Basic Russian tortoise care

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In this video I show you what basic steps are required to take care of your russian tortoise. Please don't think that you are ready to take care of your tortoise after watching this video. Do more research as these are just my opinions, and even though I think they are right, other people might disagree. If you have any questions please leave them in the comment section below.

[@kaiti713]

we just took in a Russian tortoise. my aunts neighbors threw it over their fence and the dogs were playing with it.. poor little guy. the original owners were feeding it literally aquarium and salamander food.

[@RussianTorts]

Man I hate hearing about abuse like that. I hope you guys can give it a good home!

[@jinxd4398]

kaiti dang that's messed up ;(

[@-star_27-20]

kaiti that is sad. I’m very glad that you around to take in the tortoise.

[@starlosa]

Man, I just became a Russian tortie owner because someone abandoned one and it seemed to have wandered into my garden lol

[@Tayrrific378]

Awww bless it 😢

[@domogaming2904]

I love your tortoise, and I just got a little girl of my own, and I love her and want to take good care of her and you helped a lot so thank you

[@alanmyers4951]

Dear RussianTorts, Thank you so much for all your videos on Russian Tortoise. I am going to get a Russian Tortoise. His or her name is going to be Tesla. I think it is a good name for the tortoise. You have helped me a lot. I actually have an 8 page word document with all the tips that you suggested. (except for the sand part. I'm going to use Douglas Fur bark.) But anyways...THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST! Please wright back when you look at this or when you can!

[@susansizemore6344]

I really liked your video! Your tortoise is so active and cute!

[@rxsenbrotherhd1164]

@fuba no u.

[@adriendimaano9839]

Barely got my Russian tortoise today and I've been watching videos like this all day

[@masebarker434]

I am so happy to finally subscribe to your channel. I have been watching your videos throughout the last 5 months or so. Now tomorrow I am finally getting my russian tortoise and I am all ready and I know lots of tips thanks to you Russian torts. I am happy to subscribe to you and watch all your videos with Ptulya. You know what you are doing man!

[@modestalchemist]

you could probably put tape around the bottom few inches of the glass so they see a barrier, but you can still see the tortoise through the glass.

[@domainmojo2162]

My tortoise is free-roaming. I'm in Southern Africa, so I have the Leopard tortoise. My yard is about 420 square meters, and he just walks everywhere he wants to and grazes wherever. I feed him regularly, but I also let him graze around in the veggie garden. He's a lovely little bloke! I can never keep them in enclosures. He's used to the yard and even if we leave the gates open.. he'll never cross that boundary.

[@mamurra22]

Hit the bottom 4in of you glass with paint, tape or flex seal problem solved. You can remove the tape and flex seal FYI. Thanks for the video 👍

[@emilym9002]

This was a very helpful video! I love turtles and have cared for a variety of species at a wildlife rescue but have recently been considering adopting a Russian tortoise. This was a good refresher on my knowledge before I delve into more research!

[@RussianTorts]

Thank you for understanding that doing your own research is always better than listening to some guy on youtube. I am glad that I was able to provide you a refresher!

[@wendyshaikh4893]

This was a nice video. Thank you for sharing. Patella is really sweet and active.

[@MrBenjordan4]

Hey dude love your tortoise videos. Getting my Russian tuesday!

[@elliegrace478]

this was sooooo helpful !! ive been researching Russian tortoise care recently because im planning on getting one soon n_n ty for this video !!

[@ollystaines5527]

A really useful video with loads of info, she might have stopped eating the pellets because they weren't soaked in water before hand. Hope this helped.

[@Jenn-zn6ln]

Thank you, extremely helpful in my research before my purchase of our Russian tortoise

[@lukelukemusic]

Thank you. I just bought a tortoise. This has helped.

[@Andythegreat1121]

I luv your set up and I thank you for all the videos u made to help me out to take care of my tortoise. thanks again and I hope u continue to make vids

[@Andythegreat1121]

thank you i have that same set up with the 4 stone plates and i was just making sure that was a good way to prevent the sand from being consumed thanks and again great bid

[@-star_27-20]

I enjoyed the video! Maybe someday I’ll get myself a tortoise.

[@W3stW0lverine]

I turn on the lights when I wake up and turn them off when I go to bed. He follows my schedule roughly. It varies each day, but a little variety never hurts. Walter doesn't mind much. :)

[@a_pufferfish9842]

+W3stW0lverine I'd probaly end up turning it on before i leave for school, I bet they make pretty good pets in college, drop some food in and turn on their lights and their pretty much set! When I get one ill probably have to plan for college pet for it, since they can live 75 years XD

[@braydenclements6768]

I have a baby russian tortoise and I have found that if you use coconut coir and cypress mulch that works very well and mine don't use its hide at all but you should always have one because they do love climbing and they will climb their hides a lot, and a few bigger rocks they can climb wouldn't hurt. I have rocks and my tortoise spends most of his time on the rocks.

[@jaydeckard5644]

thank you this will be very helpful when i get mine.

[@bradz1037]

I bought a cinder block from Home Depot for $1.19. It has 2 tunnels that my tortoise loves to walk thru and sleep in. I have also used a long clay piece that can be found in some gardening stores as a boarder for gardens. When I lean it against the side of the cement mixer container it creates an awesome tunnel & sleeping tunnel. The tortoise climbs on top to get closer to the heat lamps. I am lucky. I have a huge window well filled with gravel. The window easily opens so I can leave the tortoise in the window well for a few hours when the temperature is over 70. It is probably 15 to 20 feet across.

[@RussianTorts]

I have only observed my tortoise in her waterbowl twice, only saw her drink once. It is always filled with fresh water for her to drink out off. You're right you shouldn't need to cut the nails, but it is possible which you stated in your first statement as not being so. I have plenty of rocks in her cage (well as many as I see fit) but once a while her nails grow a bit too long. And its not a myth that they get their hydration from their food (at least in captivity).

[@taysoto3497]

thanks u helped me out soooo much now ma mom will listen to me about my two babies now i cant finally get more things to climb on

[@BertyStrongman]

Good tip of advice, I would recommend changing your habitat from glass to a solid object, like wood because they try and walk thru the glass and it makes them angry/upset when they can't get thru and they become really stressed :) So I would suggest getting a wooden tort table :)

[@RussianTorts]

I already have a video on this, outlining the benefits and drawbacks of many enclosure types. I am well aware of the glass issue but my tortoise got used to it

[@BertyStrongman]

Haha sorry, I was stupid enough to comment before watching the video and after I pressed comment I heard you talk about the enclosure :)

[@adrienne369]

@@RussianTorts it’s also a ventilation thing. I’m worried mines in a huge glass aquarium yours is not as high which I think Is better. Mine Also doesn’t like the heat as much she wants out n I sleep with her in my bed even but I feel as like she doesn’t like the heat. She basks of course but when she’s done she “riots” to get out n also yea she loves to climb but I had to remove her Hines because when she gets sassy and pissed off she’s just start climbing like crazy like she’s a daredevil and she flips upside down I found her upside down too many times and I’m paranoid of finding her like that and it be too late. Idk what to do. Thanks

[@RussianTorts]

Thank you, I will continue making videos until my camera breaks ;)

[@DavidEdwardBurry]

Thankyou

[@brandtmccall5184]

I can see you are taking great care of her, with all the different substrates in the aquarium, good food, spraying her regularly, baths once a month, digging areas. But is her aquarium big enough for her? She seems to like to move around. I think she needs a bigger box to dig in and water to sit in. Overall good job, you really care about your little tortoise friend.

[@RussianTorts]

Yes she needs a bigger cage. In the summer she is outside all the time, in a suitable enclosure. It has around double the surface area for her to move in. So she only spends around 5 months in this cage. But I do plan on upgrading once I move out and have the space

[@RussianTorts]

While their food in the wild is mostly dry (because of their environment) the food we feed them in captivity is normally really moist or full of water. So in captivity I would say it is safe to say they get hydrated through food.

[@frankiea3752]

Cool set up! Im getting 1 or possibly 2 tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait. I bought a large box from Amazon to put them in. Was worried about them bumping into the side like yours did...

[@RussianTorts]

I take my tortoise to the vet once a year right after it has become to cold for her to stay outside over the day. This is probably in late september were I live. The vet then checks for worms which tortoises normally get when they stayed in an outdoor enclosure.

[@koolyoin]

My tortoise is special, she does not like climbing. She is very shy.

[@alanmyers4951]

This video was quite intriguing. Thank you so much for this video it will help me a lot with my future Russian Tortoise or Greek Tortoise if they have Greek's at Petco but I know they have Russians. But anyways this helped me a lot. Thank you so much!!! I love your tortoise by the way. She's very beautiful. I always liked pale tortoises. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!

[@donaldtharider4688]

I like your video very informative for me in which I plan to get one next month

[@RussianTorts]

Thank you, hermans and russian tortoises basically require the same care. Many of these desert tortoises require the same care

[@retromakeup6549]

She's a beauty! xx I have a boy and he is only 2 years old, definitely going to have to get a bigger enclosure! (I try to avoid the word 'cage')

[@retromakeup6549]

Oh and my Russian Tortoise likes to parkour, he ignores the steps to his water bowl and climbs via wall to get to the liquid.

[@gager5485]

thx man, great info, it will come in handy

[@RussianTorts]

Yes they do, it kills the few worms that exist. My tortoise never had a bad breakout, just a few worms which tortoises regularly get when they are outside. Be sure to see a vet specialized in reptiles or even tortoises.

[@lilylovessade]

My tortoises (2) the male goes against the glass I searched it up and it said don't worry. And my dad said " He's becoming a man!" I laughed but he tired himself out and went to bed! I was worried because i was new to owning them. This video is amazing ( even though i'm like a billion years late!) -_-

[@abanana6733]

Ok this is so weird My grandparents have a girl boxturtle named speedy. They keep her in a relatively large square clear rubbermaid bin. They have a screen covering it (weighed down by bricks). The bottom is just dotted with many large rocks and is filled with shredded paper. They have two bowls, one for food (store bought) and a larger one for it to soak in. They have a regular light bulb over the bin. And that's it. The weird part is she is PERFECTLY HEALTHY! Her eyes are bright, she is active, and she hibernates to add to that! Most people say its normal for a domestic box turtle to have slight pyramiding. She has little to none of it! The only problems seem to be her nails need clipped and her beak is slightly over grown but that's it! Someone explain why she is so happy in conditions that professionals call "bad"!

[@Sophia-eo6ep]

Because over the years we've learned more about animals and people go all out and get every single thing they need which I feel is a bit silly. I feed my dogs cheap food and some people call that "poison". My dog has been eating that for 7 years and he's perfectly healthy. He's an old man now and he's fine, my veterinarian says so. Pit Bulls often get cancer, ( they say their diet is the cause, which is stupid ) and my dog was tested for cancer and he didn't have it, so just because your grandparents don't give their turtle EVERY SINGLE THING THEY NEED doesn't mean it's unhealthy :)

[@xxengineermain6.9youtube82]

A Banana a turtle named speedy? Talk about irony

[@RussianTorts]

Well as friendly as tortoises get I guess. If you want a pet to play with don't get a tortoise as they like to be left alone. Mine comes up to the side of her cage when I approach though and doesn't seem to mind being picked up.

[@RussianTorts]

I move the stuff around whenever I change the substrate. So twice a year. It is good for the tortoise to not live in the same environment all its life.

[@gamehub2720]

1:35 SUPERMANNNNNNN!

[@fishguy43]

Great information I have a Russian tortoise his name is jet lee. I have had him for three years now they are great pets He growing so I will have to build him a bigger house now. any way I learn they like to dig from you video so I will make his substrate deeper . thanks for the information.

[@christopherstone6045]

I like turtles

[@fishguy43]

Christopher Stone the Russian tortoise make great pets they ready do they just require a lot of food they eat a lot.

[@deeinny821]

Thank you for posting this....very helpful. Take Care.

[@MakcumPycckuu]

What a great little guy 🐢 👍

[@thekingturtle6111]

thanks man I'm getting one soon this helps

[@donaldhicks5626]

great video, one of the better ones ive seen , why dont you just duct tape the bottom six inches of your enclousure ? also what are the dimentions of your habitat ? thanks

[@RussianTorts]

I tried covering the bottom half once, my tortoise ended up trying to climb over the covering all the time so she banged against the glass a lot more than she does with just the normall glass wall being there. The dimensions of my terrarium are 120cm by 70cm I think

[@michelleburdick9483]

This is soooo helpful. Our baby Herman's died and we're all heartbroken. We're considering a Russian.

[@RussianTorts]

Russian tortoises are great first time tortoises. Other great species are greek toroises and hermanns tortoises. But you should really consider if you actually want a tortoise as they are a long term commitment and require your care for about 60 years.

[@unknownus3r373]

i am doing research because i want to get my mom a russian tortoise for a surprise because she has been very down lately and she has been wanting one since she was a little girl (its her dream pet)

[@jvibez5180]

Good job I learned a lot !!!

[@RussianTorts]

I'm guessing you mean the tub in the back left of the terrarium? That is filled with regular earth. It was originally meant for her to dig in but she never does. Never the less she likes climbing into it so I left it there

[@Sophie_Kearney2012]

I have a Russian tortise called Holly and she is 10 years old I got her when I was 7 years old

[@dontreadmyprofilepicture3768]

I’m planning on buying one

[@RussianTorts]

To prevent the sand from getting into the tortoises diet I feed my tortoise on stone (as I explain in the video). I just put four stone plates down big enough for the lettuce leaves not to fall of

[@andreabumpous5482]

Cool I have a Russian tortoise to

[@jessicataylor3274]

The white in their poop is the urates they r eliminating from their body. They don't urinate. Their kidney waste (the urates) comes out in some of their bowel movements (the clear with the white). Just an interesting fact I learned from a resident tortoise expert at Busch Wildlife, that I thought I'd share with you 😊

[@RussianTorts]

Alright, there are several things wrong with your statements here and I don't want other people's pets to suffer under that. You are right, high humidity is bad for russian tortoises, that's why there is a low humidity in my tortoises cage. Misting her is like a rainfall, and is certainly not enough to cause shell rot since she dries of under her heat lamp in a minute or two. Keeping the inside of the wooden hut damp will also not cause mold as it is not wet enough, I know from experience.

[@gamehub2720]

i love how its main thought was the alcohol picture on the glass! Im getting a russiantort in october, and i will tink about giving it a bottle of san miguel to stqre at! lol

[@gamehub2720]

leave me alone! *walks back to wine bottle* and dont show me on that camera again!

[@xXRoboticPotatoXx]

GameHub Haha xD

[@gamehub2720]

Robotic Potato hmm, an alcoholic tortoise...

[@sammystudio1220]

i am gonna get one in a few days

[@melissanguyen2413]

would I need to purchase a uv light if I have a room with a large balcony window that faces west? it would get direct sunlight for a good few hours on a sunny day.

[@petsgalaxy267]

Your tortoise is as cute as mine

[@sammystudio1220]

I LOVE YOUR VIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jenniferbeasley2397]

nice enclosure thanks for sharing

[@RussianTorts]

+Jennifer Beasley Compared to my new set up this was really bad. Now she has much more space

[@tonyamitchell2143]

She's beautiful!!

[@Dubcongaming]

Please go on amazon and order a bag of grass substrate pellets, ditch the sand, lovely tortoise you have there

[@rurzan]

Very informative, thank you!

[@matthadeed]

Subscribe? Done. Thank you so much, I got my Russian tortoise at PetSmart and I was told that my 40 gal tank was ok (3 ft by 1.5 ft) but apparently I need a 5' x 3' tank at least... I exercise him (outside if its over like 70 degrees Fahrenheit) for an hour and I had a 5.0 uvb bulb and 75 watt basking bulb and both were 18 INCHES from my 4.5 inch, 9 month tortoise and you just helped me, im also gonna start putting calcium powder on his food. I feed him a variety (Kale, endive, radicchio, mustard greens and sometimes ORGANIC strawberries) Like, like, like, like, like... please make more care videos!

[@RussianTorts]

She is normally in her hut and I just spray inside the hut. Like 10-15 sprays or so

[@theriseofanime]

I had mine in a wooden enclosure but she would try to climb out and fall on her back so I put her in a glass enclosure and hasn't run into the glass yet

[@laurastanish8610]

Hey I love your tortoise

[@patrickmassey49]

So I'm getting a Russian tortise and it's my first one what are the basic things I should know

[@RussianTorts]

Way too much to just post in a comment. Go on tortoiseforum.org and browse through their russian tortoise section, lots of good posts on there

[@timmypope6861]

hay guys if you have any question please ask me i know a lot about these animals thanks ps very good video

[@robertmcdougall899]

I have a Turkish tortoise and she just over one year old but I am concerned about her as she's sleeping a lot and do I also need a light on during the summer months as I'm worried in case it way to hot for her and are heat mats recommend?

[@sarahlinkey1710]

my Russian tortoise has the same problem...your enclosure is probably not warm enough

[@hiimboard6894]

Timmy Pope how big does the cage need to be at the smallest

[@Jesse-ji9er]

This helped so much thx

[@brianh5010]

What a great video. Thanks for sharing. I'm in the beginning stages of building a habitat from an old bookshelf. My main concern is depth. Since your tortoise loves to climb, is depth a major concern, or are they typically happy with climbing obstacles inside the habitat?

[@RussianTorts]

And lastly, of course tortoises nails can be cut. If there aren't enough stones or other rough surfaced objects in your tortoises cage her nails can grow too long and will need to be cut as she could get them stuck in gaps otherwise, or injure herself otherwise. Also, russian tortoises don't need to be soaked to rehydrate. Soaking is great for the tortoises skin, but they get hydrated mostly through their food.

[@RussianTorts]

You don't need to worry about russian tortoise's biting, generally. The reason I say generally is that every tortoise has a different personality. Mine for example goes crazy and tries to bite when she sees the calcium powder container. So yeah, she is completely fine with me otherwise but not when I try to dust her food.

[@typalexandra]

oh okay. i got my little russian tortoise juvenile yesterday! its still quite shy and start breathing heavily when i pass the enclousure. I let it rest for a couple of days now. He/she seems to like digging, so im thinking of getting a bowl with earth in, so it can dig around. How do i build the "earth-bowl" to get it easy for my tortoise to climb out of it? how have you built yours? =)

[@daroncreus1333]

your video's are grate

[@sarahlinkey1710]

not grate it is great

[@timetobake3090]

Do you hibernate your tortoise? Because I’m getting a tortoise soon, and I don’t know what to do

[@Dubcongaming]

So it has to stay in that corner to be warm? You need a roof on that to keep the heat in.

[@RussianTorts]

Great idea that you want to give your tortoise an area to dig in. I have a video on how to build the digging bowl thing. Just look in my uploads and you should find it there

[@dragonballztheory1809]

This summer I have to go out of town for 7 days. I have no one to watch my tortoise for that time. What do I need to do? I can not bring him on the plane.

[@justinlajeunesse8315]

I wanted to know your opinion on something: I have a tank that I could use. I think it would work, I have people saying that it would work but I would appreciate the opinion who actualy has one. The tank is four feet wide, two feet deep and two feet tall. In it, there is a small water dish, a small food bowl, two hids and some logs to climb over and under. The tank Is made of wood and has a plastic see through front, though I would cover it since tortoises don't understand it. It is pretty weel ventilated. There is a long uvb light and the top, out of the tortoises reach and lights are also out. Anyway, in your opinion, do you think it would be fine for one tortoise?

[@leanne186]

I know you were asking for his opinion, but I have 2 tortoises myself and I think that is fine as long as you also have a heat lamp and possibly a container of shallow water for it to soak.

[@danielh9722]

Hi there, I'm a massive animal lover, and I'm thinking of getting a Russian tortoise towards the end of this year. To a degree, do they bond with you over time? And is it ok to get just one, or is two better? And, do the lights you use to heat the tank run up your electricity bill a lot? Thanks.

[@princessfunny1018]

mine has seemed to bond with me quite a lot even though I've only had him for a year . It's fine to just get one and the lights don't run up the electric bill that much. Hope that was helpful :)

[@meganmarsh7833]

Question: why is my horse field (Russian) tortoises shell going green?

[@RussianTorts]

Your tortoise is most likely trying to hibernate, which is normal around this time of the year. If you don't want to hibernate your tortoise just leave her in the cage and leave the lights off and stop feeding. Check on her each day without disturbing her. Once she starts being active again, turn the lights back on and start feeding again.

[@harriet2511]

I have a wooden tortoise table and my tortoise keeps climbing up the side and I caught him hanging out of it and now I'm really worried he is going to climb out and fall!! What do I do ?!?!?

[@AndrewH02]

is it okay now?

[@xxengineermain6.9youtube82]

Get a lid for your container with breathing holes and perhaps a place to put in food and water that can be taken off. :D I hope it’s still alive for the sake of this comment and you

[@marcoalonzo1311]

Kick it's ass

[@michaelalexandahdee8505]

Are you stupid, Get something taller to put your tortoise in.

[@hiimboard6894]

Harriet Tibbetts PUT A LID ON IT 🙄

[@raymarcorrea1645]

Ps did you put the pick of wine so she can see that it’s glass

[@justinlajeunesse8315]

In my enclosure, I want to have half substrate like bark and dirt, and one side as paper towel or carpet. Would that be fine? I think it would, and it would be easier. I could have a small tub with substrate on the inside where the tortoise could get in with a ramp or something. It would mainlybe easier for cleaning, though Im worried that it would make one side have too much humidity

[@JaredCullum]

Could you just wrap the bottom with thin trim board just above eye level on the sides so they don’t see out those sides?

[@randall7829]

Ya but I used tape

[@RussianTorts]

No problem, and thank you

[@RussianTorts]

Yes I do, so does everyone else. In nature they don't have the light on 24/7 either

[@sophien9581]

My tort just turned 4. Her shell is slightly softer is some places, it's getting better though. I took her to the vet and they said it was due to growing, is this ok? Love your vids!!

[@RussianTorts]

At that age they are still growing (takes them up to 10 years) Your vet is right, nothing to worry about

[@RussianTorts]

Also make sure you supplement his diet with calcium powder for proper shell growth

[@sophien9581]

Thank you so much, and yes she has calcium powder which I put over her food 😃

[@BOBCAT2001ify]

Do u recommend moving are the stuff inside the cage once and a while or do u recommend just keeping it the way it was from day one ,

[@dianeott5258]

do you put the warming mat under the substrate inside the enclosure?

[@PSICK1234ikillallracistrolls]

No just get the proper lighting and a nice size structure indoors.

[@anarose7193]

If I get a tortoise, how expensive will the vet visits usually be? Thank you I'm very curious because dog check ups can be expensive

[@jaivonstewart252]

How much did everything together cost and how much do you pay monthly

[@Veritanky]

i remember he mentioned in one of his vids it cost around 500 dollars, not sure how much every month he said its 6 bucks a week for just food and some special food liek trixie is around 30 dollars/bag