Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[ned]

Hi, wondering if anyone can help me?

I've just got a new russian tortoise, fairly young I think, his shell is about 6cm across.
He lives in a viviarium set up with a basking light and heat mat which I was advised to keep on all the time during winter, and a UV light which is on only during the day. The temperature is about 70-80 degrees F.

he's got water available and I've been feeding him mainly on cabage and broccoli.
For the first week he seemed fine, quite active in the evening wandering about and eating, but the last couple of days he seemed to really slow down, mainly sleep and doesn't seem to be eating much.

As i've never kept a tortoise before I'm not sure if this is normal behaviour or not

Any advise?
Jen

[JStroud]

Russian torts (Horsefields) aren't the most active tortoises anyway, but this sudden change would seem a bit strange especially if your keeping constant temperatures. Outside this kind of slow down in metabolism would be expected.

All I can think of without seeing the tortoise or pictures of its set up is that you could definately vary the diet more. Tortoises eat loads of different plants, cabbage and broccoli are good greens to use but shouldn't be used as just a staple.

Try some mixed bags of lettuce, not iceberg lettuce as it has almost no nutritional value. Rocket, kos and romaine are all very good to use.

Is the tortoise still basking?

James

[ned]

Yeah he's still basking.
I have given him some salad as well as the cabbage and broccoli.
I'm not sure if he looks like he's trying to burrow, which I know they do, but obviously he can't as he's in the viviarium.

Here's a picture of his setup, this is how I was adivsed from where I bought it to have the setup

Jen

[blondesarah]

i dont mean to be horrible but you have a really bad set up. Pet shops sell you anything. If a tortoise can see a way out it will not stop, it will stress it out and stop eating, tortoises dont understand what glass is. Tortoises need a table top enclosure. They dont need light on all the time all of mine (i have 8 tortoises) have no heat on at night, tortoises dont need to be hot all the time. If you have the light on all the time how will your tortoise know it is night and when it is day??? In the wild they dig down to get away from the heat. To be honest im not suprised you tortoise has been quite recently, i have a russian an a table top enclosure and he is very active, as are all rusians- they love to dig.
I fed all of mine on weeds and grow my own.
If you want the best advice go on here
http://www.hermann-tortoise.co.uk/main.html
the people on here have kept tortoises for many years and will give you the same advice i have given you.
some of my tortoises are just kept in a huge plastic box from ikea, tortoises need air in a vivarium its a constant temperature and tortoises need a hot and cold spot.
pet shops sell you anything to make money
heat mats burn tortoises and i have learnt the hard way- never ever put this under you tortoise
cabage is no good for tortoises it stop tortoises absorbing calcium, I sprinkle lime stone flour (calcium) on my tortoises food every day or else they shell gets all bumpy and they become disfigured
I also give them vitamins 2-3 times a week.
I am sorry if i have gone on but i care alot about tortoises and not alot of people know how to care for them that is why they have all died out. They are alot of hard work

[ned]

Cheers for the advice, wish I'd looked at these pages before I got him, but I trusted the guy we got him from, we've known him for years.

I see that vivariums aren't the best place for a tortoise, but I'm concerned this is not why he's off colour, as he seemed to adapt so well when I first put him in there.

You might see me on other forums I'm trying to get as much info as I can to get him sorted, poor fellow.

Thanks
Jen

[blondesarah]

i hope he gets better, if you cannot get him a new home straight away just put a strip of cardboard at the bottom of his tank so he cannot see out and take the lid off. If you want good adive i would go to that address i have given you above. Any other questions please ask