Ken A
New Member
Hi, new to the forum. We just built a 6ft x 10 ft outdoor enclosure with a heated box and rescued 2 male Russians last week. I've been getting great information from all the forum posts and continue to search and read!
New Russian Tortoise owner
- Thread starter Ken A
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Hello and welcome. It sounds like you have a good size enclosure there. Pictures will help us identify ways for us to help you. They are outstanding climbers and diggers, so escape-proofing is essential.
Please be aware that keeping Russians as a pair is generally not recommended. One will become dominant and bully the other either mentally, or physically, or both. The subordinate tortoise becomes withdrawn, stop eating and can become very sick indeed.
In the wild they are largely solitary and roam large distances. They do not get lonely and are perfectly happy alone.
Groups of 3 or more in a very large enclosure with plenty of sight barriers can work, but you still have to keep an eye out for bullying.
If you got a third tort, you would have to keep it entirely separately in quarantine for a good 6 months to be sure that no illnesses are passed on
Please be aware that keeping Russians as a pair is generally not recommended. One will become dominant and bully the other either mentally, or physically, or both. The subordinate tortoise becomes withdrawn, stop eating and can become very sick indeed.
In the wild they are largely solitary and roam large distances. They do not get lonely and are perfectly happy alone.
Groups of 3 or more in a very large enclosure with plenty of sight barriers can work, but you still have to keep an eye out for bullying.
If you got a third tort, you would have to keep it entirely separately in quarantine for a good 6 months to be sure that no illnesses are passed on
Ken A
New Member
Thanks for the advice. I did read up on that on the Russian Tortoise section of the forums. They seem OK right now with the big enclosure and I'm pretty sure they are still juvenile. I will watch for aggression. I am on the list for another adoption with a local Turtle and Tortoise rescue and if another male comes up I will probably go for him. The two I got were checked by a vet that specializes in reptiles. They should have been separated, but since I received them together I kept them together.
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Hello Ken
Is your vet on the TFO it's free and very informative . The reason I ask is he's a vet but is he a reptile vet ? Cause it's not worth the risk not to separate the torts .
Welcome to TFO Ken 
Hello, Ken and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Russians are a particularly scrappy species, so if you do keep the two together be very careful.
Continue to enjoy your reading and have fun!
Russians are a particularly scrappy species, so if you do keep the two together be very careful.
Continue to enjoy your reading and have fun!
Russian care sheet: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/russian-tortoises.81/
Welcome to the forum. If I was you, I would have a plan to be able to seperate male Russians. It probably is not if but when will you have battle wounds or a visibly sick tortoise. Successful groups are usually of one or two males and thee to six females. Good luck.
Gender really isn't a factor in Russian bullying. Both do it. And they don't always go for physical intimidation, but when they do blood can be drawn. More serious in my view is the mental bullying. It's silent and very easy to miss
Welcome to the Forum, Ken.
Because you put both the tortoises into the new territory at the same time, neither one has had a chance to claim the territory. That's not to say they won't ever be aggressive towards each other, but it may work out for a while. They can be brutal in their fights, but be on the look-out for it.
Because you put both the tortoises into the new territory at the same time, neither one has had a chance to claim the territory. That's not to say they won't ever be aggressive towards each other, but it may work out for a while. They can be brutal in their fights, but be on the look-out for it.
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Don't put another male in with them.
The signs of bullying are really easy to misinterpret. One seems shy. One is more/less hungry. They "like" to be in the same area or to hang out together.
Do be aware that something can work fine for quite a while until suddenly it doesn't.
The signs of bullying are really easy to misinterpret. One seems shy. One is more/less hungry. They "like" to be in the same area or to hang out together.
Do be aware that something can work fine for quite a while until suddenly it doesn't.
