Thinking about getting a Russian tortoise

[BlueEyes34]

Hello,

I love tortoises and I have been thinking about getting a Russian tortoise. The only problem is that it would have to live outdoors (in a vivarium) on my back porch year round. I have read that Russian tortoises are hardy in extreme temperatures and that they do hibernate during the winter months.

Is this a good idea? Has anyone ever tried to house a Russian tortoise outdoors year round? I would never even consider getting a tortoise if this would be detrimental to its health.

Any information or advice you can give is greatly appreciated.

By the way, I live in Louisiana. It is very humid during the summer and the cold here is a wet cold. Our temperatures get as high as 110 in the summer and as low as 20 in the winter.

Thanks

 

[NickWag]

Hey! I'm in Mandeville! I keep mine out almost year round. It takes some work, but can be done.
We have a group on Facebook called Louisiana Tortoise Keepers. Feel free to join us. I rarely jump on here anymore but will try to remember to come back to your thread.

 

[leigti]

I personally do not think that this is a good idea. Your tortoise will need much more room than a vivarium on the porch. They recommend a 4 x 8 indoor enclosure and an even larger outdoor enclosure. Do you have any yard space? You could probably keep your tortoise outside for much of the year, so I'm not really familiar with Louisiana weather. Check out the Russian tortoise care sheet in that specific section. It will give you all the information you need.

 

[BlueEyes34]

Hey! I'm in Mandeville! I keep mine out almost year round. It takes some work, but can be done.
We have a group on Facebook called Louisiana Tortoise Keepers. Feel free to join us. I rarely jump on here anymore but will try to remember to come back to your thread.

Hi! I didn't think I'd find anyone that lives in Louisiana like me! What kind of enclosure do you have? I'm really interested in learning more about how you care for your tortoises in the Louisiana temperatures.

 

[NickWag]

Sent you a PM!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Yes, your tortoise should live outdoors year round, however, he needs a pretty big space. Russian tortoises need to wander over large distances. It's hard-wired into them to do so.

We have a care sheet pinned at the top of our Russian section here on the Forum.