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Tortoise and box turtle

Russian tortoise

Testudo horsfieldii

Kept the same way as the box turtle, red-footed tortoise and Hermann's tortoise, so they share one kit: the same heat, light, and humidity, sized to the animal.

See the gear

We are still putting together the setup for a Russian tortoise. Ask us and we will help you choose, or start with the gear below.

Photograph of a Russian tortoise
Photograph by Yuriy75, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Care sheet

What it needs

We have taken these figures from published sources and are still checking them against our own experience. Treat them as a guide, and ask us before you buy.

Basking surface
32 to 35°C Measured on the surface the animal lies on, not in the air.
Daytime air
21 to 29°C The cool end, away from the lamp.
Night air
18 to 21°C
UV index at the basking spot
2.9 to 7.4 Zone 3. Open or partial sun basker, thermoregulator
Humidity
40 to 60%
Daylight hours
14 h in summer, 10 h in winter
Winter
Hibernation A prepared, months-long dormancy. Not optional for this animal.
Where it lives
Semi-arboreal
Adult length
13 to 22 cm
When it is active
Diurnal
How it lives
Terrestrial

Our reading of the literature, not veterinary advice. Animals vary, and so do rooms, so take these figures, and any setup the builder puts together, as a starting point, and ask a reptile vet about your own animal. Where the figures come from.

From the catalogue

Gear that may suit a Russian tortoise

Matched to its size and care by the catalogue, not yet checked by us. Ask before you buy.

Same care group

Kept the same way

Where it comes from

S Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, N/E Iran, Afghanistan, N Pakistan, N/W Baluchistan, NW China (Xinjiang); elevations up to 2400 m (in Afghanistan fide WERNING & WOLF 2007).

Breeding: Lays 2 to 5 eggs a clutch, two to four clutches a season; eggs hatch in about 61 to 75 days at 30 to 31 °C.

Where the figures come from