Well he wont be indoors 24/7 i live in so. cal. and the nights get to about 65 and lower sometimes high 50. Also around here its overcast til 10-11 so its only in the 60 til then thats how wheather is by the ocean. So i want to bring him in every time its cold and once its warm he can go outside.


That temperature range is well within the limits of a russian tortoise.

Mine stay out in overnight lows in the mid 40s (as long as it isn't raining or damp) and daytime highs in the 100s. And I live in Missouri where the humidity is high. I bring mine in when it's either cold (sub 60) and raining, or overnight lows drop below 45, and/or daytime highs dont' break 60. You definitely have to avoid cold AND damp. When the low temps drop into the low 50s or less I put newspaper into the tort house to provide some insulation.

I have done this for 4 years (spring-to-fall) now, and the torts are consistently healthy and have produced about 15-20 hatchlings in that time.

I see no need to bring your tort inside under these conditions as long as he is healthy. Russian torts originate in mountainous regions with extremely cold winters, hot, dry summers, with little rainfall. Often they are only above ground 3 months of the year. If you can provide him with a secure outdoor pen that also has a small hide-box (little tortoise house) and some shade, he'll be fine. Southern California presents almost perfect weather for this tort. You'll still need to avoid temps much below 50, heavy rains, and extended periods (days) of highs in the 100s if there is little shade.

Go to the russian tortoise forum on Yahoo for more detailed help. I dont' have a link for it handy.

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