Housing

Outdoors:

While our preferred environment for Russian Tortoises in Southern California is outdoors, it is also the most complicated to set up properly for our region and for the safety of the tortoise. One of the beauties of the Russian Tortoise is its small size. This makes it more versatile in where it can be housed, how much it eats, and the costs of environmental setup. However its small size also makes it very vulnerable as prey when housed outdoors in our area. Possums, raccoons, weasels, coyotes, foxes, ravens, hawks, roadrunners, rats and more are all known to eat small tortoises and are prolific in our communities here. Therefore these small tortoises need to be kept in fully enveloped enclosures that are capable of keeping those predators out but still letting the sun in.

The accepted best practice for Russian Tortoises is to make sure the sides of the enclosure are sunk down 12" below the surface or deeper in soft earth if there is no bottom to your enclosure. This ensures that they can burrow but it is unlikely they will burrow under and out. Your Russian Tortoise can grow up to 11 inches at which point it will require a fair amount of space to be happy. We usually recommend at least 1 square foot per inch.

It is a very good idea to let your Russian Tortoise burrow in Southern California. Keeping any tortoise on an outdoor patio or anything above ground when it’s over 100 degrees is too hot for them. Russian tortoises are most active when temperatures are between 60 and 90 degrees, but they remain active during the cooler parts of the day in midsummer, or they sleep underground in a burrow. Russian tortoises can hibernate underground during the winter if they are allowed some time to dig a burrow before cold temperatures set in. Their burrow is how they can safely regulate their temperatures. While the majority of our Southern California weather is ideal, we do have some prolonged periods of hot and cold temperatures that a nice burrow can mitigate. This does pose some dangers. In a heavy rain, your Russians burrow could flood and they can drown. Having an above ground enclosed and weather proof hide box that is filled with earth is a safe way to allow your tortoise to burrow without worrying about drowning, and it allows the tortoise a nice shaded place to escape the heat, and an insulted place to weather some of the colder days.

Shaded grassy areas that get regular water help to keep smaller tortoises cool.
Russian tortoises are sure to try to eat any plant accessible to them in their pens. They prefer wide-leafed plants and weeds. They really do not eat grass unless they are out of options. Check all plants in the enclosure to ensure they are safe.

Indoors:

Russian tortoises housed indoors can be caged in large plastic bins, stock tanks or small plastic pools. One to two adults can be kept in an enclosure measuring at least 5 square feet, with sidewalls 8 inches or higher. More space is much better. Babies can get away with smaller housing. Tortoises kept in small enclosures become restless and spend much of the day trying to get out of the enclosures.

Many different substrates can be used. We prefer a combination of dirt or sand mixed with peat moss or fine coconut coir. Using only sand makes running around somewhat difficult for the tortoises. Their feet sink with every step. Mixing soils helps to solidify the foundation.
Include a few large, flat rocks in an indoor enclosure. They help file down the tortoises’ nails and give them a clean surface for food. Russian tortoises also enjoy climbing, so try to provide an enclosure that gives them that opportunity.
Indoors, Russian tortoises can be maintained at normal room temperatures: 68 to 80 degrees. They should also have access to an area heated by an overhead light. This spot should be in the 90- to 100-degree range. Like most diurnal, herbivorous reptiles, they need a UVB light in their indoor enclosures to help them properly process the calcium in their diets. These tortoises can handle nighttime temperatures into the low 50s without a problem.

Russian tortoises do not need to hibernate to be healthy, so tortoises kept indoors and maintained at stable temperatures will never skip a beat while winter winds below outside. Keep lights on 12 to 14 hours a day, and turn off all light and heat sources at night.

Diet and Feeding

Russian tortoises are enthusiastic eaters, and the destruction they wreak on the plants in most outdoor enclosures is proof of this. They prefer broadleaf weeds and eagerly eat almost any leafy greens or vegetables offered to them. We regularly use spring mixes, which have several leafy ingredients in them. We supplement with kale, collared greens, turnip greens and any of the darker lettuce types. Variety is the key.

Russian tortoises can have small water dishes in their outdoor enclosures. We use shallow, low sided dishes that are glazed to make cleaning easy. Cleaning needs to be done on a regular basis, as most tortoises tend to soak in their dishes and “dirty” them while they’re in there., and for their size, these tortoises do some serious eating.

Tortoises living in areas with regular rainfall drink from puddles and leaves. If they live in areas with prolonged dry periods, offering them water helps to keep them hydrated.

When Russian tortoises are housed indoors, I prefer not to have standing water in the bowls because they tend to defecate in them while soaking. In shallow water, the tortoises usually begin drinking immediately and flush their systems at the same time. They can be soaked outside the enclosure in shallow water once or twice a week for 15 to 30 minutes to get them fully hydrated.

Handling

Contrary to what many sellers tell customers, tortoises generally should not be handled with any regularity. They are easily stressed when over handled, and children tend to drop them when spooked. These stress factors can lead to a decline in a tortoise’s activity levels and health. Adult Russian tortoises are generally more resistant to handling, but all tortoises should be handled carefully. Avoid pinning them down or restricting them. Allow them to carry on with their intended ways.