we just took in a Russian tortoise. my aunts neighbors threw it over their fence and the dogs were playing with it.. poor little guy. the original owners were feeding it literally aquarium and salamander food.
Dear RussianTorts, Thank you so much for all your videos on Russian Tortoise. I am going to get a Russian Tortoise. His or her name is going to be Tesla. I think it is a good name for the tortoise. You have helped me a lot. I actually have an 8 page word document with all the tips that you suggested. (except for the sand part. I'm going to use Douglas Fur bark.) But anyways...THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST! Please wright back when you look at this or when you can!
I am so happy to finally subscribe to your channel. I have been watching your videos throughout the last 5 months or so. Now tomorrow I am finally getting my russian tortoise and I am all ready and I know lots of tips thanks to you Russian torts. I am happy to subscribe to you and watch all your videos with Ptulya. You know what you are doing man!
This was a very helpful video! I love turtles and have cared for a variety of species at a wildlife rescue but have recently been considering adopting a Russian tortoise. This was a good refresher on my knowledge before I delve into more research!
Thank you for understanding that doing your own research is always better than listening to some guy on youtube. I am glad that I was able to provide you a refresher!
I luv your set up and I thank you for all the videos u made to help me out to take care of my tortoise. thanks again and I hope u continue to make vids
My tortoise is free-roaming. I'm in Southern Africa, so I have the Leopard tortoise. My yard is about 420 square meters, and he just walks everywhere he wants to and grazes wherever. I feed him regularly, but I also let him graze around in the veggie garden. He's a lovely little bloke! I can never keep them in enclosures. He's used to the yard and even if we leave the gates open.. he'll never cross that boundary.
great video, one of the better ones ive seen , why dont you just duct tape the bottom six inches of your enclousure ? also what are the dimentions of your habitat ? thanks
thank you i have that same set up with the 4 stone plates and i was just making sure that was a good way to prevent the sand from being consumed thanks and again great bid
Cool set up! Im getting 1 or possibly 2 tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait. I bought a large box from Amazon to put them in. Was worried about them bumping into the side like yours did...
I can see you are taking great care of her, with all the different substrates in the aquarium, good food, spraying her regularly, baths once a month, digging areas. But is her aquarium big enough for her? She seems to like to move around. I think she needs a bigger box to dig in and water to sit in. Overall good job, you really care about your little tortoise friend.
Yes she needs a bigger cage. In the summer she is outside all the time, in a suitable enclosure. It has around double the surface area for her to move in. So she only spends around 5 months in this cage. But I do plan on upgrading once I move out and have the space
I have a baby russian tortoise and I have found that if you use coconut coir and cypress mulch that works very well and mine don't use its hide at all but you should always have one because they do love climbing and they will climb their hides a lot, and a few bigger rocks they can climb wouldn't hurt. I have rocks and my tortoise spends most of his time on the rocks.
would I need to purchase a uv light if I have a room with a large balcony window that faces west? it would get direct sunlight for a good few hours on a sunny day.
I wanted to know your opinion on something: I have a tank that I could use. I think it would work, I have people saying that it would work but I would appreciate the opinion who actualy has one. The tank is four feet wide, two feet deep and two feet tall. In it, there is a small water dish, a small food bowl, two hids and some logs to climb over and under. The tank Is made of wood and has a plastic see through front, though I would cover it since tortoises don't understand it. It is pretty weel ventilated. There is a long uvb light and the top, out of the tortoises reach and lights are also out. Anyway, in your opinion, do you think it would be fine for one tortoise?
I know you were asking for his opinion, but I have 2 tortoises myself and I think that is fine as long as you also have a heat lamp and possibly a container of shallow water for it to soak.
I have a wooden tortoise table and my tortoise keeps climbing up the side and I caught him hanging out of it and now I'm really worried he is going to climb out and fall!! What do I do ?!?!?
Get a lid for your container with breathing holes and perhaps a place to put in food and water that can be taken off. :D I hope it’s still alive for the sake of this comment and you
A really useful video with loads of info, she might have stopped eating the pellets because they weren't soaked in water before hand. Hope this helped.
I turn on the lights when I wake up and turn them off when I go to bed. He follows my schedule roughly. It varies each day, but a little variety never hurts. Walter doesn't mind much. :)
+W3stW0lverine I'd probaly end up turning it on before i leave for school, I bet they make pretty good pets in college, drop some food in and turn on their lights and their pretty much set! When I get one ill probably have to plan for college pet for it, since they can live 75 years XD
i remember he mentioned in one of his vids it cost around 500 dollars, not sure how much every month he said its 6 bucks a week for just food and some special food liek trixie is around 30 dollars/bag
Ok this is so weird My grandparents have a girl boxturtle named speedy. They keep her in a relatively large square clear rubbermaid bin. They have a screen covering it (weighed down by bricks). The bottom is just dotted with many large rocks and is filled with shredded paper. They have two bowls, one for food (store bought) and a larger one for it to soak in. They have a regular light bulb over the bin. And that's it. The weird part is she is PERFECTLY HEALTHY! Her eyes are bright, she is active, and she hibernates to add to that! Most people say its normal for a domestic box turtle to have slight pyramiding. She has little to none of it! The only problems seem to be her nails need clipped and her beak is slightly over grown but that's it! Someone explain why she is so happy in conditions that professionals call "bad"!
Because over the years we've learned more about animals and people go all out and get every single thing they need which I feel is a bit silly. I feed my dogs cheap food and some people call that "poison". My dog has been eating that for 7 years and he's perfectly healthy. He's an old man now and he's fine, my veterinarian says so. Pit Bulls often get cancer, ( they say their diet is the cause, which is stupid ) and my dog was tested for cancer and he didn't have it, so just because your grandparents don't give their turtle EVERY SINGLE THING THEY NEED doesn't mean it's unhealthy :)
Hi there, I'm a massive animal lover, and I'm thinking of getting a Russian tortoise towards the end of this year. To a degree, do they bond with you over time? And is it ok to get just one, or is two better? And, do the lights you use to heat the tank run up your electricity bill a lot? Thanks.
mine has seemed to bond with me quite a lot even though I've only had him for a year . It's fine to just get one and the lights don't run up the electric bill that much. Hope that was helpful :)
Well as friendly as tortoises get I guess. If you want a pet to play with don't get a tortoise as they like to be left alone. Mine comes up to the side of her cage when I approach though and doesn't seem to mind being picked up.
This video was quite intriguing. Thank you so much for this video it will help me a lot with my future Russian Tortoise or Greek Tortoise if they have Greek's at Petco but I know they have Russians. But anyways this helped me a lot. Thank you so much!!! I love your tortoise by the way. She's very beautiful. I always liked pale tortoises. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!
I have only observed my tortoise in her waterbowl twice, only saw her drink once. It is always filled with fresh water for her to drink out off. You're right you shouldn't need to cut the nails, but it is possible which you stated in your first statement as not being so. I have plenty of rocks in her cage (well as many as I see fit) but once a while her nails grow a bit too long. And its not a myth that they get their hydration from their food (at least in captivity).
What a great video. Thanks for sharing. I'm in the beginning stages of building a habitat from an old bookshelf. My main concern is depth. Since your tortoise loves to climb, is depth a major concern, or are they typically happy with climbing obstacles inside the habitat?
In my enclosure, I want to have half substrate like bark and dirt, and one side as paper towel or carpet. Would that be fine? I think it would, and it would be easier. I could have a small tub with substrate on the inside where the tortoise could get in with a ramp or something. It would mainlybe easier for cleaning, though Im worried that it would make one side have too much humidity
Great information I have a Russian tortoise his name is jet lee. I have had him for three years now they are great pets He growing so I will have to build him a bigger house now. any way I learn they like to dig from you video so I will make his substrate deeper . thanks for the information.
I'm guessing you mean the tub in the back left of the terrarium? That is filled with regular earth. It was originally meant for her to dig in but she never does. Never the less she likes climbing into it so I left it there
This summer I have to go out of town for 7 days. I have no one to watch my tortoise for that time. What do I need to do? I can not bring him on the plane.
Good tip of advice, I would recommend changing your habitat from glass to a solid object, like wood because they try and walk thru the glass and it makes them angry/upset when they can't get thru and they become really stressed :) So I would suggest getting a wooden tort table :)
I already have a video on this, outlining the benefits and drawbacks of many enclosure types. I am well aware of the glass issue but my tortoise got used to it
@@RussianTorts it’s also a ventilation thing. I’m worried mines in a huge glass aquarium yours is not as high which I think Is better. Mine Also doesn’t like the heat as much she wants out n I sleep with her in my bed even but I feel as like she doesn’t like the heat. She basks of course but when she’s done she “riots” to get out n also yea she loves to climb but I had to remove her Hines because when she gets sassy and pissed off she’s just start climbing like crazy like she’s a daredevil and she flips upside down I found her upside down too many times and I’m paranoid of finding her like that and it be too late. Idk what to do. Thanks
oh okay. i got my little russian tortoise juvenile yesterday! its still quite shy and start breathing heavily when i pass the enclousure. I let it rest for a couple of days now. He/she seems to like digging, so im thinking of getting a bowl with earth in, so it can dig around. How do i build the "earth-bowl" to get it easy for my tortoise to climb out of it? how have you built yours? =)
I tried covering the bottom half once, my tortoise ended up trying to climb over the covering all the time so she banged against the glass a lot more than she does with just the normall glass wall being there. The dimensions of my terrarium are 120cm by 70cm I think
While their food in the wild is mostly dry (because of their environment) the food we feed them in captivity is normally really moist or full of water. So in captivity I would say it is safe to say they get hydrated through food.
i hav changed my substrate to half sand and half coco fiber and i hav a set up close to yours and i was wondering if sand ever gets in the food and how to prevent that from happening
hello I have a few questions . I had acer for a while almost two years since October 22 and he is crazy. and loves to cuddle and is always climbing on me. his tank is an 20 gallon tank....:/ acer tries to get out but he finally noticed he cannot do it but when he does it means he wants to come out and play. I used to be in this group on fb about Russians and idk if they are right about anything, acers terrain is coco fiber. and his little hut is a hamster den cause the tort ones are to big for his tank. I feed him romain lettuce and carrots and some banana . also spring mix. dandilions and grass. what else can they eat? he has nothing to climb on :/ I have been trying ym best for him but its hard with no money, how can u tell when theyh are stressed out ? and can I use a toothbrush to clean his scales ? I seen a video of some people doing that.
Tortoises are expensive animals, they require a lot of high tech equipment to provide the right environment for them to thrive, and this is expensive stuff. Make sure you don't feed it too much fruit. Once a month or less is enough. You might want to consider upgrading the aquarium soon. The best thing out of what you have listed there is the spring mix, make sure he gets a lot of that (and the grass if he eats that) Also make sure you supplement his food with calcium powder ever other day so that he keeps a healthy shell
I move the stuff around whenever I change the substrate. So twice a year. It is good for the tortoise to not live in the same environment all its life.
Well usually the females are a lot larger than the males, so you might have a female tortoise instead. It is fairly easy to tell their gender. However, they shouldn't reach adult size until they are about 7 years old. Are you sure it is a russian tortoise and not a sulcata?
i have a russain tortoise he's 17 years old and i love him i've been feeding him cherry tomatoes and shredded carrots but i haven't tried feeding him lettece because im not sure that they can have iceberg lettece also, i want to know, if hay is a good bedding for tortoise my friend said it is but im not sure
I know that this is an old comment but please feed your tortoise nontoxic weeds, dried and fresh with calcium powder dusted on them and multivitamin powder too. Your tortoise will thank you.
My tort just turned 4. Her shell is slightly softer is some places, it's getting better though. I took her to the vet and they said it was due to growing, is this ok? Love your vids!!
I bought a cinder block from Home Depot for $1.19. It has 2 tunnels that my tortoise loves to walk thru and sleep in. I have also used a long clay piece that can be found in some gardening stores as a boarder for gardens. When I lean it against the side of the cement mixer container it creates an awesome tunnel & sleeping tunnel. The tortoise climbs on top to get closer to the heat lamps. I am lucky. I have a huge window well filled with gravel. The window easily opens so I can leave the tortoise in the window well for a few hours when the temperature is over 70. It is probably 15 to 20 feet across.
How can I tell his shell is healthy? I have a Tortoise House and everything. He is eating well and active but I am not sure his shell is okay. I fear he might have soft spots or not a healthy color. How do I know and how do I treat is if he has shell problems?
put pressure on the shell, it should be like bone. Hard and rigid, unless you have a juvenile in which case it should be a bit elastic. A healthy diet with cacium powder should fix shell problems.
I had mine in a wooden enclosure but she would try to climb out and fall on her back so I put her in a glass enclosure and hasn't run into the glass yet
I'm wondering about buying a tort but the one at the store I'm gonna buy mine from doesn't have the species marked. I know it's a small type but other than that I have know idea. so what I'm trying to say is do these rule go for all small species of tortoise.
Don't buy that tortoise. If the employees can't even tell you what species it is, never go to that petstore again. And are you sure its a small species? Sulcata tortoises for example are really cute as babies but get to measure almost a meter in length. There is no general rule for small tortoises. All are different species with different care requirements. MAke sure you do your research before buying a torotise
I take my tortoise to the vet once a year right after it has become to cold for her to stay outside over the day. This is probably in late september were I live. The vet then checks for worms which tortoises normally get when they stayed in an outdoor enclosure.
So when it comes to feeding? How much do you feed and how often? I just a juvenile russian tortoise and don't want to be overfeeding or underfeeding her. I read that can cause shell deformities? / Btw you got an estimate how old yours is?
I think mine is between 20-30 years. And I feed mine as much as she will eat once a day. Just make sure you feed the right food and you wont cause shell deformities
So I got my turtle today russiAn tortious and it's a 20 gallon tank. I have a half log just like u do. A water bowl and a wheat and hay bowl and a freeze dried veggies. She is not eating and it's 79 degrees and she keeps going to where the heat lamp is. Help?
Your temperature is way too cold in that tank. The spot under the heat lamp should have a temperature of around 30C. The rest of the tank should be around the temperature it is now. You will also need a way bigger cage.
O and is 12 hours of light sufficient or is it alright to keep it on for 24 hours? Also is it good for it to get 12 hours of light so they can get some shut eye for 12 hours
My tortoises (2) the male goes against the glass I searched it up and it said don't worry. And my dad said " He's becoming a man!" I laughed but he tired himself out and went to bed! I was worried because i was new to owning them. This video is amazing ( even though i'm like a billion years late!) -_-
Night should be dark, so no heat (mediteranian tortoises are fine being cold). Sunlight through a window is not enough, the glass filters out most of the uvb
I have been thinking of getting a Russian tortoise for a long time, but the problem is that I live in Finland and we have super cold winters. What should I do to the tortoise at winter times? Does it sleep over the winter or does it just need some kind of extra warm lighting? If it doesn't sleep over the winter time, can I just take care of it as always?
+PROCO_00 I live in Canada so we get very very cold winters as well. Russian tortoises can hibernate over the winter months or you can simply take care of them as always and they will not hibernate.
+RussianTorts Another thing came up my mind. Do you know how the tortoise reacts to other animals or how other animals react to it? I have an old cat and a young dachsund. I fear that the tortoise will be scared to death of them both...
Yes as long as you have some sort of carpet on top of the glass where the heat pad is so that the tortoise can't dig down all the way to it and get burned
we just took in a Russian tortoise. my aunts neighbors threw it over their fence and the dogs were playing with it.. poor little guy. the original owners were feeding it literally aquarium and salamander food.
Man I hate hearing about abuse like that. I hope you guys can give it a good home!
kaiti dang that's messed up ;(
kaiti that is sad. I’m very glad that you around to take in the tortoise.
Man, I just became a Russian tortie owner because someone abandoned one and it seemed to have wandered into my garden lol
Awww bless it 😢
Dear RussianTorts,
Thank you so much for all your videos on Russian Tortoise. I am going to get a Russian Tortoise. His or her name is going to be Tesla. I think it is a good name for the tortoise. You have helped me a lot. I actually have an 8 page word document with all the tips that you suggested. (except for the sand part. I'm going to use Douglas Fur bark.) But anyways...THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!
Please wright back when you look at this or when you can!
I love your tortoise, and I just got a little girl of my own, and I love her and want to take good care of her and you helped a lot so thank you
I am so happy to finally subscribe to your channel. I have been watching your videos throughout the last 5 months or so. Now tomorrow I am finally getting my russian tortoise and I am all ready and I know lots of tips thanks to you Russian torts. I am happy to subscribe to you and watch all your videos with Ptulya. You know what you are doing man!
I really liked your video! Your tortoise is so active and cute!
@fuba no u.
Barely got my Russian tortoise today and I've been watching videos like this all day
you could probably put tape around the bottom few inches of the glass so they see a barrier, but you can still see the tortoise through the glass.
This was a nice video. Thank you for sharing. Patella is really sweet and active.
Hey dude love your tortoise videos. Getting my Russian tuesday!
This was a very helpful video! I love turtles and have cared for a variety of species at a wildlife rescue but have recently been considering adopting a Russian tortoise. This was a good refresher on my knowledge before I delve into more research!
Thank you for understanding that doing your own research is always better than listening to some guy on youtube. I am glad that I was able to provide you a refresher!
this was sooooo helpful !! ive been researching Russian tortoise care recently because im planning on getting one soon n_n ty for this video !!
Thank you, extremely helpful in my research before my purchase of our Russian tortoise
I luv your set up and I thank you for all the videos u made to help me out to take care of my tortoise. thanks again and I hope u continue to make vids
Thank you. I just bought a tortoise. This has helped.
My tortoise is free-roaming. I'm in Southern Africa, so I have the Leopard tortoise. My yard is about 420 square meters, and he just walks everywhere he wants to and grazes wherever. I feed him regularly, but I also let him graze around in the veggie garden.
He's a lovely little bloke!
I can never keep them in enclosures. He's used to the yard and even if we leave the gates open.. he'll never cross that boundary.
great video, one of the better ones ive seen , why dont you just duct tape the bottom six inches of your enclousure ? also what are the dimentions of your habitat ? thanks
thank you i have that same set up with the 4 stone plates and i was just making sure that was a good way to prevent the sand from being consumed thanks and again great bid
I enjoyed the video! Maybe someday I’ll get myself a tortoise.
Cool set up! Im getting 1 or possibly 2 tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait. I bought a large box from Amazon to put them in. Was worried about them bumping into the side like yours did...
So I'm getting a Russian tortise and it's my first one what are the basic things I should know
Way too much to just post in a comment. Go on tortoiseforum.org and browse through their russian tortoise section, lots of good posts on there
I can see you are taking great care of her, with all the different substrates in the aquarium, good food, spraying her regularly, baths once a month, digging areas. But is her aquarium big enough for her? She seems to like to move around. I think she needs a bigger box to dig in and water to sit in. Overall good job, you really care about your little tortoise friend.
Yes she needs a bigger cage. In the summer she is outside all the time, in a suitable enclosure. It has around double the surface area for her to move in. So she only spends around 5 months in this cage. But I do plan on upgrading once I move out and have the space
thank you this will be very helpful when i get mine.
I have a baby russian tortoise and I have found that if you use coconut coir and cypress mulch that works very well and mine don't use its hide at all but you should always have one because they do love climbing and they will climb their hides a lot, and a few bigger rocks they can climb wouldn't hurt. I have rocks and my tortoise spends most of his time on the rocks.
would I need to purchase a uv light if I have a room with a large balcony window that faces west? it would get direct sunlight for a good few hours on a sunny day.
I wanted to know your opinion on something:
I have a tank that I could use. I think it would work, I have people saying that it would work but I would appreciate the opinion who actualy has one. The tank is four feet wide, two feet deep and two feet tall. In it, there is a small water dish, a small food bowl, two hids and some logs to climb over and under. The tank Is made of wood and has a plastic see through front, though I would cover it since tortoises don't understand it. It is pretty weel ventilated. There is a long uvb light and the top, out of the tortoises reach and lights are also out. Anyway, in your opinion, do you think it would be fine for one tortoise?
I know you were asking for his opinion, but I have 2 tortoises myself and I think that is fine as long as you also have a heat lamp and possibly a container of shallow water for it to soak.
I have a wooden tortoise table and my tortoise keeps climbing up the side and I caught him hanging out of it and now I'm really worried he is going to climb out and fall!! What do I do ?!?!?
is it okay now?
Get a lid for your container with breathing holes and perhaps a place to put in food and water that can be taken off. :D I hope it’s still alive for the sake of this comment and you
Kick it's ass
Are you stupid, Get something taller to put your tortoise in.
Harriet Tibbetts PUT A LID ON IT 🙄
A really useful video with loads of info, she might have stopped eating the pellets because they weren't soaked in water before hand. Hope this helped.
If I get a tortoise, how expensive will the vet visits usually be? Thank you I'm very curious because dog check ups can be expensive
I turn on the lights when I wake up and turn them off when I go to bed. He follows my schedule roughly. It varies each day, but a little variety never hurts. Walter doesn't mind much. :)
+W3stW0lverine I'd probaly end up turning it on before i leave for school, I bet they make pretty good pets in college, drop some food in and turn on their lights and their pretty much set! When I get one ill probably have to plan for college pet for it, since they can live 75 years XD
How much did everything together cost and how much do you pay monthly
i remember he mentioned in one of his vids it cost around 500 dollars, not sure how much every month he said its 6 bucks a week for just food and some special food liek trixie is around 30 dollars/bag
Question: why is my horse field (Russian) tortoises shell going green?
Ok this is so weird
My grandparents have a girl boxturtle named speedy. They keep her in a relatively large square clear rubbermaid bin. They have a screen covering it (weighed down by bricks). The bottom is just dotted with many large rocks and is filled with shredded paper. They have two bowls, one for food (store bought) and a larger one for it to soak in. They have a regular light bulb over the bin. And that's it. The weird part is she is PERFECTLY HEALTHY! Her eyes are bright, she is active, and she hibernates to add to that! Most people say its normal for a domestic box turtle to have slight pyramiding. She has little to none of it! The only problems seem to be her nails need clipped and her beak is slightly over grown but that's it! Someone explain why she is so happy in conditions that professionals call "bad"!
Because over the years we've learned more about animals and people go all out and get every single thing they need which I feel is a bit silly. I feed my dogs cheap food and some people call that "poison". My dog has been eating that for 7 years and he's perfectly healthy. He's an old man now and he's fine, my veterinarian says so. Pit Bulls often get cancer, ( they say their diet is the cause, which is stupid ) and my dog was tested for cancer and he didn't have it, so just because your grandparents don't give their turtle EVERY SINGLE THING THEY NEED doesn't mean it's unhealthy :)
A Banana a turtle named speedy? Talk about irony
Hi there, I'm a massive animal lover, and I'm thinking of getting a Russian tortoise towards the end of this year. To a degree, do they bond with you over time? And is it ok to get just one, or is two better? And, do the lights you use to heat the tank run up your electricity bill a lot? Thanks.
mine has seemed to bond with me quite a lot even though I've only had him for a year . It's fine to just get one and the lights don't run up the electric bill that much. Hope that was helpful :)
Well as friendly as tortoises get I guess. If you want a pet to play with don't get a tortoise as they like to be left alone. Mine comes up to the side of her cage when I approach though and doesn't seem to mind being picked up.
This video was quite intriguing. Thank you so much for this video it will help me a lot with my future Russian Tortoise or Greek Tortoise if they have Greek's at Petco but I know they have Russians. But anyways this helped me a lot. Thank you so much!!! I love your tortoise by the way. She's very beautiful. I always liked pale tortoises. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Could you just wrap the bottom with thin trim board just above eye level on the sides so they don’t see out those sides?
Ya but I used tape
So it has to stay in that corner to be warm? You need a roof on that to keep the heat in.
Thank you, I will continue making videos until my camera breaks ;)
Thankyou
I have only observed my tortoise in her waterbowl twice, only saw her drink once. It is always filled with fresh water for her to drink out off. You're right you shouldn't need to cut the nails, but it is possible which you stated in your first statement as not being so. I have plenty of rocks in her cage (well as many as I see fit) but once a while her nails grow a bit too long. And its not a myth that they get their hydration from their food (at least in captivity).
What a great video. Thanks for sharing. I'm in the beginning stages of building a habitat from an old bookshelf. My main concern is depth. Since your tortoise loves to climb, is depth a major concern, or are they typically happy with climbing obstacles inside the habitat?
Ps did you put the pick of wine so she can see that it’s glass
In my enclosure, I want to have half substrate like bark and dirt, and one side as paper towel or carpet. Would that be fine? I think it would, and it would be easier. I could have a small tub with substrate on the inside where the tortoise could get in with a ramp or something. It would mainlybe easier for cleaning, though Im worried that it would make one side have too much humidity
Great information I have a Russian tortoise his name is jet lee. I have had him for three years now they are great pets He growing so I will have to build him a bigger house now. any way I learn they like to dig from you video so I will make his substrate deeper . thanks for the information.
I like turtles
Christopher Stone the Russian tortoise make great pets they ready do they just require a lot of food they eat a lot.
I'm guessing you mean the tub in the back left of the terrarium? That is filled with regular earth. It was originally meant for her to dig in but she never does. Never the less she likes climbing into it so I left it there
This summer I have to go out of town for 7 days. I have no one to watch my tortoise for that time. What do I need to do? I can not bring him on the plane.
Good tip of advice, I would recommend changing your habitat from glass to a solid object, like wood because they try and walk thru the glass and it makes them angry/upset when they can't get thru and they become really stressed :) So I would suggest getting a wooden tort table :)
I already have a video on this, outlining the benefits and drawbacks of many enclosure types. I am well aware of the glass issue but my tortoise got used to it
Haha sorry, I was stupid enough to comment before watching the video and after I pressed comment I heard you talk about the enclosure :)
@@RussianTorts it’s also a ventilation thing. I’m worried mines in a huge glass aquarium yours is not as high which I think Is better. Mine Also doesn’t like the heat as much she wants out n I sleep with her in my bed even but I feel as like she doesn’t like the heat. She basks of course but when she’s done she “riots” to get out n also yea she loves to climb but I had to remove her Hines because when she gets sassy and pissed off she’s just start climbing like crazy like she’s a daredevil and she flips upside down I found her upside down too many times and I’m paranoid of finding her like that and it be too late. Idk what to do. Thanks
I really want a tortoise, what tortoise do you think is good for a beginner?
I like your video very informative for me in which I plan to get one next month
oh okay. i got my little russian tortoise juvenile yesterday! its still quite shy and start breathing heavily when i pass the enclousure. I let it rest for a couple of days now. He/she seems to like digging, so im thinking of getting a bowl with earth in, so it can dig around. How do i build the "earth-bowl" to get it easy for my tortoise to climb out of it? how have you built yours? =)
do I needs different lights for a baby Russian tortoise? And how long should I keep it on?
I tried covering the bottom half once, my tortoise ended up trying to climb over the covering all the time so she banged against the glass a lot more than she does with just the normall glass wall being there. The dimensions of my terrarium are 120cm by 70cm I think
Hit the bottom 4in of you glass with paint, tape or flex seal problem solved. You can remove the tape and flex seal FYI. Thanks for the video 👍
Do you hibernate your tortoise? Because I’m getting a tortoise soon, and I don’t know what to do
You didn’t show us the outdoor habitat? Also: what are the dimensions for your indoor habitat?
Where can I get the sand for the tortoise?
do you put the warming mat under the substrate inside the enclosure?
No just get the proper lighting and a nice size structure indoors.
While their food in the wild is mostly dry (because of their environment) the food we feed them in captivity is normally really moist or full of water. So in captivity I would say it is safe to say they get hydrated through food.
i hav changed my substrate to half sand and half coco fiber and i hav a set up close to yours and i was wondering if sand ever gets in the food and how to prevent that from happening
hello I have a few questions . I had acer for a while almost two years since October 22 and he is crazy. and loves to cuddle and is always climbing on me. his tank is an 20 gallon tank....:/ acer tries to get out but he finally noticed he cannot do it but when he does it means he wants to come out and play. I used to be in this group on fb about Russians and idk if they are right about anything, acers terrain is coco fiber. and his little hut is a hamster den cause the tort ones are to big for his tank. I feed him romain lettuce and carrots and some banana . also spring mix. dandilions and grass. what else can they eat? he has nothing to climb on :/ I have been trying ym best for him but its hard with no money, how can u tell when theyh are stressed out ? and can I use a toothbrush to clean his scales ? I seen a video of some people doing that.
Tortoises are expensive animals, they require a lot of high tech equipment to provide the right environment for them to thrive, and this is expensive stuff. Make sure you don't feed it too much fruit. Once a month or less is enough. You might want to consider upgrading the aquarium soon. The best thing out of what you have listed there is the spring mix, make sure he gets a lot of that (and the grass if he eats that) Also make sure you supplement his food with calcium powder ever other day so that he keeps a healthy shell
what is your opinion of using bark and those polished aquarium pebbles?
bark you can use, but you have to make sure it is not cedar. Cypress mulch works great and is what I am using right now
James Gentry grass/straw substrate is best.
OK thank u do they give u anything for the worms when u go and does it work?
My tortoise is special, she does not like climbing. She is very shy.
Hello, I am raising rushy turtles. Do you need goji calcium?
How often and how much are you supposed to feed a Russain tortoise?
Do u recommend moving are the stuff inside the cage once and a while or do u recommend just keeping it the way it was from day one ,
I move the stuff around whenever I change the substrate. So twice a year. It is good for the tortoise to not live in the same environment all its life.
what material lays in the plastic bowl-kinda thing?
When you take the tort to the vet what time of year do u take him?
Mine is extremely large and only a few years old. I feed him regularly and give him lots of exercise. Is that normal?
Well usually the females are a lot larger than the males, so you might have a female tortoise instead. It is fairly easy to tell their gender. However, they shouldn't reach adult size until they are about 7 years old. Are you sure it is a russian tortoise and not a sulcata?
I am planing on getting a Russian tortoise but i don't know if it is the correct type of tort for a first time "tortoise keeper" What do you think?
i have a russain tortoise he's 17 years old and i love him i've been feeding him cherry tomatoes and shredded carrots but i haven't tried feeding him lettece because im not sure that they can have iceberg lettece also, i want to know, if hay is a good bedding for tortoise my friend said it is but im not sure
Aleesia Deaton iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value in it, dont give it to your tortoise.
I know that this is an old comment but please feed your tortoise nontoxic weeds, dried and fresh with calcium powder dusted on them and multivitamin powder too. Your tortoise will thank you.
How much was your turtle because I’m planning on getting a turtle
thanks u helped me out soooo much now ma mom will listen to me about my two babies now i cant finally get more things to climb on
1:35 SUPERMANNNNNNN!
My tort just turned 4. Her shell is slightly softer is some places, it's getting better though. I took her to the vet and they said it was due to growing, is this ok? Love your vids!!
At that age they are still growing (takes them up to 10 years) Your vet is right, nothing to worry about
Also make sure you supplement his diet with calcium powder for proper shell growth
Thank you so much, and yes she has calcium powder which I put over her food 😃
I bought a cinder block from Home Depot for $1.19. It has 2 tunnels that my tortoise loves to walk thru and sleep in. I have also used a long clay piece that can be found in some gardening stores as a boarder for gardens. When I lean it against the side of the cement mixer container it creates an awesome tunnel & sleeping tunnel. The tortoise climbs on top to get closer to the heat lamps. I am lucky. I have a huge window well filled with gravel. The window easily opens so I can leave the tortoise in the window well for a few hours when the temperature is over 70. It is probably 15 to 20 feet across.
How can I tell his shell is healthy? I have a Tortoise House and everything. He is eating well and active but I am not sure his shell is okay. I fear he might have soft spots or not a healthy color. How do I know and how do I treat is if he has shell problems?
put pressure on the shell, it should be like bone. Hard and rigid, unless you have a juvenile in which case it should be a bit elastic. A healthy diet with cacium powder should fix shell problems.
I had mine in a wooden enclosure but she would try to climb out and fall on her back so I put her in a glass enclosure and hasn't run into the glass yet
What is the white stuff in the lettuce
I'm wondering about buying a tort but the one at the store I'm gonna buy mine from doesn't have the species marked. I know it's a small type but other than that I have know idea. so what I'm trying to say is do these rule go for all small species of tortoise.
Don't buy that tortoise. If the employees can't even tell you what species it is, never go to that petstore again. And are you sure its a small species? Sulcata tortoises for example are really cute as babies but get to measure almost a meter in length. There is no general rule for small tortoises. All are different species with different care requirements. MAke sure you do your research before buying a torotise
+RussianTorts I'm getting one of these soon, I'm using LLLReptile because local petco keeps their tortoises in glass...
do u need a heating mat in winter if u live in texas were it 90 for the norm
nope you are all set
I take my tortoise to the vet once a year right after it has become to cold for her to stay outside over the day. This is probably in late september were I live. The vet then checks for worms which tortoises normally get when they stayed in an outdoor enclosure.
Did the setup effect the electricity bill ?
Is a uvb light necessary? All I have is a heating lamp. I just got my Russian tort yesterday b
absolutely necessary. Without it the tortoise cannot process calcium and will live a very short life. Alternatively you can also keep it outside
RussianTorts thanks. And I have it in a aquarium should I buy a wallpaper
How do i clean the poop if I have barn insted of sand
So when it comes to feeding? How much do you feed and how often? I just a juvenile russian tortoise and don't want to be overfeeding or underfeeding her. I read that can cause shell deformities? / Btw you got an estimate how old yours is?
I think mine is between 20-30 years. And I feed mine as much as she will eat once a day. Just make sure you feed the right food and you wont cause shell deformities
thx man, great info, it will come in handy
She's a beauty! xx I have a boy and he is only 2 years old, definitely going to have to get a bigger enclosure! (I try to avoid the word 'cage')
Oh and my Russian Tortoise likes to parkour, he ignores the steps to his water bowl and climbs via wall to get to the liquid.
So I got my turtle today russiAn tortious and it's a 20 gallon tank. I have a half log just like u do. A water bowl and a wheat and hay bowl and a freeze dried veggies. She is not eating and it's 79 degrees and she keeps going to where the heat lamp is. Help?
Your temperature is way too cold in that tank. The spot under the heat lamp should have a temperature of around 30C. The rest of the tank should be around the temperature it is now. You will also need a way bigger cage.
what about loose coconut fiber substrate for land or dirt whatever you want to call it
Thank you for posting this....very helpful. Take Care.
O and is 12 hours of light sufficient or is it alright to keep it on for 24 hours? Also is it good for it to get 12 hours of light so they can get some shut eye for 12 hours
Where do you put the heat mat ?
My tortoises (2) the male goes against the glass I searched it up and it said don't worry. And my dad said " He's becoming a man!" I laughed but he tired himself out and went to bed! I was worried because i was new to owning them. This video is amazing ( even though i'm like a billion years late!) -_-
does sunlight is enough for her, if i don't want to buy a uv lamp ? but at night i give her a 200watt lamp for heat
Night should be dark, so no heat (mediteranian tortoises are fine being cold). Sunlight through a window is not enough, the glass filters out most of the uvb
RussianTorts You're spot on here👍
I have been thinking of getting a Russian tortoise for a long time, but the problem is that I live in Finland and we have super cold winters. What should I do to the tortoise at winter times? Does it sleep over the winter or does it just need some kind of extra warm lighting? If it doesn't sleep over the winter time, can I just take care of it as always?
+PROCO_00 I live in Canada so we get very very cold winters as well. Russian tortoises can hibernate over the winter months or you can simply take care of them as always and they will not hibernate.
+RussianTorts Ok, thanks for the answer and information. I will maybe just take care of it instead of letting it hibernate...
That's what I do and, while it is a debated topic, many people believe that this is just as healthy as hibernating
+RussianTorts Ok, good to know and thaks for the advices in the video too... :)
+RussianTorts Another thing came up my mind. Do you know how the tortoise reacts to other animals or how other animals react to it? I have an old cat and a young dachsund. I fear that the tortoise will be scared to death of them both...
Could u do a what u need video for a tortise
i just got a russian tort named Tiki and i wanted to know if the heat mat is safe for it
Yes as long as you have some sort of carpet on top of the glass where the heat pad is so that the tortoise can't dig down all the way to it and get burned
This is soooo helpful. Our baby Herman's died and we're all heartbroken. We're considering a Russian.
How often should you clean/change the substrate?
spot clean the substrate every day, change the substrate completely once a year