Many people have pets such as dogs, cats, fish, ferrets, etc. but did you know Russian tortoises make great pets as well? The Russian tortoise is one of the smallest species of tortoises ever! Their size ranged from 5-10 inches, depending on gender. Males tend to be smaller then females. This makes them great pets in many ways. They are small! A small tortoise, such as the Russian tortoise can be housed indoors or outdoors depending on the climate you live in and they make great pets!
Indoor Enclosure
Depending on what kind of climate you live in, indoor enclosures may be the choice for you. The bigger the terrarium is the better. If you decide to keep your Russian tortoise indoors keep in mind the temperature should be in the range of 68 to 80 degrees. Indoor enclosures should consist of a substrate. Many people like using a combination of soil and mulch. You can also purchase a substrate at your local pet store, but if your looking to keep costs at a minimum plain old dirt is the way to go. Next you will need a heat lamp. Heat lamps are very very important. Although this is the most expensive item for a tortoise, you have to remind yourself that you are keeping a cold blooded animal indoors. Place the heat lamp on one side of the terrarium so that your tortoise has a warmer area and a cooler area. Since we want to keep out tortoise happy make sure you provide plenty of hiding places for your tortoise. And most importantly food and water. You can feed your tortoise and type of vegetable. Be sure to change the food every 24 hours. When it comes to water Russian tortoises do not tend to deny water on the Dailey. Most die of dehydration. It is important that you soak your tortoise in a bowl or container. Fill this water half way to the shell. When soaking a Russian tortoise they absorb water through their skin. Do this 2-3 times a week for 10-15 minutes.
Outdoor Enclosures
If you decide to keep your Russian tortoise outside, then even better! The natural sunlight is more efficient and better for your tortoise. The perfect outside temperature for a Russian is 90-100 degrees. anything higher may be to hot and anything lower could result to your Russian burrowing him/herself under the ground. Keeping a tortoise outdoors can be a lot cheaper as well. Many people enjoy making a outdoor enclosure for their Russian, while other prefer the Russian to roan free in their back yard. Both are okay to do as long as you do not have a pool. Russian tortoises are not swimmers at all! Leaving your Russian tortoise near a pool unattended can result to bad news. When keeping your tortoise outdoors it is very important they have access to water at all times and food. If your yard consist of flowers and vegetation, you old need to feed your tortoise once a week. For your own sake, you will still need to soak your tortoise 2-3 times a week for 15 minutes to make sure your tortoise is hydrated.
Indoor Enclosure
Outdoor Enclosures
I think it is very interesting to read about tortoise's! I have a bearded dragon and most people think I am crazy for owning a reptile. After reading all of this, I would totally be interested in having a russian tortoise.
ReplyDeleteAida,
ReplyDeleteWhat an intriguing topic! To be honest, I didn't even know the tortoises were native to Russia. Additionally, I had never thought of the amount of care and consideration that goes into building a habitat for them. My grandmother has two African Spurred Tortoises and they are HUGE! Probably close to 120 lbs each.
Wow, this post is amazing. The dedication one must have to keep a Russian Tortoise is crazy though. In your experience, do you enjoy the presence of having one around or the crazy stunts they pull. I remember my college algebra teacher talking about her grandson's tortoises and how particularly insane the bigger one was. She had to build a concrete and rebar housing unit for it because it would escape so often and when it did it would bully the smaller tortoises. I remember her saying that he cracked the shell on one of the littler ones by driving them against a wall and just shoving them into the wall. Man, that tortoise was crazy.
ReplyDeleteAida--Your blog is starting off well. You have a comfortable voice and good context (lead in and sign off). Pretty good development--keep digging into analysis to create significance for your reader. Good visual appeal.
ReplyDelete