Russian tortoise · 3 questions
The questions russian tortoise keepers actually ask — pulled from real reptile communities and answered the Baskden way: honestly, kindly, and with a clear "here's when to see a vet."
They're one of the best first tortoises — hardy, tame, and full of character — but "beginner" doesn't mean low-effort. Be ready for a lot of floor space (an indoor minimum around 24.5 sq ft, ideally an outdoor grazing pen), a high-fibre weed-and-green diet (not grocery veg or fruit), strong UVB, the winter-hibernation question, and a roughly 50-year commitment that can outlive you. Meet those and they're wonderful.
🛒 Getting one🏠 Setup
A grazing HERBIVORE diet that's high-fibre, low-protein, and low-sugar: mostly leafy greens, grasses, and edible "weeds" like dandelion, plantain, and clover, with flowers as treats. Skip the produce-aisle vegetables and fruit — believe it or not, they're too high in protein and sugar for a tortoise. Keep a cuttlebone in the enclosure for calcium (it also keeps the beak trim). Never feed dog/cat food or high-protein foods — they cause shell pyramiding and kidney problems.
🍽️ Feeding
Russian tortoises are temperate and naturally brumate (hibernate) as the days shorten, so a healthy adult slowing down and eating less in autumn/winter is normal. But hibernation is only for a healthy, good-weight tortoise, done with proper temperature control and prep — and never for a hatchling, or a sick or underweight one. If yours is losing weight, has a runny nose, or seems unwell, that's not brumation: see a reptile vet before letting it "sleep".
🤔 Behaviour🩺 Health
Full guide: brumation →Is this normal? →Russian tortoise guide →
These apply to every reptile, russian tortoise included — tap through to the full answer.
Short answers from The Baskden Team — kind, general guidance, not a diagnosis. When in doubt, a reptile vet is never the wrong call. Deeper detail lives in the russian tortoise care guide.
