Substrate for a viv

[Chuckney]

Hi
just been given a much wanted tort and want to make sure I do the very best I can for him! I have spent many hours reading about Horsefields and just ended up very confused due to conflicting info 🥺. Can anyone advised what is the best substrate to use in a vivarium? Also is a Horsefield classed as a Russian or Mediterranean tort? All help gratefully received!

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome. Take some pictures of the tortoise and enclosure. You will soon get some valuable help.

 

[Sarah2020]

Hi and welcome.

Please read this care sheet.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

I use 20 L orchid bark select fine for young tortoise available from swell reptiles online in UK.
Please ask questions. Your aiming for smooth slow growth with correct heat, light, humidity, diet etc....

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome.
We call them Horsefields in the UK (no idea why) but they are known as Russians elsewhere, and they and others are listed in the caresheet are all known as Mediterranean or Temperate species. I think Tom recently said there was a new name for them but I can't remember what it is.
If you follow the up to date caresheet linked above your tort should do well.
Pet shops rarely know about tort care and often sell unsuitable and unsafe equipment for profit or give outdated information, so if you want to post a picture of your set up you'll get good feedback to make sure you have the right lamps etc and everything is as safe as possible for him. We could save you some money and hassle too.
How old is your tort? We love pictures of new additions to the forum.

 

[Tom]

Hi
just been given a much wanted tort and want to make sure I do the very best I can for him! I have spent many hours reading about Horsefields and just ended up very confused due to conflicting info 🥺. Can anyone advised what is the best substrate to use in a vivarium? Also is a Horsefield classed as a Russian or Mediterranean tort? All help gratefully received!

"Russian tortoise" is a common name given to Testudo horsfeildii. Its also known as the "Asian steppe tortoise". In the UK, most people call it a "horsfield tortoise" because of the Latin name. It is generally lumped in with "Mediterranean" tortoises, as the care is very similar. This species was recently renamed and moved into the genus Agrionemys, but I was informed that they changed their minds and put it back in with the Testudo. Fine by me, as that is how I learned it decades ago. I hate it when they change the names.

Stop reading other info on the internet, and stop talking to pet shops and breeders. You will get more of the confusing, conflicting, wrong info. Read that care sheet that Sarah linked for you, and then read it again. Follow that up with questions on whatever is not clear to you.

The best substrate for baby Russians is damp coco coir. The best substrate for adults is fine grade orchid bark.