How much space for multiple russians?

Flanman

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Hi, wondering how much space would be needed for 2 female russian tortoises, indoor environment, same enclosure.
 

bouaboua

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As big as pissible. At least 4' X 8' with lots place to hide and visual barrires. But ideal case is in two different inclosure.
 

Yvonne G

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I would assume that if 4'x8' is ideal for one, twice that would be needed for two. But I don't have personal experience keeping multiple adult russians indoors. My 1.3 live outside in a 24' x 48' yard.
 

TechnoCheese

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How many would count as a group?
3 or more, with no more than one male. It does not always work out, and you may have to separate and introduce different tortoises until you find a group that works. Honestly, I’m not sure there would be any way to do this indoors without a room dedicated to it, since russians are one of the more territorial species. Best to just keep them separate if they must be kept indoors.
 

Flanman

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3 or more, with no more than one male. It does not always work out, and you may have to separate and introduce different tortoises until you find a group that works. Honestly, I’m not sure there would be any way to do this indoors without a room dedicated to it, since russians are one of the more territorial species. Best to just keep them separate if they must be kept indoors.

I currently am indoors because in my area the months between October to late March are usually very cold.
 

Yvonne G

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I currently am indoors because in my area the months between October to late March are usually very cold.
In that case, your russian tortoises can brumate, then there isn't a need for an indoor enclosure.
 

Yvonne G

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Will she still eat much or do special precautions have to be taken when they brumate? Also, how cold can Russians go?
It's similar, but not the same as hibernation: The tortoise stops eating a couple weeks prior in order to clean out the digestive tract. He then finds a safe place to hunker down, where he gets too cold to move and just sits there until it warms up enough for him to be able to move again. During this time he doesn't eat, but he may drink if the occasion arrises. He has periods of sleep and periods of being awake, but no eating.

Russian tortoises are fairly cold hardy, and the temperature for them to safely live through brumation is around 40F to 45F degrees.
 

Flanman

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It's similar, but not the same as hibernation: The tortoise stops eating a couple weeks prior in order to clean out the digestive tract. He then finds a safe place to hunker down, where he gets too cold to move and just sits there until it warms up enough for him to be able to move again. During this time he doesn't eat, but he may drink if the occasion arrises. He has periods of sleep and periods of being awake, but no eating.

Russian tortoises are fairly cold hardy, and the temperature for them to safely live through brumation is around 40F to 45F degrees.

Thank you so much!
 

Tom

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Hi, wondering how much space would be needed for 2 female russian tortoises, indoor environment, same enclosure.
We had a member in NY that would keep his Russians in large outdoor enclosures in summer, and move them into 4x8 foot enclosures for colder weather. He kept breeder groups of 3-4 in them, and it worked for him.

I agree that they should never be kept as pairs, and mixing Russians can be very hit or miss. Sometimes they just don't want to get along and have to be separated.

Don't forget to quarantine for a few months at least, and do fecal checks on any new arrivals. Russians are notorious for carrying all sorts of weird diseases.
 

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