i need help! please! i got 2 new russian tortioses... and one of them just wont eat?!?

Question

all he wants to do is sleep and hide under the wood chip stuff!
i cant get him to eat && he sits there and scratches at the tank and bangs him self on the tank!!!
what do i do???
what does this mean?!
is he okay???
im really worried about him so i just need an answer so i know if hes okay... please answer
thank you your help will be appreciated!!!
-tia

Answer 1

It could be because he senses fall approaching and wants to hibernate.As long as the tortoise looks OK,that is,has no discharge from it's nose,mouth or eyes,isn't mouth - breathing and is a good weight,don't worry,as tortoises can go for months without food.Make sure the temperature is warm enough in the tank and have a UV light and a shallow water pan.Let the tortoise out of the tank to run around in a room for a couple of hours a day,outside is even better if you could build an enclosure ( a kid's swimming pool would do,with some grasses in there for it to hide under.) Offer it a variety of greens( NO spinach,though, and NO iceberg lettuce) broccoli,kale,collards, apples,sweet corn (this was my tortoises favorite treat) carrots (shredded) Cheerios,dandelions ( the leaves and flowers ~ they absolutely love them) and the occasional tomato or strawberry. You might even throw an earthworm in there.I know that they are primarily vegetarian,but every so often,mine would just go crazy for an earthworm,and you know that in the wild,they would inadvertantly eat insects and slugs when they eat plants.

One problem I had with mine was that I never saw him drink.He was a very good eater,though and got his moisture that way,through the veggies and fruits he ate.So,since yours is not eating,you might want to soak him a few times a week for 30 minutes in shallow water.Use a container that he can't get out of,but make sure the water is just about halfway up his shell.Also,put a cuttlebone,the kind they sell for birds,in their tank.They will nibble on this,as it supplies calcium and helps to keep their mandible short and sharp.

That's all I can tell you.Russians are a bit hard to acclimate sometimes ,as most of them are wild caught and are in tune to the environment thay came from,hence his wanting to hibernate.Just watch him,and if he seems sick,get him to a vet right away as they can perish very quickly from pneumonia.You also might ask your vet for some wormer for them.Don't buy wormer at the store as it may kill the tortoises. Good luck.

Answer 2

It's normal for a tort to not want to eat for up to the first week in it's new home. He's scared and needs time to adjust.
There are a few changes that you need to make if you want your pets to be healthy and happy.
1. Buy a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub ($14 at wat-mart/target)and get rid of the aquarium!
Aquariums are NOT good homes for tortoises. They don't get good air flow and torts also cannot understand that anything clear(glass) is solid and will keep trying to walk through it.
2. Buy different bedding for your tort's....The best thing to use is a mix of playsand ($5 at Home Depot) and Bed a beast or Eco Earth (most petstores).
3. Check your temperatures....
The warm side under the basking light should be in the high 80's-low 90's and the cool side needs to be in the low 70's.

Here is a great website to learn about Russian tortoise....
http://www.russiantortoise.org/care_sheet.htm
also be sure to read the diet page and the edible plant lists. Russian tort's ONLY eat leafy greens and weeds (NO fruit,veggies or meat/insects)
http://www.russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm
http://www.russiantortoise.org/edible_plants.htm

Oh yeah, You can soak your torts in lukewarm chin deep water for 20-30 minutes a day for the first two weeks to help them get the water that they need. It should help them to feel better and to want to eat more. After the two weeks you can soak 1-2 times a week.

Answer 3

This could be simple stress- new homes and big changes upset tortoises, some more than others.

This could be a signal of illness from the store it came from or earlier. You may want to think about exchanging it if possible. There are a LOT of illnesses it could be.

It could be a sign of general stress from care or diet related issues.

Check out the care guidelines at http://www.tortoisetrust.org or http://www.russiantortoise.org and see what they suggest that you might wish to try.

Answer 4

tortoises can survive without food for days, so dont worry too much about that. all the same, try giving them other kinds of leafy vegetables. maybe he's just not familiar with the one you're giving them

Answer 5

my russian did the samething when I first got her. after a few wks. she started eating, now she will not stop. just keep offering fresh food daily, & give him time to get used to you & his new home.