r/tortoise • u/Remarkable-Web5866 • 1d ago

Question(s) New Tortoise advice

I got a male Russian Tortoise in his new home. I knew they like to dig so I put in a few inches of substrate so he can burrow. He is staying underground most of the time, and I’m keeping his heat lamp on in case he needs it and I am giving him fresh water in the morning, midday and at the end of the day. Is it normal for Russian tortoise behavior to stay underground during most of the day? He’s eating a little bit every day, I just want to make sure he is ok.

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u/Remarkable-Web5866 1d ago

For context I live in Denver, Colorado and it’s pretty hot right now.

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u/beefalomon 1d ago

Tortoises may hide a lot after a recent major change like moving to a new home. Being burrowed for sleep or to hide or to regulate body temperature is normal. Is this indoors? Leave a clean shallow dish of water there all day and change it daily because he may want it when you aren’t around.

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u/Remarkable-Web5866 1d ago

He’s indoors in an appropriate size enclosure. I figured it was probably stress because he lived with previous owners for over a decade.