Keeping Russian tortoises outside in the Pacific Northwest

Yvonne G

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How are you able to keep them together? I keep hearing that they are territorial and will fight? Help

It's darned near impossible in the house, but outside, if you have a big enough yard for them with plenty of sight barriers, it works out ok.
 

fern+fl0ra

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Aug 12, 2017
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Iowa, USA
Thank you! This is exactly what I need! I am hoping to adopt a rescued Russian in the PNW once I get my enclosures built. Thank you!
 

Vibes

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Feb 15, 2020
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South Florida
Today I would like to show some pictures of my adult Russian tortoises in their outdoor habitat in our yard. My hope is that this will encourage more tortoise keepers to provide their tortoise(s) with an outdoor space.
Our weather is very similar to the climate in much of the UK, as well as Germany, Denmark, Holland, and some of France. It ekes me when I see people posting that it is 'too cold' in their climate to provide their tortoise with outdoor time. In reality, any day that is 65 degrees or above is warm enough for a Russian tortoise to spend at least part of the day outside. If basking is available (artificial or in a sunny spot), they can be outside all day in such weather.



Keeping tortoises in the Pacific Northwest has a unique set of challenges in that it rains A LOT here for part of the year. However, it is actually possible to keep them outdoors from April through September.
@lynnedit deserves credit here - she lives just minutes from us, and was the one who encouraged me to take the leap and build an outdoor enclosure for my tortoises.



The benefits of keeping tortoises outdoors far outweigh the potential dangers, IF proper precautions are taken. The natural sunlight provides heat and healthy UVB, which promotes healthy bones and a good hard shell. Being able to wander a much larger area keeps the tortoise's muscles strong. Wild Russian tortoises live in climates that are harsher than ours! They can THRIVE in our climate.



We built the tortoise yard partially under the eves of our roof - about 2 feet out from our house wall stay completely dry, no matter how hard it rains. I have cut several buckets in half, and buried them under several inches of soil. They provide good hides for the tortoises to burrow into.




Russian tortoises are hardy, and even when the air temperature is only 60 degrees, the ground temperature in a sunny spot is often 30 degrees higher. You can help this by placing a flat dark rock into the area the sun hits first in the morning. I've also set up little cold frames, which I built from polycarbonate scraps I scored from a local garden center.

I simply taped the triangles together using foil ducting tape, and ta-daaaa! Instant slightly warmer, dry basking area!



The tortoises dig in for the night. Then as soon as the sun hits the tortoise garden the tortoises come out to bask. They wander around, graze, explore, and soak. By afternoon it gets HOT, and they retreat to the shady spots under the bushes. In the evening, they come back out again for another snack, or just to take a walk.








I have dug a trench under the wall of the enclosure, filled with cement pavers, so I don't have to worry about the tortoises digging out of their enclosure. The walls of the enclosure are capped so the tortoises can't climb out either.



Some tortoises that are normally picky eaters or have a shy personality really blossom when they are outdoors.








Now that it is summer, the tortoise yard has been grazed pretty bare - however, finding healthy weeds is no trouble here in the beautiful, green Pacific Northwest, so the tortoises eat well. I just throw several large piles of weeds into the enclosure every day.







This year was the first year that my tortoises had babies - Timmy and Roz produced 6 beautiful, healthy hatchlings.



At only about a month old, the babies only spend about an hour per day outside.

 

Hutsie B

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471
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NC
Your set up is fantastic. I used to have 6 Russians in an indoor set up and they did not fight. Right now I have one singular male that I just got. He is new and getting used to his surroundings. Thanks for all the great pictures of your set up. It is a dream to have such a nice set up.
 

Kwakin

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Joined
Sep 17, 2020
Messages
64
Location (City and/or State)
California
Today I would like to show some pictures of my adult Russian tortoises in their outdoor habitat in our yard. My hope is that this will encourage more tortoise keepers to provide their tortoise(s) with an outdoor space.
Our weather is very similar to the climate in much of the UK, as well as Germany, Denmark, Holland, and some of France. It ekes me when I see people posting that it is 'too cold' in their climate to provide their tortoise with outdoor time. In reality, any day that is 65 degrees or above is warm enough for a Russian tortoise to spend at least part of the day outside. If basking is available (artificial or in a sunny spot), they can be outside all day in such weather.



Keeping tortoises in the Pacific Northwest has a unique set of challenges in that it rains A LOT here for part of the year. However, it is actually possible to keep them outdoors from April through September.
@lynnedit deserves credit here - she lives just minutes from us, and was the one who encouraged me to take the leap and build an outdoor enclosure for my tortoises.



The benefits of keeping tortoises outdoors far outweigh the potential dangers, IF proper precautions are taken. The natural sunlight provides heat and healthy UVB, which promotes healthy bones and a good hard shell. Being able to wander a much larger area keeps the tortoise's muscles strong. Wild Russian tortoises live in climates that are harsher than ours! They can THRIVE in our climate.



We built the tortoise yard partially under the eves of our roof - about 2 feet out from our house wall stay completely dry, no matter how hard it rains. I have cut several buckets in half, and buried them under several inches of soil. They provide good hides for the tortoises to burrow into.




Russian tortoises are hardy, and even when the air temperature is only 60 degrees, the ground temperature in a sunny spot is often 30 degrees higher. You can help this by placing a flat dark rock into the area the sun hits first in the morning. I've also set up little cold frames, which I built from polycarbonate scraps I scored from a local garden center.

I simply taped the triangles together using foil ducting tape, and ta-daaaa! Instant slightly warmer, dry basking area!



The tortoises dig in for the night. Then as soon as the sun hits the tortoise garden the tortoises come out to bask. They wander around, graze, explore, and soak. By afternoon it gets HOT, and they retreat to the shady spots under the bushes. In the evening, they come back out again for another snack, or just to take a walk.








I have dug a trench under the wall of the enclosure, filled with cement pavers, so I don't have to worry about the tortoises digging out of their enclosure. The walls of the enclosure are capped so the tortoises can't climb out either.



Some tortoises that are normally picky eaters or have a shy personality really blossom when they are outdoors.








Now that it is summer, the tortoise yard has been grazed pretty bare - however, finding healthy weeds is no trouble here in the beautiful, green Pacific Northwest, so the tortoises eat well. I just throw several large piles of weeds into the enclosure every day.







This year was the first year that my tortoises had babies - Timmy and Roz produced 6 beautiful, healthy hatchlings.



At only about a month old, the babies only spend about an hour per day outside.

I think your outdoor enclosure is great, but Russian torts shouldn't live no matter what climate, you can take them outside 8-10 am, then bring them in about 8-9 pm (summer time). I'm not trying to shoot you down, but this is just a suggestion.
 

biochemnerd808

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I think your outdoor enclosure is great, but Russian torts shouldn't live no matter what climate, you can take them outside 8-10 am, then bring them in about 8-9 pm (summer time). I'm not trying to shoot you down, but this is just a suggestion.
Utter nonsense. If they have a predator proof night house, or if the enclosure has lids, and if the night temps don't drop below 55F, there is no reason not to let them sleep outside.
Tortoises don't generally like to be messed with more than necessary, and that includes being carried in and outdoors. I soak the adults once a week, but otherwise let them do their thing outside while temps are right. Once it gets cooler, then yes, I bring them inside and don't put them outside until it warms up.
 

lynnefay

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Aug 9, 2021
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OREGON
This is fabulous! What a great enclosure!
I live on the coast in Oregon. This was my first year with Russians. Every night after work I "walk" them. Next summer I plan to build an outdoor space for them...with a divider down the middle, lol. 2 males. I will, however, have to bring them in every night...raccoons everywhere.
I am currently working on turning my sunporch into their personal solarium.
I don't feel comfortable having them hibernate, due to the temperature fluctuation. On a sunny day in December it can hit 90 in there. Do you hibernate yours?
 

lynnefay

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So, I have lost a Russian in the past. The pet store says it was have been sick when I got him, but I can't help but to wonder if he ate a bad weed. I live in the PNW.

We have built a "cage" with 4 wooden walls and wire on too with a shade area that I can move around the yard. On warm days. I am nervous to put my new Russian in it. I don't know how to identify exactly what is growing in my yard. Its just a natural lightly grassy area with lots of little weeds in it. Nothing I planted, just whatever naturally grew. How does everyone identify every single weed that grown in their cage areas?
there is actually an ap you can get on your phone, of course, i forget the name...but you take a picture with your phone and it identifies the plant:)
 

biochemnerd808

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10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Messages
1,453
Location (City and/or State)
Central Arkansas (we moved!)
This is fabulous! What a great enclosure!
I live on the coast in Oregon. This was my first year with Russians. Every night after work I "walk" them. Next summer I plan to build an outdoor space for them...with a divider down the middle, lol. 2 males. I will, however, have to bring them in every night...raccoons everywhere.
I am currently working on turning my sunporch into their personal solarium.
I don't feel comfortable having them hibernate, due to the temperature fluctuation. On a sunny day in December it can hit 90 in there. Do you hibernate yours?
Yes, I fridge brumate/hibernate mine. I'm about to post a series of brumation update posts.
 

satdiver

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Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Messages
49
You have a great setup for your tortoises. I agree, giving them as big of enclosure as possible outdoors is the best way to go. I have one Russian tortoise, who lives outdoors all year round in Las Vegas. His enclosure has a burrow and all the plants are safe and edible. He does get tortoise food, and has a water available as well. He hibernates when he is ready and then pops up in the late fall or early spring. I used to worry about lights, temps, etc. Now he is pretty much is on his own, he does his own thing without being bothered. I enjoy sitting outside and watching him move around, eating, etc. I am planning on expanding his enclosure and giving him access to the entire backyard. These little guys are a hardy species and can tolerate the high and low temps of Las Vegas, thus he lives outside all year round.
 

lin1of7

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Joined
Jul 18, 2021
Messages
1
Location (City and/or State)
Southampton
Today I would like to show some pictures of my adult Russian tortoises in their outdoor habitat in our yard. My hope is that this will encourage more tortoise keepers to provide their tortoise(s) with an outdoor space.
Our weather is very similar to the climate in much of the UK, as well as Germany, Denmark, Holland, and some of France. It ekes me when I see people posting that it is 'too cold' in their climate to provide their tortoise with outdoor time. In reality, any day that is 65 degrees or above is warm enough for a Russian tortoise to spend at least part of the day outside. If basking is available (artificial or in a sunny spot), they can be outside all day in such weather.



Keeping tortoises in the Pacific Northwest has a unique set of challenges in that it rains A LOT here for part of the year. However, it is actually possible to keep them outdoors from April through September.
@lynnedit deserves credit here - she lives just minutes from us, and was the one who encouraged me to take the leap and build an outdoor enclosure for my tortoises.



The benefits of keeping tortoises outdoors far outweigh the potential dangers, IF proper precautions are taken. The natural sunlight provides heat and healthy UVB, which promotes healthy bones and a good hard shell. Being able to wander a much larger area keeps the tortoise's muscles strong. Wild Russian tortoises live in climates that are harsher than ours! They can THRIVE in our climate.



We built the tortoise yard partially under the eves of our roof - about 2 feet out from our house wall stay completely dry, no matter how hard it rains. I have cut several buckets in half, and buried them under several inches of soil. They provide good hides for the tortoises to burrow into.




Russian tortoises are hardy, and even when the air temperature is only 60 degrees, the ground temperature in a sunny spot is often 30 degrees higher. You can help this by placing a flat dark rock into the area the sun hits first in the morning. I've also set up little cold frames, which I built from polycarbonate scraps I scored from a local garden center.

I simply taped the triangles together using foil ducting tape, and ta-daaaa! Instant slightly warmer, dry basking area!



The tortoises dig in for the night. Then as soon as the sun hits the tortoise garden the tortoises come out to bask. They wander around, graze, explore, and soak. By afternoon it gets HOT, and they retreat to the shady spots under the bushes. In the evening, they come back out again for another snack, or just to take a walk.








I have dug a trench under the wall of the enclosure, filled with cement pavers, so I don't have to worry about the tortoises digging out of their enclosure. The walls of the enclosure are capped so the tortoises can't climb out either.



Some tortoises that are normally picky eaters or have a shy personality really blossom when they are outdoors.








Now that it is summer, the tortoise yard has been grazed pretty bare - however, finding healthy weeds is no trouble here in the beautiful, green Pacific Northwest, so the tortoises eat well. I just throw several large piles of weeds into the enclosure every day.







This year was the first year that my tortoises had babies - Timmy and Roz produced 6 beautiful, healthy hatchlings.



At only about a month old, the babies only spend about an hour per day outside.

They are beautiful and look so healthy. I have two Herman that were my daughters they had one each, Titch and Hercules but decided there homes were not big enough. These two have always lived together and are now 14 years old. I only had two small areas in my garden that were suitable for them so I have now got rid of my summerhouse and decking and have started to get this ready for them. Mine go outside even now, well I can’t keep Hercules in he just stomps around until I open the viv then he’s out and off. I have a safe enclosed garden and although Titch has laid 2 to 3 eggs for a few years none were viable until this year. She laid 3 in August and 1 was viable, success at last but then she laid another 2 in early October and 1 is viable so hibernation for her is not possible yet. I hope by next spring my tortoise garden will be ready for them, I have got rocks, logs and wild seeds, hiding places all waiting for me to finish their home. Your article has given me many more ideas and inspiration to keep doing. Thank you for posting this as I found it not only interesting but also helpfu.
 

LJL1982

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2022
Messages
318
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Today I would like to show some pictures of my adult Russian tortoises in their outdoor habitat in our yard. My hope is that this will encourage more tortoise keepers to provide their tortoise(s) with an outdoor space.
Our weather is very similar to the climate in much of the UK, as well as Germany, Denmark, Holland, and some of France. It ekes me when I see people posting that it is 'too cold' in their climate to provide their tortoise with outdoor time. In reality, any day that is 65 degrees or above is warm enough for a Russian tortoise to spend at least part of the day outside. If basking is available (artificial or in a sunny spot), they can be outside all day in such weather.



Keeping tortoises in the Pacific Northwest has a unique set of challenges in that it rains A LOT here for part of the year. However, it is actually possible to keep them outdoors from April through September.
@lynnedit deserves credit here - she lives just minutes from us, and was the one who encouraged me to take the leap and build an outdoor enclosure for my tortoises.



The benefits of keeping tortoises outdoors far outweigh the potential dangers, IF proper precautions are taken. The natural sunlight provides heat and healthy UVB, which promotes healthy bones and a good hard shell. Being able to wander a much larger area keeps the tortoise's muscles strong. Wild Russian tortoises live in climates that are harsher than ours! They can THRIVE in our climate.



We built the tortoise yard partially under the eves of our roof - about 2 feet out from our house wall stay completely dry, no matter how hard it rains. I have cut several buckets in half, and buried them under several inches of soil. They provide good hides for the tortoises to burrow into.




Russian tortoises are hardy, and even when the air temperature is only 60 degrees, the ground temperature in a sunny spot is often 30 degrees higher. You can help this by placing a flat dark rock into the area the sun hits first in the morning. I've also set up little cold frames, which I built from polycarbonate scraps I scored from a local garden center.

I simply taped the triangles together using foil ducting tape, and ta-daaaa! Instant slightly warmer, dry basking area!



The tortoises dig in for the night. Then as soon as the sun hits the tortoise garden the tortoises come out to bask. They wander around, graze, explore, and soak. By afternoon it gets HOT, and they retreat to the shady spots under the bushes. In the evening, they come back out again for another snack, or just to take a walk.








I have dug a trench under the wall of the enclosure, filled with cement pavers, so I don't have to worry about the tortoises digging out of their enclosure. The walls of the enclosure are capped so the tortoises can't climb out either.



Some tortoises that are normally picky eaters or have a shy personality really blossom when they are outdoors.








Now that it is summer, the tortoise yard has been grazed pretty bare - however, finding healthy weeds is no trouble here in the beautiful, green Pacific Northwest, so the tortoises eat well. I just throw several large piles of weeds into the enclosure every day.







This year was the first year that my tortoises had babies - Timmy and Roz produced 6 beautiful, healthy hatchlings.



At only about a month old, the babies only spend about an hour per day outside.

Whaaaat? Superb set up! I'm loving the natural feel of it and the size!

Absolutely agree with your sentiment. My tortoises in the UK are indoors at the moment but we've had a warm drizzly spell interspersed with short bursts of dry sunshine. People need to be looking at temperatures every day, we were at 10 degrees for a week, but then we were up at 17 or 18 for a week. Mine was going mad today outside so was 'thrown' out the back door for half an hour for a leg stretch and sunbathe!
 

LJL1982

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Joined
Jan 28, 2022
Messages
318
Location (City and/or State)
UK
I am so thankful to find your post and see the beautiful home you have provided. We inherited what we thought was a Golden Greek. But - after finding this forum - realize she is a Russian. I realize there are many things we need to do for our new family member. I brought home some of the groundcover plants she was munching on at her old home, and planted them in her enclosure. She tends to wait for me to toss something her way, but has plenty to graze on. Love the list of plants they can eat. I believe it is our responsibility to provide our 'pets' with their natural diet. My cat eats raw meat - and our tort eats plant life. Thinking she was a Greek, and needed warmer temperatures, I would stress every evening when I had to find her and dig her out so I could bring her in to her box. We bough her a Tortoise House. She has a flat rock, a bowl of water (that she absolutely avoids. If I put her in it she can't wait to scurry out?!) and ground coconut shell for bedding. Now I am wondering about 'substrate'? Should I add moss? 1/3 of her house is dark, with about 4" of this coconut stuff. She just sticks her head in the corner and digs. I don't know what she's trying to do, but I want to help her? I have not kept her bedding moist and have wanted to rub her shell with coconut oil - because it looks dry. I have placed littles piles of vita-sand Gobi Gold (that she ignores). I want to take care of her properly, and realize I am falling short. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!View attachment 187264
The definitive is the number of claws...4 on front of a Russian...5 on a greek..and size. If you have a 11inch Golden Greek it's not a Russian :D
 

LJL1982

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Joined
Jan 28, 2022
Messages
318
Location (City and/or State)
UK
I think your outdoor enclosure is great, but Russian torts shouldn't live no matter what climate, you can take them outside 8-10 am, then bring them in about 8-9 pm (summer time). I'm not trying to shoot you down, but this is just a suggestion.
If you are suggesting a mass cull I'm not sure it's reasonable 😆
 

BeeZee1

Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
48
Location (City and/or State)
manteca ca
PNW is great for raising tortoises!
posting pic of one of my lil cuties available for adoption
 

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