Russian tortoise

- Testudo horsfieldii

There are four subspecies of the Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii), which can be found from the Caspian Sea, passing through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, to eastern Iran and northern Afghanistan. Sometimes, the Russian tortoise can be found even as far away as western China.

The species reaches a size of 15 cm. (males) some 25 cm., very rarely 28 body length cm (females) and then weighs between half a kilogram and two kilograms.

The rather small size of the Russian tortoise it's just a feature, but not one by which it can be definitively recognized. Another feature is the shell. Has an oval dorsal shell, almost circular, which is also quite flat. Much flatter than other species in the genus Testudo. A coloration between yellow and brown and also olive characterizes the basic color of the shell. It also, there are dark spots. The Russian tortoise has basically only four fingers. Other species usually have five fingers.

The male is recognized by his curved abdominal shell (concave), which makes it easier for you to get on the females and gives them a foothold. Males have a longer and thicker tail than females. On the other hand, females are much larger and have a very flat abdominal shell.

In their habitats there are always stony and arid tracts of land, so the Russian tortoise it also has its other name, "steppe tortoise". Adapts well in dry and arid areas. But, animals are most often found near rivers.

The strong claws of the front legs and the flat shell allow the Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) dig burrows up to four meters long, that you use repeatedly. At night, when it's very hot, during summer and winter lethargy, takes refuge in them, as they provide you with security from predators and soil temperatures remain relatively constant. They are often seen sitting at the entrance of the cave in the morning., when the weather is uncertain. In your range, the continental climate is hot and dry in summer and wet and icy in winter. It is characterized by large daily and seasonal temperature swings of up to 40 °C, and often it doesn't rain in the middle of summer. These conditions demand enormous adaptability of animals in their arid habitats..

The hibernation lasts until mid to late March, until 6 months. No matter how harsh and cold the winters are, the warm season arrives quickly and without transition with an initial abundance of plants. These turtles only have three to five months to feed, grow and reproduce. With the increase in heat in early summer and the onset of drought, finding food during the day becomes increasingly difficult, so you have to take advantage of the morning and night hours for it. In the middle of summer, it is so hot and dry in many habitats that the animals go into a summer lethargy of one to two months. (aestivation) due to lack of food and heat and do not reappear until September, if at all. They take advantage of the short period until hibernation to look for food until they hibernate again in mid to late October due to nighttime temperatures, often very severe, below zero.

In the wild, sometimes occupy enormously large territories. They are common 10 hectares for a male and even 30 hectares for a female. So, turtles are rarely found. But, it is precisely these circumstances that make the Russian tortoise a highly specialized species that cannot cope with the usual breeding of a species of European turtle long-term.

When a male sees a female, approaches her in courtship plan. With the neck stretched out and the head nodding from top to bottom, the potential partner surrounds your chosen one. Finally, bites her front legs to force her to sit still. Males usually have a much longer tail with a nail on the tail, which can cause serious injury to the cloacal region of the female if mating attempts are too frequent.

During copulation, the male adopts an almost vertical position behind the female. At the same time, the male opens his mouth, the red, fleshy tongue becomes visible and emits picket sounds.

Females lay surprisingly large eggs between two and four weeks after mating, usually between 2 and 5 (up to a maximum of 9). Its shape is elongated-oval, of about 35-40 millimeters in length and about 15-20 g. of weight. The babies, almost round, hatch after sixty to a maximum of 100 days if eggs are artificially incubated at 28-32°C. A single successful mating is enough to fertilize the eggs of several clutches. For this reason, and by the huge and almost annoying mating desire of males, it makes sense in human care to keep males and females separate from each other outside of the actual mating season to ensure stress-free maintenance..

State of conservation ⓘ
Vulnerable ⓘ (UICN)ⓘ

Since 1975, this species is subject to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, where listed in Appendix II. EU Species Protection Regulation includes species in Appendix B. Thus, can only change ownership as a hatchling and only with a certificate of origin stating where and when the turtle was bred. It also, animals must be registered within the EU with the local authority responsible for the protection of species (= free).

IUCN classifies the Russian tortoise as "in danger" (VU, vulnerable).

In their natural habitats, the Russian tortoise is exposed to very contrasting climatic conditions. While in summer the heat causes even the summer lethargy of the animals, the Russian tortoise is forced to enter winter torpor every year in October due to temperatures of up to -21 °C.

In captivity, animals usually go into hibernation from mid-November at a temperature of between 2 °C y 4 °C. As such, turtles bury themselves in the ground. As such, turtles dig into the ground. The natural habitat allows tunnels of up to 2 m depth. In outdoor enclosures in captivity, the Russian tortoise is usually buried between 30 and 60 cm depth in the enclosure. As such, many caregivers create an additional hibernation pit, which is protected from predators from below and offers frost protection from above, for example by means of a greenhouse.

A constant temperature of 2°C to 4°C is important for the Russian tortoise. It should not be hotter than this for hibernation, otherwise proper hibernation will not occur. The Russian tortoise remains in hibernation in an outdoor enclosure for the same time as the Greek tortoise, for example. Normally they are 5 months. Many turtles come out of their burrows in spring, from the month of April, and become active quite quickly.

The Russian tortoise it is herbivorous. Prefer dried herbs and grasses. The menu can also be completed with fresh vegetables. Should not be fed too much protein, as animals grow too fast and this can lead to shell deformation.

Only animals raised in the EU can cross national borders and only these animals can be sold. Despite the fact that possession without official papers is allowed, the origin must be proved. So, if you buy one Russian tortoise, needs a proper proof of origin from the breeder. If the purchase is not made from the breeder but from an owner, he usually has such a certificate from the breeder and delivers it at the time of delivery.

We strongly discourage the purchase of a Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) without adequate proof of origin. If the origin and filiation are not correctly demonstrated, turtles can be confiscated.

Having said that, the price of a "Russian tortoise" in the exotic animal market ranges from 80 – 130 EUR.

A case of convergence. Gopherus flavomarginata (above) and Testudo horsfieldii (below). Both have flat shells and powerful arms.	Airtight tanks make it easy to dig into the ground. This makes soft tissues particularly visible.	Young people do not break the egg at the poles, but in the middle	Youth: a distinctive central keel on the shell recalls the appearance of earlier ancestors	Agrionemys horsfieldii	Male (medium) and two females

1. Afghan tortoise, Central Asian tortoise, Horsfield’s tortoise, four-clawed tortoise, (Russian) steppe tortoise (English).
2. Tortue russe, Tortue des steppes (French).
3. Steppenschildkröte, Russische Landschildkröte (German).
4. tartaruga afegã, tartaruga da Ásia Central, tartaruga de Horsfield, tartaruga de quatro garras, e tartaruga de estepe (Portuguese).
5. Tortuga de la estepa, Tortuga Afgana, Tortuga de cuatro dedos (español).