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Russian Tortoise
Testudo horsfieldi
A small, hardy, personality-packed tortoise — a decades-long commitment that can outlive its owner.
6–10 in40+ years
Habitat
Enclosure
4×2 ft minimum — bigger or outdoors is better
Temperature
Basking 95–100°F · cool zone 70–75°F
Humidity / Water
30–50% ambient · humid burrow area
Heating & lighting
Halogen basking spot plus linear UVB 10–12% — essential for shell and bone. Provide a cool end and a humid burrow retreat; no water dish beyond a shallow soaker.
Diet
Feed these
- Dandelion greens and weeds
- Collard and mustard greens
- Hibiscus flowers and leaves
- Grasses and edible weeds
- Occasional squash
Never feed
- Fruit — disrupts their gut flora
- Dog or cat food
- Iceberg lettuce
- Grains and bread
- Animal protein of any kind
Strict grazers: a wide, weed-based salad daily. They can live 40+ years — plan for who cares for them decades from now.
Cohabitation
Can live with
No one — house this species alone.
Never house with
Other tortoises — males ram and flip each other Any other species
Solitary. Males ram, bite, and flip rivals; even pairs should only mix for supervised breeding.
