{"id":19738,"date":"2015-03-25T16:51:42","date_gmt":"2015-03-25T16:51:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lafeber.com\/vet\/?p=19738"},"modified":"2025-09-11T11:11:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T16:11:05","slug":"basic-information-sheet-russian-tortoise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/vet\/basic-information-sheet-russian-tortoise\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Information Sheet: Russian Tortoise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russian Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii<\/em>)<\/h1>\n
\"Russian<\/a>

Testudo horsfieldii<\/em>. Photo credit: \u201cFutureman1199\u201d via Wikimedia Commons.<\/small><\/p><\/div>\n

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Natural history<\/h2>\n

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\nThe Russian tortoise, also known as the Afghan, steppe, four-toed, or Horsfield\u2019s tortoise, is found in southeastern Russia, Azerbaijan, southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, northwestern China, and Pakistan. This tortoise\u2019s habitat consists of dry steppe and it prefers dry areas with sparse vegetation up to 2500 m in altitude. Testudo horsfieldii<\/em> are usually found near water; their environmental preferences include grasslands, forests, and savannah.
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Conservation status<\/h2>\n

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\nFree-ranging populations are listed on CITES Appendix II and are described as \u201cvulnerable\u201d by the International Union on Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
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Taxonomy<\/h2>\n

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\nClass<\/strong>: Reptilia<\/em><\/p>\n

Order<\/strong>: Chelonia\/Testudines<\/em><\/p>\n

Family<\/strong>: Testudinidae<\/em><\/p>\n

Genus<\/strong>: Testudo<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Testudo horsfieldii<\/em><\/p>\n

There are many subspecies, those common in the pet trade include:<\/p>\n

T. h. horsfieldii horsfieldii<\/em><\/p>\n

T. h. kazachstanica<\/em><\/p>\n

T. h. rustamovi <\/em><\/p>\n

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Physical description<\/h2>\n

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\nRussian tortoises are one of the smaller species of genus Testudo, measuring up to 20 cm (8 in) in length. Adult size ranges from 12-20 cm (5-8 in). Russian tortoises are sexually dimorphic, with females slightly larger than males.<\/p>\n

The carapace<\/a> is broad, rounded, and \u201cstocky\u201d or dorsoventrally flattened. The shell is generally greenish-brown to black, fading to yellow between the scutes with a yellowish-brown body. This characteristic shape may also possess a dorsal ridge.<\/p>\n

The Russian tortoise can be distinguished from other members of genus Testudo<\/i> by:<\/p>\n