Cool-Side Temp for Russians vs. Hermann's?

Schildlkröte

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I have never had a tortoise before and am really appreciating the depth of experience on this forum, including and especially the Beginner's Mistakes.

I am debating whether to go for a Russian or a Hermann's tortoise at a fair this weekend.

I live in Minnesota, so the tortoise will need to be exclusively indoors for six months out of the year. In winter, I keep my home at 65° F/18° C.

I know to keep the basking area 90-100 degrees. But would I need to provide some sort of additional heat for the cool side?

I have found some conflicting recommendations online so I am looking for clarification.

Can the Russian do better than the Hermann's at lower temperatures (daytime/nighttime around 65° F/ 18° C) in the winter?
 

wellington

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Both would need warmer then the 65 during the day.
The basking you mentioned is correct, but should have 75-80 during the day and then the night can drop to 68 for the Russian.
@HermanniChris can confirm if this is okay for the hermanns.
 

HermanniChris

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68 is ok for Hermann’s at night but can drop much, much lower. Babies can go down to 60 consistently at night but yes. Daytime temps need to be warmer. Hermann’s are good at roughly 75-80 ambient temp with a basking site of 90-95. We raise our Russians in the exact same way.
 

Schildlkröte

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Thanks for the help.

Bearing the similarities between Hermann's and Russians, which species would you recommend for a novice?

Also, summer here is quite hot. Unless I run air conditioning, which is seldom, the nighttime temp might only dip to 75 or so for a low. Is the higher nighttime temp also an issue?
 

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