Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi.. I am new to this board however i have been reading it for weeks gathering info about the subject. After 4 weeks of setting up my habitat and making sure everything is just right, I finally brought my new russian tort, Sammy, to his new home. He is very healthy as far as initial examination (bright clear eyes, firm shell, etc...) and was eating like a horse when i went to pick him up from a small family owned pet shop in CT. Once i put him in his new house he immediately ran to a corner and dug himself into the substrate under a rock. He has not eaten a bite since. This was sunday night, it is now monday night and he has hardly moved at all. Is it safe to assume that this is just the stress of being relocated and this will gradually change? And if so, How long should an adjustment period like this take? thanks!

It could very well just be the stress of a new environment. It is not uncommon at all for tortoises to sleep for a few days in a new place, especially if they had not been able to sleep enough in their previous home. That is common in pet stores where they are sometimes overcrowded and constantly jostle each other, often have no real private place to sleep, and have too long of a daylight period. He may be exhausted and/or dehydrated. That is very common in pet store animals. Did you soak him good when you got home?

The other thing it could be is too low of a temperature. Russian tortoises are diggers and they will dig down and go dormant at the drop of a hat if it is too cold. What are your temperatures in his enclosure?

very good. When I woke up this morning he was out of the hole just hanging out on some rocks, still doesnt look like hes eaten though, im sure that will come with time. My temperature should be fine 75 to 85, however humidity is quite low (15% right now, its dry as hell in my place). Ill soak him well tonight. any other tips you have would be great.

That's a good temperature for the low end but you might want to provide a high end temperature of 95 or so. Do you have a basking light? With my guys they are located in an enclosure that gets afternoon sun and when that sun hits they are always spread out in it. I also recommend that you provide a water dish if you have not already. Russians in general are not big drinkers but I think it is a good idea to always provide water.
Ed
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

The temperature range sounds OK, although I'd be sure to provide a hot spot of about 90F in one corner. I'd use an incandescent bulb in a reflector dome (from a hardware store - they're cheaper than the pet store). A tortoise really needs a spot to just sit and bask in the warmth. My russians, when indoors, will sit under a lamp at 90-100F for hours. Also, overall brightness can induce activity. I use "full spectrum" fluorescent bulbs to raise the light level.
I don't worry about UV levels when the torts are indoors because they will eventually spend about 6 months out in the sun.

To entice him to eat be sure to use colorful food. Some bright greens topped off with some shredded carrot or yellow squash can sometimes stimulate the tort's appetite. And if you have them, dandelion or hibiscus flowers that are chemical free.

Good info on russian torts: www.russiantortoise.net

thanks for all the info... I do have all that stuff set up. basking area, water, etc. He has been active the last 2 days and right now hes eating up a storm!

You'll also notice that tortoises will have active days and not so active days based on who knows what and/or why.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care