Within the tortoises belonging to the Testudinae family, we find a species known as the Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii). These tortoises share a family with other well-known tortoises such as the spur-thighed tortoises or the African tortoises.
Russian tortoises have many names, although this one is the most popular. In some places, they are also known as steppe tortoises or Afghan tortoises, as well as Horsfield tortoises after their “discoverer” Thomas Horsfield. In this page of our site you will be able to discover the characteristics, habitat and diet of the Russian tortoise.
Characteristics of the Russian Tortoise
Russian tortoises are small land tortoises, with a length from tail to head between 13 and 25 centimeters Being the average of 22 in females and 19 in males, giving therefore a marked sexual dimorphism, something quite common among land turtles. In addition, males and females can be differentiated by the length of their tail, since this is longer in the case of males.
All specimens, regardless of sex, share characteristics such as their flattened carapace brown in various shades, a color shared with the rest of their body, as it helps them blend in with their environment. They have strong front legs and four well-developed claws, something that distinguishes them from the rest of the tortoises in the family, since all the others have 5 claws and not 4.
In general, they are very long-lived turtles, even in the wild where more dangers lurk, they often exceed 30-40 years of age. In captivity, their life expectancy skyrockets, easily reaching a hundred years.
Russian tortoise habitat
This species of tortoise inhabits the dry steppes throughout Central Asia, whenever there are masses or water courses nearby, living in countries like China, Afghanistan, Russia or Pakistan. This means that Russian tortoises have to face extremely harsh weather conditions, as it is a very extreme weather So extreme that during winter temperatures remain low zero, while in summer the mercury rises to unexpectedly high peaks.
Due to the harsh climate, these tortoises spend most of the year inactive, hibernating when temperatures are too cold and when they are too hot. To hibernate, they use holes dug in the ground by themselves. These burrows can be up to 3 meters deep, which is why they are called “burrowing or mining turtles”.
Russian tortoise reproduction
The Russian tortoise will be ready to breed once it reaches an approximate age of 10 years During courtship,the male becomes quite violent , chasing, hitting and subduing the female during this act. In addition, they emit certain sounds, remaining mute for the rest of their lives.
A special ability of female Russian tortoises is to keep semen in her oviduct for hours, days or even years until that the conditions for reproduction are the most benign. Spawning usually takes place between May and June, in holes that the female prepares for it. As in the case of the Mediterranean tortoise and the spur-thighed tortoise, the sex of the hatchlings will be largely determined by weather conditions, with females predominating if there are more than 31º
When they are born, Russian tortoises have a yellow and black shell, round in shape and betweenin size 3 and 3.5 centimeters long, weighing just about 8-11 grams.
Russian Tortoise Feeding
Russian tortoises are herbivores, so their diet is based on the consumption of foods vegetables such as vegetables and fruits This diet varies depending on where each specimen lives, as it adapts to the food sources they have available in each case.
In general, the Russian tortoise consumes all kinds of plant foods, such as bush leaves, flowers, dried plants, vegetables and fruits. On exceptional occasions they can consume insects and some carrion, which is not usual.
The pet Russian tortoise
It is common to have a Russian tortoise as a pet, this is because they are quite sociable and easy to maintain. If we want to have one in our home, we have to take into account its needs and conditions in which it has to be.
One of the most important is undoubtedly their space We have to prepare a terrarium for them that is spacious enough so that they can move freely for him. This must receive sunlight, since it is essential for our Russian tortoise to sunbathe dailyIf this is not possible, it will be necessary to install UVA and UVB tubes, something that is often done by reptile owners. Also, they will need a place to hibernate, something they will do annually. At this time, the terrarium must be changed for one in which the temperature is low (4-8ºC) and with a substrate bed.
We must clean its terrarium and make sure that the temperature is never too high, making sure that does not exceed 35º.
