Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, My friend told she get rid her Russian Tortoise. And ask me if I wanted it I siad let me read up on it make sure take care proper. Well i did look like good indoor cage. And would like build out pin for the Russian Tortoise. But I was wondering what bad thing about them. I read alot care sheets. And they didnot mention much cons owening one so before sa yes i want make sue there no suprises. Thank for help.

I think T. horsfieldii is a joy to work with. They are hardy, have "outgoing" personalities, can be friendly and/or "cantankerous", are active( may enjoy digging which can be a problem indoors), and a manageable size. Go to : www.russsiantortoise.org for more information. I keep mine in Outdoor pens and suggest you do the same if your climate allows. Others keep indoors with good success, but I am lucky to live in an area of mild climate (Nothern California). I think the San Diego turtle and tortoise society has a succinct and accurate care sheet for T. horsefieldi. This species is often health compromised when imported, and has been implicated in some horrid epidemics, so keep them isolated from other species. If you know a competent herp vet, it might be wise to check for parasites and treat if needed. Good luck, these are one of my favorite species.

A good website is www.russiantortoise.net

If you have any experience keeping reptiles and especially other turtles or tortoises, I don't think a russian tortoise will prove to be difficult for you.

But just in case:

1) You cannot keep a russian tortoise (or any other full-sized tortoise) in a small enclosure like a 10 gallon take. It must have plenty of room to roam around with things to crawl over and hide under. It likes to dig. This makes an indoor enclosure more difficult to design. Except for brief periods, a russian tortoise should have at least 8 square feet of floor space. If you go smaller (say 6 sq ft) then you need to put a lot of effort into the layout. Such as creating multiple levels for the tortoise to explore. If you create an outdoor pen, be sure to sink the edges of the pen 6-12" into the soil. I have hard clay soil in my yard, so I only sink the boards in 6"; softer soil requires deeper boards. Also, with an outdoor pen create a larger area. My outdoor pen is 64 sq ft for 4 adults.

2) Feeding: while there are canned foods that can be used some of the time (some people use Mazuri, I sometimes use Pretty Pets tortoise pellets), most everyone uses a mix of grocery greens and weeds, clover, grasses collected from a chemical-free area. See the website listed above for suggested foods.

Summary: Give it room (no little fish tanks or small tubs), give it heat and hydration (see website), and good natural foods (and a little canned stuff if you need to.)

If you can deal with all of that, then a russian is a good pet for you. Also, they don't really need to be hibernated, but if you can do it properly it doesn't hurt.