Problem with tortoise...help please.

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Nabbig2

Fire Eel
MFK Member
May 28, 2007
2,602
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California
Hey, I bought a russian tortoise a couple years ago. He's friendly and eats from my hand, and is in a 20g long. But I have a problem, and it's my fault. If you could be understanding and help, I honestly would appreciate it...

So he bangs against the glass, so I don't keep him in my room because I can't sleep with the noise. What should I keep him in so he won't bang againt the glass all the time?

I release him in my large backyard, but it takes a long time to find him after it's time to bring him back, and that bugs me. I also lost him twice, and just found him two days ago. I feel like I don't love my tortoise anymore...:cry:

If somebody could help me somehow, that would be great. Does anybody else keep tortoises? What do you do? I want to be able to play with my tortoise a lot, and I want him to roam around freely....I don't want to start neglecting him. Thanks, I appreciate it.

I also had a rabbit that died a few years ago. Everything went down the drain since then.
 
Get a big rubbermaid tub or a kiddie pool.... they bang against the glass or pace against the glass because they don't understand there is a barrier between them and the outside world.
 
You can even use some flexable plastic garden edging to outline a play area in the back yard provided you don't have large dogs.
 
Get a play pen or something.

They are tortoises... they roam...
 
I know I could get an enclosure, but I just want him to be more free...an enclosure would be small for him wouldn't it? He likes to go all around the backyard.
 
Use the edging to create as large an area as you like. Evcen section off a part of the yard with it.
 
It is not really cruel though. Some people keep them in 6'x6' their entire life. It is like a cat, they don't mind being in a room all their life, but if they are given a whole mansion they will use it.
 
I agree with the edging idea too. I don't know what the climbing abilities of a Russian Tortoise are but you might be able to buy a whole bunch of wood 2"x10" planks and construct a pen with them.
 
take the advice here it is all good and valid and there isnt much too add...the reason you tort bangs the glass is cause it wants out cause it sees that there is more out there to explore and he is bored(if possible make small hill and vally type things with your substrate it might keep him busy climbing up and down till you can figure out what your going to do. to slow the banging try taking some black construciton paper or wrapping paper just any thing not see through and wraping the bottom half of the tank the whole way around . the reason he escapes is cause (my guess is you have a fence he can see through ...chanlink or spaced planks-) he can see theres something past and he wants to check it out...using wood/garden edgin will keep him to a certain area and make sure its tall enough he cant see over it cause if he can see there more to the world then his pen he will try like hell to go see what more there is, rubber maids are good for indoors cause they are big and not see through ( make sure you get an opaque not a clear) so the tort doesnt know anything is out side...
 
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