• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Russian colony in Michigan

John Apple

senior apple arachnid
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Messages
1,724
Reaction score
15
Points
0
Age
62
Location
southern Michigan, Ypsilanti
here are some of the torts the adults and young adults are the only ones out at this time, The babies and juvies are usually early morning and very late evening grazers, they avoid the direct sun
As you can see some are still dirty from coming out of hibernation
 

Attachments

  • mvc-002s.jpg
    mvc-002s.jpg
    38.7 KB · Views: 425
more

a couple more
see what happens when they see me , some of the more personable adults come out for food
the two big girls have scraped backs from the slab, I corrected this by putting rubber mats on the floor of the burrows so sand doesn't gather and force the torts to scrape thier way in
 

Attachments

  • mvc-012s.jpg
    mvc-012s.jpg
    37.7 KB · Views: 431
thanks for sharing John.
I like the amount of space you give them to wander around,
Skye
 
Thats so cool John. I'm hoping to have a similar setup over here in Waterford with my 5-year old female t. ibera this spring when the snow melts. I'm also looking for at least one more t. ibera, so if you know of any reputable sellers, please do share :)

-Wayne
 
hey Wayne

They are nice to have , ya know really low maintenance pets.
Currently they are under deep and I won't see them till late March or April depending on the thaw.
I also made the pen that is pictured twice the floor area so the will have more room to roam and reach sunlight.
send me an e-mail on the greeks
take care
 
Hey john, great group of torts you got there, I know you made this thread a few months ago , there isnt to many people useing the tort section of this site. I have been looking into getting a few new types of tortoises to breed, I currently have groups of redfoots. and i had a question for you, do you think these torts would breed with out a hibernation period? also what temps do you think they would hibernat at, i meen im in florida but in the winter it does drop to the 35-40 degree range for about 3 months. I am basicly looking to set up a nice group and house them outdoors in a sim. set up to yours.
 
Vince

I lived in Florida in Naples for about 11 years and what you got is well suited for the climate.
I have never bred Russians in Florida so I am not sure, but I will say that when they hibernate they breed and up Here they hibernate quite a long time.
 
Hi John

I have a few questions regarding y our enclosure. Do you leave them out in the winter or do you bring them in? I have a few other questions heres my email I would like to chat with you some more [email protected]

Thanks
John
Brown City, MI.
 
Right now I am getting 5-10 babies a year, I leave everybody outside year round , I have not seen my Russian since the middle of September when the last male went under. They hibernate under the slab in my garage where it stays relatively dry.
Can't wait till spring when I see the males again as they are allways the first out
 
Back
Top