Hello!
My son wants a Russian tortoise for his birthday this year. I want to make sure we get the care instructions correct. I read about bathing the tortoise (daily for young tortoises and every 2-3 days for older). I understand the water needs to be "luke warm." Should I use room temperature bottled water or heat it. Can I use lukewarm tap water, or is the fluoride in the water too toxic?
I appreciate your help!
Hello
Re: Hello
Hi and thanks for contacting us. Russian tortoises (also called Horsfield tortoises) are a species with big personalities and it's great that you are doing your research before you get one.
The temperature of the water should be roughly lukewarm -- about the temperature of water for a newborn baby's bath -- and ordinary tap water will be fine. It should come just up to where his top shell meets his bottom shell, or his chin, and it should be done in a container that he can't see out of (like an old washing up bowl), for about 15 or 20 minutes (you might have to replace some of the water to keep it from going cold). There is a section on bathing in the Care section on our website here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... tine-care/
The main thing to remember with tortoises is that they should not be kept in an enclosed vivarium, but in an open-topped tortoise table instead, and the larger the better as they can get bored in small spaces. Temperature is the most important thing. Because tortoises are ectothermic (meaning that they don't make their own body heat like mammals do) -- they rely on the temperature around them to produce body heat and allow their systems to work, and they also need to wander from warmer to cooler places to thermoregulate. So you need a monitor the temperature directly under their light/heat source at hotter end of the table as well as the cooler end. The other really important thing is that your tortoise will need a good source of UVB when he is indoors and an outdoor area as well if possible, as the sun is the best source of UVB.
You might already have one, but in case you don't, here's a link to a care sheet for Russian/Horsfield tortoises:
https://www.tortoise-protection-group.o ... 014New.pdf
You probably know all the things I've written here, but thought I'd include them just in case. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you ever have any questions or problems and congratulations again on doing good research before you get your tortoise (so many people don't and then end up with big problems).
Nina
The temperature of the water should be roughly lukewarm -- about the temperature of water for a newborn baby's bath -- and ordinary tap water will be fine. It should come just up to where his top shell meets his bottom shell, or his chin, and it should be done in a container that he can't see out of (like an old washing up bowl), for about 15 or 20 minutes (you might have to replace some of the water to keep it from going cold). There is a section on bathing in the Care section on our website here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... tine-care/
The main thing to remember with tortoises is that they should not be kept in an enclosed vivarium, but in an open-topped tortoise table instead, and the larger the better as they can get bored in small spaces. Temperature is the most important thing. Because tortoises are ectothermic (meaning that they don't make their own body heat like mammals do) -- they rely on the temperature around them to produce body heat and allow their systems to work, and they also need to wander from warmer to cooler places to thermoregulate. So you need a monitor the temperature directly under their light/heat source at hotter end of the table as well as the cooler end. The other really important thing is that your tortoise will need a good source of UVB when he is indoors and an outdoor area as well if possible, as the sun is the best source of UVB.
You might already have one, but in case you don't, here's a link to a care sheet for Russian/Horsfield tortoises:
https://www.tortoise-protection-group.o ... 014New.pdf
You probably know all the things I've written here, but thought I'd include them just in case. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you ever have any questions or problems and congratulations again on doing good research before you get your tortoise (so many people don't and then end up with big problems).
Nina
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