My new Russian Tortoise

[juliem]

Hi all! I am new here and hope to be a part of some good pet lovin discussions! But to start off I have a questions hopefully some of you may be able to help with! Today I purchased a Russian Tortoise, and already have a 3 toe Box turtle. I really love my Boxy and already my new little guy. So whats the problem right? The owner of the pet store said it would be fine to house them together inside, but now that I get him home I am not so sure! Any suggestions? I have another critter tank that would be suitable for my Russian friend but no light today(I plan to get one tomorrow) Would it be ok to keep him in there with no light for one night? I have looked into this on the net and it seems it would be ok but I don't want to risk it! Any help would be great! Thanks!

[GoldenRetrLuver]

WELCOME TO PET TALK! I would love to see some pictures of yur russian tortoise and box turtle! I am owned by 2 dogs, a 1 year old female, golden retriever named Daisy, and a 2 year old, female, rough, sable ad white, collie named Molly. I also have 2 cats, Angel is a longhaired tabby mix, and Dillan is a shorthaired, tabby mix. I also have 6 desert tortoises! One named Frankie, and 5 babies (no names yet!)

Im not really a turtle expert ( my mom REALLY is!) but i think it would be okay to keep him in there for 1 night, just until you get the light for the tank. Also, is your turtle "aggresive" toward other animals? If it is i wouldnt sugggest boarding them together! But, they will have to get used each other, so my advice i see how they do when they first meet, and if they seem to get along, try leaving them together.

Hope that helped some

[juliem]

Thanks for the reply! I had some reservations when I brought my Russian friend home, and they turned out to be right on. As soon as I settled in for the night and my son went to say good night to them (there is nothing like a child's love for his pets!) He came running in to tell me he had bubbles in his nose. Right away bad sign right? Damn pet stores. The shop owners exact word were-"guaranteed healthy" and I planned on bringing him to the vet this week any way to have his poop examined and what not. I am lucky to have a vet that knows about turtles and she told me when I brought my boxy in for his first exam that even tho some shop ownwers will say bred in captivity it isnt always true and wild caught turtles can have parasites to begin with. So first thing Monday a.m I called the shop and asked to please bring him back. I hated to do it but I first of all didn't want to risk my boxy getting a URI and secondly want a healthy turtle! The owner said no problem and will hold him for a month for or so I can decide if he is the one I want, and so I can monitor his health(I go in at least once a week between fish food and rabbit treats..did I mention we also have a mini lopp? and a betta?)I think I will end up just getting another boxy tho. Shelly(my 3 toe) really came to life when I brought the tortoise home and I think she will love having a friend that can live with her....a mate so to speak. Whereas the tortoise would need his own little habitat. Wow that was alot longer then I planed! By the way your dogs are lovely! Can't wait til I buy a home of my own so I can get a dog of our own!

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Thanx! Im sorry about your turtle.. Never trust pet stores! I wouldnt buy any animal from them except a hamster, mouse, or a rat I dont shop at any pet store that sells cats or dogs....

[juliem]

This store is strictly "creatures", reptiles, snakes turtles, fish as well as the fuzzies...and it is where I got my boxy. I am not aware of any other place to buy turtles. I have heard of pple going to shows but I have no idea where things like that would be done here! Where did you get yours?

[GoldenRetrLuver]

My tortoises I got from a friend, that quite a few babies, so i thought they would be fun to raise. They are registered with the Department of Fish and Game (since they are an endangered species) (sp?) Molly and Daisy i got from breeders, and the cats i got from an animal shelter.

[kevin rothbeind]

hello from upstate NY. my name is kevin , and I too have a really cool Russian tort. So far he is in great shape, although he did get a dose of de-wormer when I first got him. He had some parasites in him, but no more. we had a bad ordeal with our first tortoise bing ill from the day we brought him home, and he wound up passing away from pneumonia, so we tried again, and made sure he was healthy. Knowing the signs of a healthy pet are invaluable. Ivan had clear eyes, a dry nose, sturdy as heck and very active, but the vet checkup was still a necessity. Ivan is now living in a large terrarium, with plenty of burrowing space, a rock cave to hide under and plenty of "sunlight" and heat. This little critter has an appetite that never ends, and curiosity to match. He loves being outdoors, strolling thru the yard, or just wandering the house (under adult supervision). Keeping two different breeds of torts is not a good idea, because of the very real threat of cross- contamination, viruses and whatnot, jumping from one species to another, even though they are all torts. I hope your boxy gets a companion though, it's nice to have a mate to snuggle up to