Your Russian Tortoise Pet

If you live in a reasonably warm climate then the Russian Tortoise is a good choice as a pet. They are one of the smallest tortoises legally available. The males grow to 8 inches (18 cm) while the females are slightly larger at 10 inches (22 cm).

If your tortoise is kept outdoors in an enclosure it will be a lot healthier and happier than if it has to live indoors. The larger you can make this outdoors enclosure the better, as these animals roam over great distances looking for food in the wild. It is very important to consider the wellbeing of an animal before you buy. If you live in an area where you won't be able to house the tortoise outside for the vast majority of the year, please consider buying a different animal as a pet.

Outside it will get direct sunlight which gives it all the UVB it needs. It will see its world as it should because the UVA rays it needs are in the sunlight as well.

Predators

If the top of the outdoors enclosure is open, your pet tortoise may be attacked. Raccoons (in the US) and cats are common problems. Bringing the tortoise inside overnight or having the top of the enclosure covered will go a long way to solving these problems.

Dogs also tend to attack small tortoises and their size and lack of speed make them easy targets. No matter how well behaved your dog is, you cannot afford to leave a pet tortoise alone with it.

Russian Tortoise Food

If your pet is living outdoors, it will enjoy feeding on the weeds in its cage, especially dandelions.

As with all animals, a broad diet based on what they eat in the wild is the best bet. Russian tortoises fare best on tough grasses and weeds. A thorough discussion of their dietary needs is given here. Animal products and fruit must be avoided.

Shelter

These tortoises are good at both climbing and digging, which presents a couple of challenges to owners. A securely fitted lid on the cage will prevent escape over the wire. If that's not practical then bend the wire inwards at the top to prevent escape.

To stop a tunneling escape, you'll need to bury wire into the ground to a depth of about one foot (30 cm).

Obviously this means the cage can't be moved. To keep fresh weeds growing you'll need to fence of sections of the cage to allow the plants to recover.

The tortoise will require a shelter that is very dry and allows for some burrowing. This helps the tortoise keep a good body temperature, as it can cool down or warm up as needed. Here's an excellent description of a tortoise house.

Species Summary:

Adult size:8 to 10 inches (18 to 25 cm)
Adult weight: Approximately 10 kilograms
Years to maturity: variable, based on size
Lifespan: can live to 100 years in the wild
Diet: strict vegetarian, with a wide variety of tough high fiber foods
Clutch size: 1-5 eggs
Clutches in a season: usually one, sometimes more
Scientific name: Agrionemys horsfieldii, sometimes Testudo horsfieldii

AKA...

This animal has a wide range of other names it is known by. These include but are not limited to Afghanistan tortoise, Steppe tortoise and Four-toed tortoise.

More Information

For an exhaustive discussion on all aspects of Russian tortoise care, have a look at this excellent site. Coverage of this pet's requirements is total.

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