Horsfield (Russian) Tortoise | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Horsfieldtortoisesarenaturallyherbivores,browsingonupto200varietiesofdifferentplants,mostofwhichweconsidertobe“weeds”.Incaptivitytherefore, ...

The Horsfield or Russian Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) originates from the steppes of Central Asia, especially the regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although closely related, to the common Mediterranean tortoises there are some significant differences in husbandry, which potential owners should consider before getting a Horsfield.

Horsfields can be distinguished from other Testudo species by the presence of 4 claws on each foot, tubercles on the rear thighs and a small spike on the tip of the tail, in addition to their relatively round, flat shape.

Mixing tortoises of different species can never be recommended, due to the risk of disease transmission, and the differences in behaviour between different species. For example, the Horsfield tortoise male is a particularly aggressive specimen, which will often bite other tortoises, and mixing with more docile species will often result in inj...