My Russian is SUCH the coolest thing!

[eyespy]

I'm so glad I spoke with tortoise owners for a few months before deciding which type of tortoise to get, because Tonka the Russian fits into my life so beautifully.

His diet is very easy for me to provide, a little bit of the greens that are good for my beardies and iguanas plus grasses and flowers that I can grow in windowboxes all year round. His preferred temperature range is easy to maintain in my house and he's never shown a bit of stress when in his cage. Tonka is active and interesting and I think he's also interested in me because I catch him watching me sometimes.

So far the only thing I know he doesn't like is me picking him up and I've only done that a couple of times to soak him after the big cross-country journey he made to make sure he's hydrated. Now he happily soaks himself in his water dish, then potties in it so I don't have to scoop his substrate.

He's the greatest tortoise! Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer all my stupid questions. You've really helped both Tonka and me.