Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,I am new to this Forum,(I hang out in the dog-Pharaoh Hound boards) my Russian is a 6 year old female.Given to me by a co-worker.Before she came to me she ate only bananas and lettuce.Spent her nights in a bathroom and days in a larger room inside. For the 10 weeks that I have had her,she spends her days on the back deck roaming freely eating a proper diet.Her appetite is great,eats from my hand and is a very social,good natured girl.At night she is contained in a large plastic tub with coconut shreds. My question , all day long she is on the move around the deck always walking and she can move pretty fast.Is this normal,constant walking....I read to feed once a day,but she is so hungry that I give her a mid afternoon snack.What am I doing right.....and wrong.Thanks darleen

well, I don't know how it could be un normal, my female russian tortoise (six years old) does that also. How does she act in her plastic container? Does she pace also restlessly and dig burrows occasionally? What is she eating? Was she with a male tortoise before? She could be preganant. Don't worry though, if she wasn't with a male, she's definately not pregnant. But just to be on the safe side, visit the vet. I think you are doing awesome with your new tort. Just make sure she's warm enough and that she has plenty of room to venture around.

Hello, no, no boyfriends.Was just concerned on her walking all day long. At dusk I bring her in (too many animals here...foxes,skunks to leave her out) & it does get chilly at night. I put her in her container and she heads for her sleep corner.Have a light also for cool times.Her diet is from the http://www.russiantortoise.org site. Loves cucumbers.Next project is to fix an escape proof pen off the deck in the grass & weeds. Thanks for answering my questions. Darleen

While they are active, if she is constantly on the move that means she is looking for more suitable habitat. Try giving her an area where there is a sandy dirt type substrate she can burrow into. If you want to keep her on the porch during the day, try using a large kiddie pool, fill that with a sandy dirt mixture, some logs or hides, you can even plant weeds and such for her to graze on through out the day.

In their native habitat (the desert) there is little forage or water so the torts are constantly on the move. one of mine got loose and went on a three week walk about before he found two blocks from here. keep and eye on them, they are faster than they look