Tucker the Russian Tortoise

Question
I recently inherited Tucker.  I am wondering if his claws are too long?  He walks on the tips of them.  The local
vets cannot answer my question.  His habitat consists of cedar chips...is this ok?  I am still researching the internet for all the information I can get but cannot find
answers to these specific questions.  Thank You So Much! I appreciate whatever information you can provide. Claudette

Answer
I do not know if his claws are too long, as I have no measurements to go by, and I do not know what you mean by "walks on the tips of them".

I find it puzzling that a any local vet experienced in Chelonians "cannot answer". Did you actually take him in to see the vet, or were you just calling them on the phone? Vets frequently do not like to spend their time answering questions on the phone for free, so it's a routine thing to have them not give an answer unless you make an appointment and come in.

Normal claw length on a Russian should be about 10mm or less. I don't really measure so that's just ballpark. I just eyeball it. Just look at pictures of other Russians and see if yours is typical or not. If he needs a trim, then make an appointment at the vet and have them trimmed. If he has nail overgrowth, then he may have beak overgrowth, palate issues, or other health issues because he wasn't kept right. I'm sure he could use a general checkup anyway, and that's just standard good practice when you acquire a new herp. A certain amount of care should be used in nail trimming, as you can hurt him and cause bleeding, so let a vet show you how, then on subsequent occasions you can do it yourself.

REMOVE THE CEDAR RIGHT NOW! No Cedar. Use only reptile safe substrates, or organic soil without chemical additives or dyes. Cedar is toxic. Many of the substrates sold in pet stores are not safe if they contain cedar or pine, or pose an impaction hazard. I use large chipped cypress mulch, sphagnum moss, or leaf litter mulch. It's also cheaper to get this stuff at a garden center than buy at a pet store. If you use cypress or other wood mulch that was damp and is not pre-treated for parasites, you should treat the wood by baking on a flat sheet at 250* for 2-3 hours to kill any parasites.   

http://www.russiantortoise.org
http://www.anapsid.org/russian2.html