermanns and he is a bit more active than the russians during the day (he is a male and may smell females?) and i think that it may be a captive born thing where he has never hibernated or more he is more social less agressive. all if them poop several times during the day and also poop when they soak. They eat everything offered except bermuda hay and grass. The smallest russian i have just under 4" he/she just won't touch the supplement type foods. He/she likes weeds mostly. I have fed zero fruit since i got them, feed mostly all weeds, wild flowers, greens, lettuces, spring mix, cactus, and mazuri, repashy, grasslands by zoomed only fed occassionally. i supplement once a week with calcium/multi vitamin just in the case i missed some need they have in their diet.

They hit the cuttlebones very heavily when i first got them but now they are not. I think their diet has fulfilled the calcium they were not getting before i adopted them.

Mine seem to dig in earlier when it is cooler hot spot is a few degrees lower than usual 95 instead of 98. Power sun uvb 100 on each enclosure. room is 68-70 overnight.

I do not get too concerned if they dig in early. i think they need the humidity in their substrate. I do not think it is an issue if all other behaviors point to them being healthy. Like eating well, active every day when coming out to eat and bask , clear eyes, and clear noses. If they are happy and healthy they usually do not scratch at the walls much.

Also, when i first got them their poop was very inconsistent, heavy, loose sometimes etc. With a very stable diet all of them are more active and very consistent in the potty schedule. They drop less stinky, light weight carmelized hay bale poops now.

Probably more than you wanted to know but hope this info helps.

 

[sheilae04]

Thank you!!!

 

[KaTheya]

@sheilae04 I've had my russian for a few weeks now and hes gotten into the routine of waking up at 8am (because thats when I turn on his uvb light) and he starts basking while I get his food ready. He eats and then basks some more. Mine also ends up in his hide around noon ( I assume to cool down) but he will come out a few hours later and walk around. Then he ends up going to bed around 8. I noticed my russian will become more active after a soak so maybe yours is just dehydrated a bit?

 

[turdle yerdle]

@sheilae04 I've had my russian for a few weeks now and hes gotten into the routine of waking up at 8am (because thats when I turn on his uvb light) and he starts basking while I get his food ready. He eats and then basks some more. Mine also ends up in his hide around noon ( I assume to cool down) but he will come out a few hours later and walk around. Then he ends up going to bed around 8. I noticed my russian will become more active after a soak so maybe yours is just dehydrated a bit?

mine does the same