A description of russian's natural habitat from www.russiantortoise.net:

Its habitats are dry open landscapes. It is most commonly found in sand and clay deserts with sparse grasses and bushes. Russian tortoises are rarely found in dense grassy areas or cultivated fields (Paraskiv,1956; Kuzmin, 2001).

I've also read that they are often found near water sources.

The russians I have are very adaptable. Here in Missouri it's humid, rains frequently, and the soil drains poorly. I try to keep the grass trimmed down, but their pen is definitely not a "dry open landscape". I make sure there are flat rocks for them to bask and their hide area has a brick floor so they don't have to spend the night on damp soil.

After 5 years of spending April-October outdoors 24 hours a day, they've shown no signs of respiratory or shell problems.

I have no idea about their origins. The 3 adults have the same basic shape and pattern, with two of them being a little yellower than the third. My 4th captive-bred "almost adult" resembles his parents, of course.

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