Re: My new Russian tortoise :) Now what :P

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Posted by Eric T. on August 25, 2000 at 13:49:09:

In Reply to: My new Russian tortoise :) Now what :P posted by Paco on August 25, 2000 at 09:35:37:

:Hello Paco:
Whenever I pick Skippy up he goes into his shell and a few moments lster he comes out again and struggles to get put down- boy is Skippy strong!
I wouldn't worry too much yet about his not eating, tortoises can go along time without food. If it really bothers you though, feed him a big variety if greens with some cut up strawberries/watermellon/canteloup/or cherries with out pits. I know that people say fruit is not good for russian torts and they are right. But,sometimes the sweetness of fruit will get them going and the will realize that the pile of greens in their pen is their food.
Finally tell your mother that I work in a pet store and I can pretty much verify the the petsmart employee was lying. Virtually nobody sells captive-born Russian tortoises- It's far to expensive. So your little guy is from the wild and is probably filled with parasites. And, while in the wild he could keep the parasites under control in captivity he can't control them. The stress of capture, stress of shipping, and stress of a new home around people has lowered his immune system and made him extra susceptable to parasites and viruses.
HE NEEDS TO SEE A VET!
-Eric-

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: :Hello Paco: : Whenever I pick Skippy up he goes into his shell and a few moments lster he comes out again and struggles to get put down- boy is Skippy strong! : I wouldn't worry too much yet about his not eating, tortoises can go along time without food. If it really bothers you though, feed him a big variety if greens with some cut up strawberries/watermellon/canteloup/or cherries with out pits. I know that people say fruit is not good for russian torts and they are right. But,sometimes the sweetness of fruit will get them going and the will realize that the pile of greens in their pen is their food. : Finally tell your mother that I work in a pet store and I can pretty much verify the the petsmart employee was lying. Virtually nobody sells captive-born Russian tortoises- It's far to expensive. So your little guy is from the wild and is probably filled with parasites. And, while in the wild he could keep the parasites under control in captivity he can't control them. The stress of capture, stress of shipping, and stress of a new home around people has lowered his immune system and made him extra susceptable to parasites and viruses. : HE NEEDS TO SEE A VET! : -Eric-

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