We keep our Russian tortoise in a glass cage. The people at the pet store said this cage was sufficient. They were very good at giving us advice on what to buy and how to care for our tortoise. The problem is...our Russian tortoise walks back and forth, from the water bowl through the tank, so often the water is filled with bedding. No water is left in the water bowl - just bedding! It does this a couple times a week. Also, it walks through the food dish and drags food throughout the cage. It also likes to try to dig its way out through the sides of the glass cage. Sometimes, it can do this for hours. We let it soak and run around in the bathtub every week or so, so we think it gets enough exersize. Does anyone else have this problem? Any ideas on how to stop this behavior? Thanks!
2007-11-12 13:16:37 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Rick is 100% correct.
Tortoises need A LOT of room. The minimum size of a permanent enclosure is 4ft by 2ft for a small tortoise like the Russian. They need a wide variety of temperatures and to achieve this you have to have a large area. They are also very active (if you haven't noticed) and enjoy exploring(and destroying) their environment. =)
My tortoise has an upper level with a ramp and enjoys doing laps around his home ,including his water dish.
I sometimes fill his dish up to 4 times a day!
RT's will keep trying to walk through the glass of an aquarium and can stress themselves out and become ill.
As a temporary solution you can move your tortoise into a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub.
The best long term home would be a tort table. I built mine(4ftX2ft) for about $40 and it has much more room than any store bought enclosure. Some people have even used a bookcase laid on it's back for an enclosure.
Check out http://www.russiantortoise.org/care_sheet.htm
they have the best care advice. Also be sure to take a look at the diet sheet http://www.russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm
and edible plant list http://www.russiantortoise.org/edible_plants.htm
One more...here's a really good article on proper feeding of tortoises... http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/webdiet.htm
2007-11-12 15:51:27 · answer #1 · answered by Eva 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Russian Tortoise Cage
2016-12-12 16:43:29 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Russian Tortoise Enclosure
2016-11-08 01:12:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many captive animals do this, even in much larger enclosures. You see it at the zoo all the time.
It is a sign of stress, and larger spaces are the best answer- but it is not always the only answer.
Glass walls are part of the problem- glass, bars, etc. that the animal can see through causes stress when they feel trapped behind them.
You can put the dish on some form of a carpet, wood, stone, or tile 'deck' to keep the bedding away from the dish.
You can move the dish away from the wall- a lot of caged animals pace the walls, so zoos avoid putting things in this track.
As for the pet shop people- I distrust their advice in general, but especially if they recommend fish tank-like homes for tortoises. Large Rubbermade-type plastic tubs are better and cheaper.
Try http://www.tortoisetrust.org and http://www.russiantortoise.org for better advice.
2007-11-13 15:51:25 · answer #4 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Russian torts are escape artists and wanderers, so it is not surprising that he's trying to get out through the glass walls - the previous posters have provided good resources - another idea for a small tortoise is a child's sand box - I have a large sand box I bought at Toys R Us that I use to house my tortoise, and though he scratches on the sides sometimes, he can't see through the opaque plastic and so doesn't pace and walk into the walls.
And I would like to second the point made about the pet stores knowing very little about RT's - the local PetCo was feeding theirs strawberries and commercial 'Tortoise Food' pellets - two things RT's shouldn't have...
2007-11-12 18:17:50 · answer #5 · answered by penance76 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all I would give it a bigger cage, sounds like it doesn't have enough room. 2nd NEVER keep a russian in a glass cage, the pet stores know SQUAT about russian torts. RTs are confused by glass and will try to go through it not understanding the concept of glass. Also take it to the vet if you got it from a pet store, they aren't the best at temp/feeding/proper care and it could explain the behavior problem.
see this website for any other information on Russian Tortoises and you can contact them and see if they know any more.
2007-11-12 13:59:12 · answer #6 · answered by rick_p_hall 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Welcome to the turtle/tortoise world. My box turtle messes up her cage every single day. She is very active and I also let her roam around my house. You have to keep an eye on her every minute though because she can be fast when she wants to be. I change her water several times a day because she gets her bedding in it and she lies in it. Just make it part of your daily routine. Also, cover the tank on the outside with paper, as the glass will freak them out and they are shy.
2007-11-16 10:40:54 · answer #7 · answered by Susan M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes they will fit in a cage just make sure they are not wide bars as dwarf hamsters can escape you need a cage with smaller bars ok russian dwarf hamsters are lovely cute and cuddly
2016-04-03 21:49:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋