Russians

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Tom, I'm wondering if your large boxes, which work so well for sulcatas, might not be the best way to go for Russians. As you may know, in nature Russians excavate burrows up to 7 feet long with a small chamber at the end. Maybe if you just dig a long, narrow tunnel for them - the kind they would dig for themselves - the temperature would be more stable down there.

 

[Tom]

Tom, I'm wondering if your large boxes, which work so well for sulcatas, might not be the best way to go for Russians. As you may know, in nature Russians excavate burrows up to 7 feet long with a small chamber at the end. Maybe if you just dig a long, narrow tunnel for them - the kind they would dig for themselves - the temperature would be more stable down there.

There will be about a four foot tunnel leading down to the "chamber". Time will tell if this works well or not. I'll probably refine it six times along the way.

I'm not too keen on encouraging them to do it themselves for all the usual reasons in a captive setting: Collapse, flooding, no access to the tortoise, and to a lesser degree in the case of this species, temperatures. This is why I am hoping they will accept my "artificial" substitute. The sulcatas sure seem to like their version.

 

[Yvonne G]

I know lots of people have said it, but in my experience, with my russian tortoises, they don't dig a "burrow." My Russians, and I've kept them for about 15 years, dig down into the ground, pushing the dirt behind them, essentially filling in their trail. Unless I get down and push my fingers into the soil, I can't find where they have buried themselves.

 

[lynnedit]

That's true. Best diggers around for their size.
They do like soft, well drained dirt. As I watch my Russians, if they see a small entrance to something, they check it out and go inside. If the soil is well drained (that is, IF I got it right), they usually pick it to settle into for the night if the weather is rainy or colder.

Tom, I think you mentioned that you will have a couple of different options, and you are right! The tweaking will never end, lol.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

...Maybe if you just dig a long, narrow tunnel for them - the kind they would dig for themselves - the temperature would be more stable down there.

I'm not too keen on encouraging them to do it themselves for all the usual reasons in a captive setting: Collapse, flooding, no access to the tortoise, and to a lesser degree in the case of this species, temperatures. This is why I am hoping they will accept my "artificial" substitute. The sulcatas sure seem to like their version.

Just to be clear, I wasn't advocating letting them dig for themselves. My suggestion was to dig the kind of tunnel that they would dig for themselves. In the wild, Russians dig tunnels into slopes, angling slightly downward and flaring out to a chamber at the end (like sullies and Gopherus tortoises do). This helps them stay dry, because rainwater goes downhill instead of into the burrow. Since Russians are so much smaller than sulcatas, my thought was that their smaller underground space might be better insulated and would experience less temperature fluctuation. If their small burrows naturally stabilize temperatures in the extreme cold and heat of Central Asia, then perhaps they would do the same during the mild winters of LA. After all, the native G. agassizii and G. morafkai in the region also dig long, narrow burrows. However, your point on not being able to access the tortoise easily is well-taken.

I'm really curious how your fellow Southern Californians successfully keep and breed their Russians. If it works for them, maybe you should do more or less what they do?

I know lots of people have said it, but in my experience, with my russian tortoises, they don't dig a "burrow." My Russians, and I've kept them for about 15 years, dig down into the ground, pushing the dirt behind them, essentially filling in their trail. Unless I get down and push my fingers into the soil, I can't find where they have buried themselves.

True, Russians and many other tortoises and box turtles can dig pallets: shallow depressions in the ground for a quick-and-easy shelter. However, like sulcata, desert, and gopher tortoises, Russians are also capable of digging burrows, at least in their native Central Asia:

"Ecology of the steppe tortoise in the wild"

Maybe they would do so under semi-natural conditions, too; I suspect that would have a lot to do with the kind of soil available. As I said above, I'm not necessarily suggesting that Tom or anyone else have their tortoises do that for themselves in captivity (although that would be really interesting if they did). My suggestion is simply that providing a burrow similar to what they would create on their own might be good for them. It's a thought.

EDIT: I believe Tom mentioned a while ago that sullies tend not to burrow as much in captivity as they do in the wild. Maybe the same goes for Russians.

 

[Tom]

GTT, I think you can tell just from the discussion on this thread that there are many unanswered/unanswerable questions regarding keeping russians in my area. Most people just turn them loose in a dirt pen with a few above ground shelters, and they dig in exactly as Yvonne described. I've never seen a russian "burrow", but like you, I have read about them. I'm wondering if providing an already made artificial burrow similar to what they would use in a more wild state, might appeal to them. In my enclosures they will have many options. They can dig in on flat open ground, they can dig in under shelters or other cage furniture, or they can use my artificial "burrows".

I know of no one who uses true underground housing for Russians, or for sulcatas for that matter, they way I do. A couple of members here have shown some semi-in-ground shelters, but not an actual underground chamber with a tunnel leading to it.

So much to be learned. So much fun.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Certainly an interesting adventure. Have fun out there in your yard! I know you're gonna learn a lot. Of course, let us know what you find.