Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone. I am new to the tortoise forum but not new to the forum. Haha Anyways, I got a Russian Tort. last night the lady said she believed it is a female. She is eating hard boiled eggs, and teh soft gel. I do have veggies and greens mixed in her food as well, that i read they are supposed to eat and i couldn't find anything on eggs. So is it ok to be feeding them hardboiled eggs?

I also have her in a custom made tank and i have tile down with carefresh bedding. It seems to be a bit slippery so i would like to go with something like perlite or something. Is perilite ok?

One more question they DO make a sound when going back into their shells correct? I have read yes and i have read no so i would like your opinions. Thanks in advance soo much!

Also posted in Russian Tort section!

Hi LeoLady,

Congratulations on your new russian tortoise. Please don't feed him eggs! These tortoises need a low protein/high fibre diet, and weeds and flowers are the best food for them. Check out the Russian Tortoise site
http://www.russiantortoise.org/ for good advice on care and diet.
Also, perlite is not good as a substrate, as it could cause problems if ingested. I'm afraid I don't know what Carefresh is, but the best substrate is either a 50/50 mixture of topsoil and playsand, kept very slightly damp so it doesn't get dusty, or finely shredded aspen. Russian tortoise love to dig and burrow, and so the sand/soil and/or aspen substrate will allow them to do that.
Finally he will need to be kept well hydrated, so bathe him in warm water up to his chin several times a week for about 15-20 minutes.
Russians have great personalities, and once he's settled in and has the right environment, he should be very happy.

Nina

Also, russians really love being outdoors, so if it is possible you should have a good outdoor run for him when the weather is warm enough (but you have to be careful that he can't dig out). Indoors he will need a good source of UVB light and a temperature of around 90F at one end of his enclosure and 70F at the other, and no heat indoors at night.

Tanks are not a good environment for tortoises, as they do far better in an open environment with air circulating (the humidity that builds up in enclosed environments like tanks can cause mould to grow; it's hard to get a good temperature gradient in an enclosed environment, and the floor space of tanks usually isn't big enough). You can make an excellent tortoise table by just turning a set of bookshelves on its back, and take the shelves out. What you are left with is a big open box, and this is ideal for tortoises.e

Nina

Thanks for the indetail reply i really appreciate it.

I have stopped the eggs today i only mixed a little in yesterday because they said that is what he was eating. Unfortunatley i never believe pet stores so i really was hesitant on it from the beginning. I am feeding him collard greens, kale, endive, escorole, and can they have veggies like squashes? I have 2 beardies and a uro so i tend to make 2 bags one with the leafy greens and one with veggies. Now i know i have read that fruits and stuff are not good for Torts. I am also getting actual dirt and going to put that in there. Not from my backyard from home depot. HAHA some people get a bit worried when you just say dirt, as long as i would bake it though i am sure it would be ok, but i will stay with home depot. I am then going to actaully grow some dandelions in his cage so he can eat them as he pleases.

He is very active he eats great, goes to sleepy when the light turns out and i will be having a vet visit in order for him next week.

Thanks again, and i will post some pics asap.

my russian never makes a sound when going into her shell, so I don't no if that's normal. DON"T FEED IT HARD BOILED EGGS!!!!!! bad idea.