i just got my russian a few days ago and everything seems to be going fine, his cage is
proper temp with warmer basking area he has water and a log he loves to hide under and he
loves to burry himself....if i take him out of the tank he loves to climb on me and around the
house/outside, he seems well adjusted except he doesnt seem at all interested in ANY food! i
have tried handfeeding and just putting food in tank/on bedroom floor and he will
sometimes act like he is smelling it but otherwise is disinterested, in his tank he will even
just climb over top of it to get away or burry underneath it.... i`ve tried giving him spinach
lettuce apples strawberry cucumber potato clover ect....i even bought him tortoise food
pellets yesterday but no success....i read somewhere that they like cooked veggies as well so
i will try that today and that they also eat tomatos and yellow peppers....i just dont know
what is wrong, if anything, but i am worried about him....PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

Hi there, Have you checked the temps in the enclosure with a thermometer? You say you're using a tank and unless it's a 70 gallon or larger you may not be getting the temps right. It's very hard to regulate them in aquariums, they don't make good enclosures. Poor air flow too.
Check the diet section at www.russiantortoise.org for a list of dark leafy greens that your tort should be eating. Avoid the strawberries, cucumber and potatoes, limit the spinach, apples should only be a rare treat (if at all) and make sure the lettuce is one of the red or green leaf, or romaine types and not iceberg. Cooked veggies and pellets are not good for them, so avoid those all together.
Keep offering the good greens like turnip greens, dandelion, chicory, escarole, clover, plantain, etc and once he feels settled in he should start eating. You should also have a fecal test done by the vet to make sure he doesn't have an overload of parasites. Most pet store torts do have them.

Julie Maguire
Director, Turtle Rescue of Long Island
NYS Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator
http://www.turtlerescues.org/

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http://turtlerescues.com/gallery2/main.php
http://www.picturetrail.com/maguire5700

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Behold the turtle: He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out. A quote by: James B. Conant

Disclaimer: Any information given is not to be taken as medical advice and veterinary care should be obtained for any sick/injured turtle.