Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

My baby Russian that I aquired from a pet store has had a soft shell since i got him. He is abotu 5 months old and is very active outdoors. I have been feeding high calcium foods with proper Ca ratio and also supplementing calcium as well. I use herpcare powder on his food which is made of calcium carbonate in its best form, no phos and vitamin D3. Also i have made calicum pellets available at all times, which he occasionally munches on. I use a 150watt uva/uvb light and provide a basking light also. I have done tons of reading and cant seem to solve this problem. I dont wanna lose this little fella, as its gotten worse he is less active and not eating as much. I will be calling the local herp to ask her opinion, i figured i would see if anyone here could help me. thanks for your help!
Sincerely,
Josh

It sounds like you are doing all the right things.

What part of the shell is soft?

Carapace (top), plastron(bottom), or all of it?

I've observed several russian hatchlings through the first few months and it seems that the carapace gets firm soon but the plastron may stay flexible for a long time. I don't mean soft as a marshmallow, but that it will give a little with firm pressure.

These hatchlings have done well and eventually developed rock hard shells.

I wish I could tell what is too soft, but I can tell you that at 5 months those little hatchlings do not have to be hard as rocks.

Be sure to soak him once or twice a week and to provide a humid area in his enclosure. Shell condition is a result of diet, hydration and environment.

Thanks for the quick reply, it is the plastron that is soft. What worries me is that it appears to have gotten softer. I do not expect it to be real firm like that of a baby sulcata, but i fear the worste of the situation because as I have noticed the increasingly softer shell, his activity and eating habbits have slowed down, unless i take him out in the natural sunlight. I am not sure what a veterinarian would be able to do for me, but I will have to give it a try. I am a pre-vet student at the Ohio State University, also an employee at the Veterinary school, but unfortunately we have no DVM's with a good herp background. If you have any diet reccomendations i would appreciate it. I just cant figure otu what im doing wrong.
Josh

>> If you have any diet reccomendations i would appreciate it. I just cant figure otu what im doing wrong.
>> Josh
>>
>>

If he perks up when outdoors, then that may indicate some problem with the indoor setup. Are the temperatures in the right range (70s and 80s, with a hot spot of about 100F), is it bright enough? Aside from the basking light you may need extra lighting. I use an incandescent bulb for a basking light and "daylight" fluorescent bulbs for background lighting.

Too hot, too cold or too dark can lead to inactivity. Whether indoors or out, they will need a hidebox. They like to alternate basking and hiding.

And no matter what you do, it seems that they are more active outdoors than indoors. The sunlight gets 'em going.

Diet: greens (endive, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, etc.), weeds (dandelion, plantain, clover, etc.), a few veggies (carrot, squash, etc.).

Supplement: Repcal Calcium with D3 (or something similar), pieces of cuttlebone, a few tortoise pellets (Pretty Pets or Mazuri or RepCal).

Soak regularly. Dehydration leads to inactivity. Provide a water dish, although he may rarely or never use it.

See www.russiantortoise.org for details. Ed Pirog also has a helpful book on russians.

Brightly colored foods stimulate appetite.

Dandelion flowers and carrot chunks work for my torts.

Also clover flowers (white and red) and hibiscus flowers.

Limit the carrot. Not a great food.

Don't give him fruit right now. It can lead to diarrhea. when he is eating regularly, a little apple is OK.