# What's the minimum space requirement for a Russian?



## TortoiseLuv0131 (Jul 3, 2013)

Hi,
I have my Russian in a ZooMed Tortoise House right now but will be building her a homemade cage very soon. My question is, what's the minimum space requirement for a Russian to live indoors happily?
Any opinions welcome! Thank you!
TortoiseLuv0131


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## Cowboy_Ken (Jul 3, 2013)

How big can you make it? The bigger the better. Some folks will make them 2 levels to get even more space.


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## cally (Jul 3, 2013)

Me personally have kale ( my russian tortoise) in a 55 gallon aquarium inside  she looves it and its longways instead of like my other one a bow front. But i haven't built her an outside enclosure yet! I started her out in a zoo med too  lol but my yard sits on 5 acres so i just let her out to run while i watch her closely 


Cally- Russian Tort <3


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## WillTort2 (Jul 3, 2013)

Do you have enough space for a 8' x 2' with a second story over a 2' x 2' part of the cool end?


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## jjsull33 (Jul 3, 2013)

My indoor pens are 24-32 square feet each.


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## TortoiseLuv0131 (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks a lot everyone! Wow jjsull33, I'm afraid my Russians won't get that much space. LOL! I could build a 8' x 2' with the second story, definitely! That seems my best bet for now.
Thanks again!


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## Tom (Jul 5, 2013)

In my opinion 4x8' is the minimum for an adult Russian who will spend a large amount of time inside. If the tortoise only spends the night or occasional cold or hot day in there, then smaller is acceptable to me.


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## TortoiseLuv0131 (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks, Tom . She will be spending most of her time inside. I think I might actually go with just a flat enclosure (no levels) and probably something like 8' x 5' or something. I might even go overboard and do 5' x 10'...we'll see.


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## JoesMum (Jul 5, 2013)

*Re: RE: What's the minimum space requirement for a Russian?*



Tom said:


> In my opinion 4x8' is the minimum for an adult Russian who will spend a large amount of time inside. If the tortoise only spends the night or occasional cold or hot day in there, then smaller is acceptable to me.



Agreed


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## Tom (Jul 5, 2013)

cally said:


> Me personally have kale ( my russian tortoise) in a 55 gallon aquarium inside  she looves it and its longways instead of like my other one a bow front. But i haven't built her an outside enclosure yet! I started her out in a zoo med too  lol but my yard sits on 5 acres so i just let her out to run while i watch her closely
> Cally- Russian Tort <3



Cally, your enclosure is too small for anything larger than a yearling Russian. They are a species that likes to move and roam around. They need room stretch those little legs. Once you put all the furniture in a 55, there just isn't a lot of room to move left over.

My biggest concern however, is the way you are letting him run around outside. I can tell you from first hand experience, and the experience of many others, that you will eventually lose him with that practice. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually your tortoise will be parked under a bush for a half hour, and just for one second you will turn your attention elsewhere. Maybe to answer the phone or door. Maybe to investigate a strange noise... Who knows? And he will disappear. It always happens eventually. You can see lots of threads on it here on this site. If you build a proper enclosure, your tortoise can get lots of outside time, without the worry of losing him. There are a couple of ways to do this in my signature. Doesn't have to be permanent or expensive. Pease don't be offended by this. It's just that I have made the mistake you are currently making, and I don't want to see it end badly for you, as it usually does, if I can help it.


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## cally (Jul 5, 2013)

Thank you for the time to write that first off, second thank you for not yelling it at me so rudely because some ppl on here don't help but are just rude for no reason :/ and i want to also add that when taking kale outside he doesn't really run around all crazy, but burrows under the grass?? If u can help me out in whatever way its appreciated


Cally- Russian Tort <3


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## jjsull33 (Jul 5, 2013)

TortoiseLuv0131 said:


> Thanks, Tom . She will be spending most of her time inside. I think I might actually go with just a flat enclosure (no levels) and probably something like 8' x 5' or something. I might even go overboard and do 5' x 10'...we'll see.




If you have room for the 8x5 that equals 40square feet and the 5x10 would be 50, so if you do that your indoor enclosure will actually be larger than mine haha!


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## cally (Jul 5, 2013)

Lol oh my and how big is that amount of space?


Cally- Russian Tort <3


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## TortoiseLuv0131 (Jul 7, 2013)

So I think I'll end up doing about 12' x 2'. I know it's a lot smaller than the whopping estimates I shot out, but my dad has put his foot down at 24 sq.'. Will that still be enough for her? Also, what are some fun things for her to do in the new enclosure? I'd like her to be as entertained as she can be.
Thanks!


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## Tom (Jul 7, 2013)

TortoiseLuv0131 said:


> So I think I'll end up doing about 12' x 2'. I know it's a lot smaller than the whopping estimates I shot out, but my dad has put his foot down at 24 sq.'. Will that still be enough for her? Also, what are some fun things for her to do in the new enclosure? I'd like her to be as entertained as she can be.
> Thanks!



I think 12x2' will be fine. I always want bigger enclosures, but at some point practicality has to come into play. Sounds like your Dad is a practical man. Thank him for allowing you to own a tortoise and have such a big enclosure in his house. Be a good kid and reward his kindness.


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## lynnedit (Jul 7, 2013)

Wow, that's a pretty good size, 12'x2'. 
The advantage is that will be easier to maintain and reach over to clean, etc. That will be a lot of walking room. If you can add a 2'x2' second level with a ramp over the cool end, that's a bonus, as they love to climb. 
I have a smaller light fixture with a 75w bulb on mine, and that is where my torts eat (when they are inside). Makes that easier to keep clean as well.
and below is nice for burrowing.


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## TortoiseLuv0131 (Jul 8, 2013)

Tom said:


> TortoiseLuv0131 said:
> 
> 
> > So I think I'll end up doing about 12' x 2'. I know it's a lot smaller than the whopping estimates I shot out, but my dad has put his foot down at 24 sq.'. Will that still be enough for her? Also, what are some fun things for her to do in the new enclosure? I'd like her to be as entertained as she can be.
> ...


I know! He is so awesome to let us build this. He helped me make a 12' sq. cage for the hamsters too... . Our plan is to make it run all along the length of my room, maybe on a shelf or maybe in a table form. It depends whether we can get a substrate that's light enough to be put on a shelf. But sand and coconut fiber, which was what I was planning on using, wouldn't stand on a shelf I don't think. Do you have any suggestions for a lighter substrate (that's cheap too)? Thanks again for all your help!! 


lynnedit said:


> Wow, that's a pretty good size, 12'x2'.
> The advantage is that will be easier to maintain and reach over to clean, etc. That will be a lot of walking room. If you can add a 2'x2' second level with a ramp over the cool end, that's a bonus, as they love to climb.
> I have a smaller light fixture with a 75w bulb on mine, and that is where my torts eat (when they are inside). Makes that easier to keep clean as well.
> and below is nice for burrowing.


Thanks! The ramp sounds like a good idea. About how shallow of an incline does it have to be for them to climb it? I don't want her to fall. LOL, I'm probably just being paranoid.
Thanks again everyone!!


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## TortoiseLuv0131 (Jul 22, 2013)

OK. Sorry to bring this thread up from the dead, but the new news is that when we close on a house (we're house shopping right now) we can build a cage for Myrtle AND get a fish tank stand for my fish tank.  Every time we go to a house I say "Buy it, just buy it, it's beautiful"


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## lynnedit (Jul 23, 2013)

How exciting!
And to answer the question about a ramp, here is a thread (my ramp may be steeper than 1:4, but all of the tortoises seem to go up and down at will).

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-61768.html


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