I keep my small baby Russian tortoise in a 30 gallon breeder tank for
display purposes. Tortoises should be kept in a shallow open topped, wide
tub with much crawl space. Depending on the size of your tortoise, your
tortoise enclosure will have to be larger or small. If you are to keep a
tortoise in an aquarium, make sure it is a łbreeder tank˛ which is very wide
and that design doesnšt trap moisture such as other łhigh tanks˛ do. All
Russians, even though they stay fairly small compared to sulcatas and
leopard tortoises, need much space as they are roaming tortoises. Also,
when possible, keep your tortoise on a substrate of rabbit pellets(rabbit
food) and make sure it is deep enough for the tortoise to burrow into.
Burrowing is a favorite pastime of Russians and they do it quite often. The
pellets are also safe for the tortoises to eat so no problems there. Change
the pellets 2 times a month to ensue no disease and just for general
cleanliness. Also, if you notice tortoise feces, remove them at once so
they donšt crawl through it and smear it everywhere. Tortoises of any
species shouldnšt be kept on bark, cedar chips, or any other type of mulch
because it is bad for their respiratory system.
When outside, keep the tortoises in a sturdy pen with a shaded area and an area exposed to sun. Watch out for predators and make walls high as Russian tortoises are very good climbers and are remarkably agile for their shape and for having the hindrance of their shell. Also, since they are magnificent burrowers, make sure the penšs walls go into the ground about 4-6 inches. Always check on your tortoises regularly and I never leave mine out all night. They come in at dusk.
When inside, give the tortoises some things to do so they donšt get˛bored.˛ I have a wooden ramp with a small crawl area at the top for giving the tortoise the sensation of going up a hill. I also have a homemade cave my tortoise loves to spend time under. Make sure cave is sturdy so it wonšt fall over onto the tortoise(s) and injure them. Make sure it can support at least 10 pounds as mine love to climb all over the cave and flimsy ones will break when being abused and climbed on by the tortoises.
A dish of water is not needed at all times. They rarely come across water in the wild and shouldnšt be given the opportunity to do so in captivity. The result of constant access to water leads to unhealthy; diseases such as shell fungus, skin fungus, shell rot, and soft shell. Tortoises get a majority of the water they need from their food. I soak mine 2 times a week(Tuesday and Friday) for 10 minutes per day. This is good and my tortoise seems to like it. Donšt be alarmed if you donšt see your tortoise drink, they absorb water in ma few different ways. They can consume water through their cloaca(the opening at the tail) through drinking it, and also some through their skin. Always make sure your tortoise is totally dry before putting it back in its enclosure.
Russians are kind of lazy and donšt be alarmed if they sleep quite a bit. Mine is active only after eating or if he wakes up before feeding, he usually has been asleep for quite some time.
Russians will eat a variety of greens. Their favorite is Romaine lettuce. They also enjoy dandelions, hisbicus leaves, kale, mustard greens, and a few other veggies. Experiment a little. Never experiment with fruit or meat. They are never to be fed either. I feed romaine daily. Romaine, kale, mustard and dandelion mix every 3rd day. I also use a non-phosphorus calcium supplement on their food on the days they get to soak in water. Once a week I feed MazuriŽ brand tortoise diet. This can usually be picked up at a decent pet store and if not, look at on-line resources. This is a good treat for the Russians and its has some good stuff they need but should be given sparingly and no more than 4 times a month. My tortoise is growing healthy and strong on this diet. Never feed insects either by the way. Also be careful not to overfeed as overfeeding leads to obesity and pyramiding of the shell. Pyramiding shouldn't be a problem as long as overfeeding doesnšt occur and as long as the tortoise isnšt fed a high-protien diet.
The lighting that should be used is a UV-A heat lamp and a UV-B full
spectrum light. This is beneficial to the growth of the tortoisešs shell
and it helps them gather and process nutrients from the food they eat. The
light bulbs should be changed regularly. Sun light is best and whenever
possible, take your tortoise outdoors and let it be in its pen. Natural
sunlight works wonders for a tortoise and seems to brighten up their day(no
pun intended). What I mean is that sunlight is good for the physiological
state of mind as well as their physical well being. A good temperature for
Russian tortoises is 75 degrees Farenheit to 85 degrees Farenheit.
This is a basic caresheet for the basic husbandry of Russian tortoises.
Following what I have stated here should lead to happy tortoises which in
turn leads to happy tortoise owners. Russians are great tortoises that can
live for well over 50 years with the proper care. Enjoy your tortoise!
