Russian Tortoise Care Sheet

General Information

Testudo (Agrionemys) horsfieldi is a very rugged little tortoise that originates from Southeastern Russia southward through Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.  The natural habitat of Testudo horsfieldi is typically arid, barren, and rocky.  Due to their very dry natural habitat, they typically do very poorly in wet conditions and are VERY susceptible to shell rot. Their behavior can be likened to the American gopher tortoise as they are known to dig burrows of more than 2 meters in length with a large chamber at the end of the burrow. They are very friendly, personable tortoises and are easy to handle.  Their taxonomy is a bit confusing as they are listed as being a testudo and also, more recently, in their own taxonomy - agrionemys.  They are also known by several names including the Russian, Afghan, Steppe, Central Asian, Four-toed, and Horsfield's tortoise. Most Russian tortoises that are available are wild caught and they are and have been overexploited by the pet trade. It is rare to find captive bred specimens as they are readily available as wild caught specimens. Due to their rarity as captive bred tortoises and the remoteness of their natural habitat, little is known about their natural behavior. As mentioned above, Russian tortoises are very small tortoises. Most adults are between 5-8 inches although some may grow in excess of 9 inches. They typically reach sexual maturity in about 7-10 years in the wild and are considered full-grown at the age of 20.

Dietary Requirements

Russian tortoises are not the grazers that sulcatas and leopard tortoises are, but they are still herbivores and enjoy outdoor grazing on pesticide- and herbicide-free grasses and weeds such as clover and dandelions. Although they are small, they can definitely eat. They also enjoy dark greens such as collards, turnips, and mustards which are an excellent source of calcium and can be offered twice a week. In addition to greens, you can supplement their diet with other vegetables and fruits such as: carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, corn, and broccoli on a less frequent basis. Fruits can also be offered in limited amounts (10-15% of their total diet), but keep in mind that these tortoises do not typically get this type of high moisture, high sugar food in the wild and their intake of this type of food should be limited. Fruits such as strawberries, bananas, cantaloupe, watermelon, apples (no seeds), peaches (no pits), pears, and tomatoes are acceptable. Like other tortoises, they are also attracted to poisonous items or nonedible items that are brightly colored (certain flowers like azaleas for example) and care should be taken to keep these types of items out of their enclosure. It is important to provide your Russian tortoise with foods that are high in calcium. One such food is opuntia cactus (or prickly pear cactus) which is available to many tortoises in their native environments and the greens that were listed above (collards, turnips, and mustard greens). The cacti can be purchased from nurseries or at sites on-line such as: www. rivenrock.com, www.openlines.com/~richarde. Many nurseries offer both the spineless and the spined varieties. My Russian tortoises are excellent climbers and will nibble on cactus plants fairly well. Although my Russian tortoises seem to eat the spined variety just fine, I feel more comfortable offering them the spineless variety. I plant several of the opuntia cacti in their enclosure so that they can forage on the cactus as they wish. One final mention is diet supplementation. Many individuals will offer an entire cuttlebone to their Russian tortoises although mine have seldom taken calcium in this manner. You can typically find cuttlebone in the bird section of any pet store and it provides a relatively inexpensive way to provide your tortoise with some extra calcium. A powder-based calcium is easier to give to Russian tortoises. Simply sprinkle some on their food when it is given. Other vitamin supplements can be offered to your tortoise, but many breeders believe that they are unnecessary

Basic Care and Housing

Testudo horsfieldi is a very personable tortoise that is fairly easy to keep in captivity, although they have been less successful in breeding projects. Russian tortoises are very active tortoises and need as much space as possible for them to exercise. A minimum outdoor pen of 3' x 3' is necessary although larger is better. A child's swimming pool will work fairly well if it is landscaped and allowed to drain completely by using high sand content soil and holes in the bottom of the pool. They also seem to enjoy hills and other objects for them to climb on and over. The grazing area should have planted grasses, clover, and even dandelion weeds for grazing as well as trees, bushes, and an enclosure to escape the midday sun. Russians might make their own burrow to avoid the hot sun or cool nights. Optimal temperature for Russians is 78-90°F during the day and 65-75°F at night with low to moderate humidity levels. It is CRITICAL that they are kept in a very dry enclosure as they are VERY susceptible to shell rot. However, they do need a shallow water dish for drinking and soaking at all times. A "rain shower" (real or staged with a sprinkler) works very well as they will typically drink water from the puddles. They have a fairly high tolerance to both heat and cold if they are allowed to burrow. Russians can hibernate in the winter if they are given an adequate enclosure to burrow in. Each fall I collect my grass clippings and make a pile in the back corner of my Russian pen which they burrow into for hibernation.

Breeding

Russian tortoises typically attain sexual maturity between 7-10 years of age. As with other tortoises there are several differences between male and female Russian tortoises. The primary difference is that males have a very large tail whereas the females have much smaller tails. Russian tortoises are fairly aggressive during the mating season which usually begins shortly after emerging from hibernation around March-May. Males will typically chase and bit females sometimes causing minor injuries. Males may also fight with one another but not terribly so as they are fairly small and lack a lot of power. Eggs are usually laid within 8 weeks of successful mating. The female may dig several "practice" nests until she finds an ideal location for her nest. She will typically begin digging with her front legs and will then turn around and dig the remainder of the nest with her rear legs in a scooping motion. The female will then lay between 3-5 eggs in the nest and when she is complete laying eggs, will cover the eggs with dirt. It is important to avoid disturbing the female while she is digging her nest and laying her eggs. Clutch size is extremely variable in Testudo horsfieldi but usually ranges from 3-5 eggs with 2-3 clutches per year. Incubation of eggs is usually between 80-110 days in the wild at moderate humidity levels but is much shorter in captivity if using an incubator (typically 60-75 days at 80% humidity at 87°F. As mentioned earlier, captive bred specimens are fairly rare. This may be due to the perceived abundance of wild caught specimens and the fact that wild caught specimens are typically less expensive than their captive bred counterparts. Hatchlings should be housed indoors so that they may be more carefully monitored and protected from animals such as raccoons, dogs, hawks, or owls.

Final Notes

Russian tortoises make wonderful pets, but it is important to be prepared for this long term pet. It is also advisable to have a complete vet check-up once a year in order to assess the health of your tortoise. For example, a hidden killer of tortoises is worms (like dogs and cats get) which can be easily taken care of by administering a worming solution such as Panacur (a dose of 50 mg per kilogram is advised). If you are purchasing a new Russian tortoise it is CRITICAL to have your tortoise wormed - this is especially true for wild caught specimens which typically harbor worms. Russian tortoises are also known for their ability to climb and dig which makes them very accomplished escape artists. One final note is DO NOT mix Russian tortoises with other tortoises. This is true of most tortoise species but is critical for Russians as they are very hardy and may be very healthy. However, they may harbor pathogens that are deadly to other tortoises. Russian tortoises are very personable and you will quickly learn his or her personality. If you decide to get one - Enjoy!!