>> 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.

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