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Russian colony in Michigan

J

John Apple

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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
 

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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
 

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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
 
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