Russian Tortoise Basic Care Info + Feeding!

[@erikh1995]

My son just got a tortoise named mert, so this was very helpful.

[@PMFCreek]

@@erikh1995 happy to hear it!

[@clol6049]

Your tortoises have cute personalities so curious!

[@Livweewo]

Thank you so much this was super helpful to me. Just found out I’m a bad mom and need way more stuff I need and this was very informational for me thank you

[@PMFCreek]

@@Livweewo Glad I was able to help! Thanks for watching!

[@cqn1491]

Mine loves 🍀 clovers. They just graze from the yard. Super low maintenance shell babies. We let them out on the yard and they love roaming around on their own.

[@jessyfranks7123]

Dude I don’t think they’re picky they’re just spoilt by the looks of it 🥰 amazing video thanks for the info! x

[@PMFCreek]

Thanks for watching, glad to be of some help!

[@flamingofan1817]

I disagree haha I have a Russian and she won't even touch strawberries 😂 she doesn't like red colored lettuce if it's not green she won't eat it 😭😭 I've tried watermelon as well and I've tried mixing smaller bits of strawberry on her salad but she still won't try them. And she hates carrots as well I was hand feeding her and gave her one and she really hated it XD

[@PMFCreek]

@@flamingofan1817 some tortoises are picky, some or not, just like humans!

[@flamingofan1817]

@@PMFCreek I agree! They're all unique and different!

[@Bazinga_Yo_Ass]

Definitely spoiled. The one tortoise was like hold the berry while I eat mannnnn lol 😂 love it they look great and great information

[@Rosenose]

Very helpful video! I appreciate how much you talked about what they eat and how much to feed them since most sources I've seen aren't very specific on the amount. And you have some very cute tortoises there!!

[@PMFCreek]

Thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@tortoise_matters]

I just wanted to chip in on the less colourful pellets being less appealing. If you mix the colour pellets with grass pellets in small amounts over 6 months so the tortoises eat it accidentally they will end up being less fussy. It’s also super refreshing to hear you don’t feed the guys every day or mix it up at different times of the year? Also as the tortoises get older they should take the chopped hay and grass pellets more readily too. I’ve also shared some feed guides on my channel you may enjoy @tortoisematters take care Eleanor :)

[@sherrycote1245]

Great info !! I now have a Russian tortoise who was neglected ..I was told she's a girl but you made it clear she is a HE !! this is great ! Thank you so very much

[@PMFCreek]

Glad I was able to help!

[@bullfrogjay4383]

This is good info ! I just ordered one today and this is very helpful.

[@PMFCreek]

Thank you for the kind words, enjoy your new pet! They are awesome little tortoises🐢

[@markeisharobinson6437]

How often do you completely dump the enclosure and refill it?

[@PMFCreek]

Id say about every 6 months or so, as long as you spot clean often it will stay clean for a long time

[@macaronitonee4747]

At. 8:18 is that pyramiding on the shell? My Russian tort has a similar shell like that

[@PMFCreek]

Maybe slight pyramiding, it's inevitable when you keep tortoises indoors. That being said at the time of making this video I only had her for a couple months, it wouldn't develop that quickly. It can also happen if you overfed your tortoises or give them the wrong foods

[@lalo5648]

At night do you have a heat lamp on? Temp might fall under 50

[@PMFCreek]

@@lalo5648 I do not, it's always over 75 in the room

[@EmanMatloob]

I am gonna have russian tortoise in about 10 days. This is gonna be my first pet so i a but nervous and way more excited. is it mandatory to have light or sun light can work for them too. Also if tes then how long should i keep my lights on?

[@PMFCreek]

Congrats! Having a tortoise is awesome. You'll need some sort of heat bulb, probably around 100 watts, and a 10.0 uvb bulb. I recommend exo terra intense heat bulbs and zoo meds reptisun uvb bulbs. I keep my lights on about 12-14 hours a day. Hope this helps!

[@kylewilson8486]

I heard crested geckos are good pets and are very tame, you should make a video about how well behaved and tame your crested gecko is!

[@PMFCreek]

Hahaha that would be clickbait

[@PC.Productionsss]

I’m getting one soon, would lettuce and collard greens be okay for food with some of those flowers and occasional fruit with calcium. And also what temperature as far as just normal life do they like. My bedroom which is where I plan to keep it is set to 65 degrees currently but I can adjust it if I need. Thanks

[@PMFCreek]

@@PC.Productionsss that's okay as long as you give them a hot heat lamp, enough to get the basking spot around 100°F. As for feeding, I'd stay away from lettuce from the most part, though green and red leaf lettuce is *okay*. The best things to feed them in my opinion are mustard greens, like you mentioned collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, and endives. Best of luck to you, let me know if you have anymore questions!

[@mrpootis]

How often do u need to clean thier enclousure

[@PMFCreek]

@@mrpootis about twice a year as long as you keep up on spot cleaning and cleaning out leftover food and such

[@unLUCKY95]

I have 2 Horsefields and one of them is an absolute pain to keep hydrated. She absolutely HATES water, I keep them separately because the other is a male and he's extremely aggressive, but I literally can't even give her a water bowl because minutes after I place it in she poops and pees in it every single time, so I soak her twice a week to make up for that but she will not drink, she just kind of raises up as high as she can to get away from the water and if I'm lucky she goes 5 minutes before pooping. I occasionally give her something like watermelon to try and get some hydration in her and she absolutely loves that... but she loves it too much and is incredibly stubborn so then refuses to eat pretty much anything else for up to a week afterwards. It sucks because she starts to get slightly sunken in eyes every now and again and I know that's because she's dehydrated, I've had her checked out and she's 100% healthy otherwise, she's growing well, she's a healthy weight and her shell is absolutely perfect, but she just WILL NOT drink. Sorry for the rant, just been researching like crazy trying to find some kind of solution and I can't seem to find anything that's helped, even tried using a syringe to get water into her mouth but she's very shy and annoyingly smart so the second she sees the damn thing she locks herself into her shell so there's no way I'm getting it into her mouth. Just at a loss.

[@PMFCreek]

If I were you, I would continue putting the water dish in there and just clean it everytime she poops or pees in it. My tortoises love to do the same, but not to such an extent! Our female will drink when we soak her and my male drinks from the dish from time to time. I would continue to soak her twice a week, and adding some watermelon to the diet is a great choice. If she gets too addicted to the watermelon, you could mist her greens right before feeding to increase moisture. Another thing I like to do is add a little bit of the stem of the greens to their salads because it holds a lot more water. You could also mist her everyday (just the tortoise, not the whole tank) and she will absorb some of that water. I hope this helps, keep me updated!

[@unLUCKY95]

@@PMFCreek thanks for the tips, I'll give them a go! I don't tend to leave them water for too long any way at this time of year because I live in an old house in the UK so the water gets cold really quickly when I'm at work and don't have the heating on (used to set it to keep the house above 20c but it's too expensive now) and my male is the total opposite to the female, he thinks he's a turtle and will spend hours in his water sometimes so I can't leave it in all day or he'll get cold, I swear I have some of the most awkward, stubborn tortoises on the planet. I'll definitely try misting her greens though, she certainly seems to enjoy more moist food. As far as misting her directly goes I do it occasionally if she's looking particularly dry but it really stresses her out, she literally sprints into her hide and won't come out for the rest of the day, she's just very shy and sensitive by nature until one of her favourite foods appears, then she comes running at me with her mouth open trying to bite my fingers!

[@PMFCreek]

@@unLUCKY95 that's so cute, my male is the same way. He doesnt like to be misted! I soak my tortoises once a week in warm water for 10-15 mins and they are always offered a water bowl and they are healthy hydrated tortoises!

[@shirlyjulie1209]

Are cuttlebones also for red ear sliders?

[@PMFCreek]

@@shirlyjulie1209 I believe they are for all turtles and tortoises, so yes! Though I'd wonder how it would do in the water

[@justinchojnacki4716]

Hello hi I need help, so I have two Russian tortoise pair male and female named tabby and Oscar, I have them both in a 40 gallon aquarium with a 100 watt heat lamp, as well as a big cave with fake plants above to creat a more natural environment, I have the lamp at one side of the tank usually under the food to the right so the left side is cool, I provide a water dish but they never seem to use it, I sprinkle a little calcium on their meal once in a great while, but my main concern is why are they not laying eggs anymore like they used to, they laid a batch of eggs in the past but then all of a sudden they just stopped why is that.

[@PMFCreek]

Thanks for watching! But I'm not sure, I have never bred them. Were the eggs you got fertile? I know tortoises can pass infertile eggs. Also I have a few suggestions / questions about your set up. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a 110 gallon stock tank like I showed in the video, or at least getting another 40 gallon and seperate them. If they don't have enough space to get away from eachother they can stress eachother out. I had my male in a 40 gallon for a while and he just seemed unhappy compared to how he acts in this set up. Much more interactive, personable, and healthy. I would say a 40 gallon is the BARE MINIMUM for one Russian tortoise. Also, do you have a UVB bulb? They need uvb to develop healthy bones (including the shell) and have a good appetite. Also make sure you are using a good calcium with D3, I recommend Repashy Calcium Plus. Let me know if you have any questions!

[@odalyssings]

What kind of collar greens should i buy?

[@PMFCreek]

Not sure what you mean, if you mean organic or non organic it doesn't seem to matter. If you mean what kinds of greens, I like to get collard greens, endives, mustard greens, and dandelion greens, I get one of those every week and switch it up

[@trap_godyt8394]

hey im struggling to find some big storage bins for mine online, where could i get some?

[@PMFCreek]

I'm not sure about online, I got mine in store at tractor supply co for like $80, it's a 110 gallon stock tank. Wish I could be of more help

[@AlyssaJones-v8n]

Hey! I wanted to ask where you bought your Russian tortoise, or if you have any recommendations for places to buy one, either online or in person. Thanks!

[@PMFCreek]

@@AlyssaJones-v8n hi, I got mine from a local big chain pet store, which I am now strongly against. I have heard LLLReptile and Underground Reptiles are reputable, but I have no first hand experience. I would strongly advise against "The Turtle Source" due to a story I have with them personally that I won't get into which resulted in the death of a turtle. Where ever you get it, I'd make sure it was a captive bred. Or you could look at rehoming sites. Hope this video helped and I hope you find that tortoise!

[@AlyssaJones-v8n]

​@@PMFCreek ​ Thanks so much!! Also, two more question if you don't mind. What's the name of the lamp that you showed at 1:40? All I can find are the ones with one. And last question, do they smell bad? And how do I prevent it if they do, because I plan on having it in my room. Thanks again!

[@PMFCreek]

@@AlyssaJones-v8n 1. The lamp fixture I used is a zoo med double dome mini lamp (NOT the nano), with a 10.0 reptisun zoo med uvb bulb and a 100w exo terra heat bulb. 2. No, as long as you take care of the tank. I spot clean regularly and clean up uneaten food, and every year or so I completely clean out and replace the substrate. As long as you don't neglect them, you won't smell a thing!

[@melissaadams9130]

What do you keep the humidity at for your tortoises ?

[@PMFCreek]

Anywhere between about 40%-50%, I achieve this by keeping their water bowl on the cool end of the enclosure and very rarely misting the habitat. If the water bowl is by the heat lamps the water will evaporate and make your enclosure more humid. Hope this helps, thanks for watching!

[@nataliazdobinska9854]

Thanks for your video. Interesting info. Could you please tell if it is ok to have two tourtoise in one tunk? If your tourtoises match well, don't bite or fight? Heard that males can bite each other or male can make tired female? Thanks in advance.

[@PMFCreek]

Yes it is, and I recommend it. My male used to be alone in a tank and since I introduced the female he is a lot more active and even eats more and overall seems happier. You just need to make sure they have enough room to get away from eachother if they need to.

[@fawzialnazer2465]

I got mine and this is very helpful thanks

[@alanastanley8501]

Super helpful! And to the point. What is it that you’re keeping them in? It’s hard to tell

[@PMFCreek]

Sorry for the late reply, it's a 110 gallon stock tank, it's meant to serve as a water bowl for livestock. I got it at Tractor Supply Co. for about $80 if im remembering correctly

[@whysosadmayn5013]

I've been told you can't have them together what so ever from multiple sources unless you are trying to breed them as they fight I've recently had to separate mine as one bit the other

[@PMFCreek]

I've never had mine compete over food or bully eachother. Generally I believe they can live together. That being said, there are exceptions and accidents can occur. Mine do better with eachother than without, they are more active, drink more, and eat better. Some people may say you cannot keep them together but my tortoises thrive together. Thanks for watching🐢

[@whysosadmayn5013]

@@PMFCreek yeah I want mine to live together so much but once I saw the big one bite the little ones tail I had to build another home for it but they're both still connected so they can socialise they're only a year old so I don't know what the sexes are yet might just be they're both males I wanted one of each but hard to see until theyre of age yours are sweet though hoping mine can thrive together

[@dakotahittle4431]

What are you putting them in? Looks like a rubber watering trough

[@PMFCreek]

It is!

[@se3641]

Do they get along all the time? My male and female had a lot of problems back in the day the female would bite him a lot but I think it’s because the enclosure used to be so small

[@PMFCreek]

No, I've never seen any sort of aggression or competing going on. A lot of people say I can't keep them together but they have gotten along extremely well, I think they just have avid room and hiding places to get away from eachother in my case. Im sure if they were in a smaller enclosure and always had to see eachother 24/7 it could stress them out and lead to aggression

[@SamanthaKMidnightslip]

Awesome video! I love Russian torts. May I ask how your pair get along? I've been thinking about getting a friend for my boy but online says he'd need 3 females 👀 that's to many for me

[@PMFCreek]

Thank you for watching! Ours get along great, they have never bitten eachother and my male does try to mate but is unsuccessful. He never stresses her out or chases her or show any aggression. As for the 3 female comment, I think that means 3 females to 1 male for maximum breeding success. Having one male and one female together is absolutely fine, just make sure they aren't aggressive, and don't fight over food, basking spots, or water.

[@Tarnishedgrimm]

What kind of water is safe for tortoises to drink and consume?

[@PMFCreek]

I use tap water and add water conditioner, but you could also use bottled water

[@STRIKE1STEDITS]

How do I convince my family to let me get a Russian tortoise (also what is the minimum size u recommend their tank to be?)

[@PMFCreek]

@@STRIKE1STEDITS haha I was in your same position once, the best thing you can do is just do things to show them you really want it, and that you are responsible. The absolute smallest of the small enclosure I would go is a 36x18x16 (40 gallon breeder). I heavily suggest against that because they will bang into the glass constantly, and it is very small. I'd suggest going and getting a 110 gallon stock tank from a Home Depot or tractor supply co. Its a large space with no clear barriers and it is a good size! And they are very inexpensive, I got mine for around $80 I believe. Thank you for watching!

[@STRIKE1STEDITS]

@@PMFCreek thank you so much that’s so helpful! Hopefully they will be convinced 😭

[@Bowserthetorttort]

Lol my tortoise doesnt touch her pellets also. Shes a full grass eater like me w/ cuttle bone & flower on the side

[@presouz5]

Have you tried half dozen pallets in some clean water and let them get soft and try that you can put a new thing out every day don’t leave the old wet pellets

[@Adriana-oo5bo]

Loved this video I want one I was wondering were you got yours?

[@PMFCreek]

I got mine at pet supplies plus, though I highly recommend getting a captive bred one from a breeder. At the time I got mine I was uneducated

[@OchoWins]

My tortoise is about 5 inches long. How large should his enclosure be?

[@PMFCreek]

In my opinion, I'd say probably 3x2 feet at least. But more space is always better

[@colbolt54]

Give them cactus fruit and cactus it's a good source of water and nutrition

[@Gimenez528Hz]

Hi, how old are these tortys ?

[@PMFCreek]

Hi! Im not sure, but my guess is that my male is about 5 or 6 and my female is about 4

[@Gimenez528Hz]

@@PMFCreek my Andres, is about 4. I'm still not sure if he's Arthur or Martha. Great videos, informative. Thankyou

[@PMFCreek]

@@Gimenez528Hz thanks for watching!

[@Gimenez528Hz]

@@PMFCreek what sort of sizes are they in inches and do they need to be wormed/parasites etc ??

[@PMFCreek]

@@Gimenez528Hz they are about 4-4.5 inches, i haven't had to treat mine for anything but if you got one and it didn't seem healthy then you may have to.

[@heatherbernard2600]

What size is your enclosure?

[@PMFCreek]

It's a 110 gallon stock tank, it's 53"x 36"

[@skywonderly1768]

Mine absolutely are obsessed with lettuce and raspberry’s and mine will not eat that diet pellet food either! It just sits there!!!

[@joseisraelneri85]

What about mango skin?

[@PMFCreek]

I never have but it shouldn't be an issue, I give mine apples with the skin from time to time I don't think a mango would be any different. Thanks for watching!

[@alexchavez9214]

Its best if you don't give your horse field tortoise sugar fruits. @@PMFCreek

[@PMFCreek]

@@alexchavez9214 from my experience, it is good in moderation. Helps with hydration particularly for tortoises that are reluctant to drink water

[@alexchavez9214]

I feed mine water melon occasionally since its mostly all water, but i'm not an expert :)@@PMFCreek

[@Frenchylikeshikes]

Do they ever fight?

[@PMFCreek]

No, they usually just hang out under the lights together or wander around on their own.

[@tortoise_matters]

It’s nice the pair get along ok. It may change when they get a little older or in hot season. Some males are definitely more chill than others for sure :)

[@Savage_Buddy21]

is forest floor good for substrate

[@PMFCreek]

Yes that's what I use, though I'd mix it with coco fiber and/or play sand

[@Savage_Buddy21]

⁠@@PMFCreekyes I also mix eco earth but I heard that sand is not good for them if they ingest it it

[@PMFCreek]

@@Savage_Buddy21 it can be if you use o ly sand, but mixing it in with other substrates is completely safe as long as you don't use too too much. I have personally never used it for tortoises, but I mix it in with my uromastyx' substrate and it works just fine

[@hoosier_turtles_and_tortoises]

Hello, the shape of the carapace isn’t what determines sex. It’s strictly the tail. The size and shape or the carapace is based on which of the 5 subspecies of Russians tortoise you have. Decent video, but I’d stay away from all berries, even blueberries. They just can’t handle the sugar. I’d also suggest going 5-6” deep with the substrate. 10-12” if you have a nesting female.

[@PMFCreek]

I know it isn't, but with almost all turtles and tortoises the carapace shape does tend to be more dome shaped with the females. With the berries, hey can handle the sugar in small quantities. Feed two berries every few weeks and all it is is a hydrating treat. Thanks for the tips

[@hoosier_turtles_and_tortoises]

@@PMFCreek I gave a talk on Russian tortoises at last years TTPG conference and I’m working to get some stuff published on their site to help people correctly ID which subspecies they have. They’re by far the most underrated species out there, IMO. I keep 53 species of Chelonian and if I had to pick only one, it would be Russians. They’re kinda my thing.

[@PMFCreek]

@@hoosier_turtles_and_tortoises Russian tortoises are awesome, I really love aquatic turtle species too though! Map and musk turtles are my favorite

[@hoosier_turtles_and_tortoises]

@@PMFCreek awesome! I keep stinkpots, northern map, and Mississippi map. Both species are some of the most underrated out there.

[@PMFCreek]

@@hoosier_turtles_and_tortoises I have northern map and stinkpots too! I agree awesome species very under appreciated

[@mialove-ec7fi]

How can you tell there age

[@PMFCreek]

Sorry for the lat e reply, but is no specific way to tell other than knowing the date they were born. The best way is just too look at their size, that will give you a rough estimate. Some other people may know a better way but that's what I do for now

[@mialove-ec7fi]

@@PMFCreek no worries thank you so much

[@kacywilde7384]

Mines 10 inches and they’re 8.

[@buildersPNJ]

Hey i know your a small KZbinr so you got this im a kid and i got 12k

[@decklynne1]

Me comment 100!