Worried about my new Russian tortoise?

[Shelbysj]

Hello All,
My husband and I adopted our first tortoise yesterday. He is a Russian male that is is about 4 years old. We have him in an indoor enclosure with a hiding log on one side and his light on another. Since we got him he has mainly burrowed underneath his hiding log and slept. He ate a little yesterday but nothing at all today. I am wondering if something is wrong? My husband is thinking that maybe he needs an additional light source or basking lamp. Right now we have a Fluker's Sun Spot 120 V 60 HZ UVA and UVB bulb. Is there another bulb we should get him?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings.

There is a similar thread on-going with pretty much the same issue (Russian in Arizona digging in & brumating). The conclusion in that thread is that these imported wild torts are programmed to start their hibernation come September. Even though it’s hot and dry in Arizona, it’s 55F in Kazakhstan and Central Asia where they come from. (In general terms). So, your Russian might just be trying to dig down and brumate.

 

[Shelbysj]

Greetings.

There is a similar thread on-going with pretty much the same issue (Russian in Arizona digging in & brumating). The conclusion in that thread is that these imported wild torts are programmed to start their hibernation come September. Even though it’s hot and dry in Arizona, it’s 55F in Kazakhstan and Central Asia where they come from. (In general terms). So, your Russian might just be trying to dig down and brumate.

Thank you so much for this, do you have a link to this discussion? Also we are so new at this is there a resource that explains how we can assist him or make this more comfortable for him?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Thank you so much for this, do you have a link to this discussion? Also we are so new at this is there a resource that explains how we can assist him or make this more comfortable for him?

Let me do some looking. @Yvonne G might have the info faster.....

 

[Toddrickfl1]

It's going to take awhile for him to get used to his new surroundings and settle into a routine. Tortoises don't like change and they will sulk. I'd give him some time and not bother him to much and he will start coming out when he feels safe.

 

[Shelbysj]

Let me do some looking. @Yvonne G might have the info faster.....

Okay thank you so much!

 

[Shelbysj]

It's going to take awhile for him to get used to his new surroundings and settle into a routine. Tortoises don't like change and they will sulk. I'd give him some time and not bother him to much and he will start coming out when he feels safe.

Okay I wasn't aware of that because my sister in law has a baby Sulcata and he was very energetic in comparison. I will make sure not to bother him.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Also make sure your temperature is good. Cooler temps will cause them to be less active.

 

[Yvonne G]

Is your UVB bulb one of those compact fluorescent bulbs (the curly shaped bulb)? If so, they have been known to cause a painful eye condition in baby tortoises similar to snow blindness. I would not use that light.

How do you know this tortoise is about 4 years old? Did you buy him from a breeder? Most russians sold in this country are wild caught, and the pet stores, not knowing any better, think that because of their small size, they're young. This is incorrect. Most pet store tortoises are wild caught and close to full grown, not babies. A wild caught russian tortoise will take a bit of time to settle in to being a captive tortoise. You just have to be patient and give him time to realize he's safe and you're not going to harm him.

Please read this care sheet: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Besides care information, you will find helpful feeding information.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome to the forum!

Agreed. Read the care sheets and make sure the setup is right, that is always the most important thing.

He’s a tiny little thing programmed to spend his entire life blending into things or just hiding. He’s got new territory to get used to and two giant people that look like predators to him hovering about. He needs some time. I wouldn’t be concerned about hibernation/brumation just yet. See if he’s moving about more in a few days.

 

[Shelbysj]

Is your UVB bulb one of those compact fluorescent bulbs (the curly shaped bulb)? If so, they have been known to cause a painful eye condition in baby tortoises similar to snow blindness. I would not use that light.

How do you know this tortoise is about 4 years old? Did you buy him from a breeder? Most russians sold in this country are wild caught, and the pet stores, not knowing any better, think that because of their small size, they're young. This is incorrect. Most pet store tortoises are wild caught and close to full grown, not babies. A wild caught russian tortoise will take a bit of time to settle in to being a captive tortoise. You just have to be patient and give him time to realize he's safe and you're not going to harm him.

Please read this care sheet: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Besides care information, you will find helpful feeding information.

No it isn't the bulb is a rounded top bulb. We are ordering him a separate basking lamp with no light. On no I was not aware of this. I did not find him at a breeder, I got him from a pet store. He is fairly small only 4 inches wide so I am not sure if that effects what age he is? Okay I will, luckily he ventured out last night to eat! But has been napping all day again. Thank you for the link!

 

[Shelbysj]

Welcome to the forum!

Agreed. Read the care sheets and make sure the setup is right, that is always the most important thing.

He’s a tiny little thing programmed to spend his entire life blending into things or just hiding. He’s got new territory to get used to and two giant people that look like predators to him hovering about. He needs some time. I wouldn’t be concerned about hibernation/brumation just yet. See if he’s moving about more in a few days.

That makes sense! Thank you for pointing that out I hadn't thought of that. When do they usually hibernate?

 

[RosemaryDW]

That makes sense! Thank you for pointing that out I hadn't thought of that. When do they usually hibernate?

A Russian that’s kept indoors under the proper lighting need not hibernate at all.

Outdoor tortoises will follow the changing of the seasons, typically when the nights are longer and night time temps are in the fifties. Indoor tortoises with plenty of access to light may slow down as the seasons change but not be able to go into full into full hibernation if the temps aren’t low enough. This isn’t safe for them as they will continue to burn off calories they may not have to lose. They can be kept in a cold place that won’t go much above 42 and has no chance of freezing. We don’t have cold weather like that where I live, it’s also very damp here; she gets stored in her own refrigerator.

My exclusively outdoor Russian decides for herself when she’ll go down. Last year she was up during an unusually sunny fall until late November. Other years she’s gone down October 1 after a cloudy period. This year hasn’t been been particularly cloudy but she’s decided it’s time; we’re hoping to keep her up until this weekend until we can be sure she’s emptied her gut (they need to go about two weeks without eating before hibernation).

As you can see, hibernation is not a simple process for a tortoise that is living out of it’s native range; in this case probably very cold and dry Afghanistan.

Many owners feel you shouldn’t hibernate a new-to-you tortoise at all the first year. I don’t always agree with that but you are so new to ownership, I encourage you keep him up this winter. Again, if he’s been kept under lights year round for a while, he may not be so programmed to hibernate. Even if he is, you can “trick” him into staying up this winter with the right lighting.

Give him some time to get used to his surroundings; make sure his lights are right. If he’s still sluggish, check the lighting and heat again, then come back here or start a new post asking about how to keep a new tortoise up over winter.