A Russian (Horsfield’s) tortoise needs a well-ventilated, open-top tortoise table or floor pen with a basking spot of about 35 °C. Most of its diet should be weeds.
Where will it live?
What it needs
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Enclosure size
RVC gives no minimum size for an indoor enclosure: provide as large an area as possible, and add basking spots as it gets bigger. None of the sources we read gives an indoor length and width. Outdoors, the British Chelonia Group (BCG) asks for at least 10 m² per tortoise.
BCG describes the Horsfield as an excellent climber and digger, so a pen’s walls have to stop both. If you compare ready-made enclosures, go by the floor area, length times width, rather than any gallon figure: see why gallons don’t tell you the floor size.
Tortoises don’t appear to benefit from company, RVC says, though they can be kept in single-sex groups if there’s room. Don’t mix different species.
Heat and light
- Basking spot: about 35 °C, on at least 12 hours a day (RVC).
- Cool end: about 20–25 °C (RVC).
- Night: not below 18–20 °C (RVC).
- UVB: a high output lamp, such as 10–12% (RVC).
RVC makes the basking spot with a light-emitting spot bulb, on for at least 12 hours a day and off at night. For background heat at night it uses room heating, a heat mat on the back wall, a tubular heater or a ceramic bulb. The MSD Veterinary Manual puts heat sources on thermostats and uses at least two thermometers, one at each end. See heat lamp vs heat mat.
Many lamps are sold as full spectrum or UV producing, so BCG says to make sure yours really gives UVB. See UVB strength explained.
Damp, water and baths
Horsfield’s tortoises can cope better with extremes of temperature, but they don’t tolerate damp conditions well.
Twice a week, RVC puts the tortoise in a shallow bath of warm water; a cat litter tray usually does. BCG fills the tray with water at 24 °C for 10 to 30 minutes and says to watch the tortoise to stop it drowning. Outdoors, BCG sinks a shallow dish about 10 cm deep into the ground.
Everyday diet
Weeds should make up more than 70% of the diet, with vegetables and salad when weeds aren’t available, and fruit is best avoided. RVC alternates dusting food with a calcium powder and a vitamin and mineral one. The weeds to pick and the foods to avoid are on what do tortoises eat.
Wash your hands after handling the tortoise or cleaning its enclosure.
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