Is this normal behavior?

[chester tortoiseson]

My russian's tortoise daily routine is, he basks for a little bit in the morning then eats. Then for almost for the rests of the day he naps then the walks around then naps and walks around, until I take him outside for a hour or two. Is this normal behavior? Also he only poops out side is that normal?
(i think i potty trained him lol)

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Sounds like pretty normal behavior.

Bear in mind, in the wild Russian tortoises occupy home ranges of 25-50 acres. They patrol these areas looking for shelter, food, mates, or opponents. They naturally dig burrows, and they stay inside of them if the weather is bad. They become active on sunny days with fairly still air, and when air temperature is about 68-85*F. They also bask for a while until their body temperature reaches about 95-100*F. If the ambient temperature is too high or too low, or if it's rainy or too windy outside, they simply stay inside their burrows.

Sounds like your guy is doing what you'd expect an indoor Russian tortoise to do. If the temperature is right, he's going to try and "patrol" his pen. He's also going to bask for a while to allow him eat and digest his food. The rest of the time he's going rest.

As for only pooping outside, that is a bit unusual. Most tortoises have only a weak midden (toilet) instinct, and are willing to poop inside their own burrow in the wild, or inside their own enclosure (indoors or out) in captivity. If he's only pooping outside, he could have a stronger midden instinct, but he might also not be eating enough. Make sure you're providing the right temperatures, the right humidity (around 40-60%, with a moist substrate), and good foods (mostly a variety of leafy greens and weeds).

If you're concerned with activity, remember that, although tortoises have quite a bit of stamina for a reptile, they are not going to be as active as birds or mammals.