The Horsefield tortoise, also known as the Russian Tortoise. The horsefield was originally classed as a Testudo Specimens, but it was soon given its own genus as Agrionemys Horsefieldii. The horsefield is often called a Russian tortoise, but is also given other names such as the Steppe Tortoise, Four Toed Tortoise and even a Russian Box Tortoise.

This tortoise is found in areas such as Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan, Northern and Eastern Iran, North Western China and the Soviet territory Kazakhstan. Most russian tortoises in the pet trade are from the Uzbekistan Territory. Its natural habitat is a dry, open landscape commonly found in sand and clay deserts with very few grasses and bushes. Russian tortoises are rarely ever found in cultivated fields and dense grass areas. In the wild, the russian tortoise is usually active only for a few months during the year. They come out of hibernation roughly around mid march, and is active until around mid to late june. During the hottest times of the year, they aestvates. They will normally hibernate from october and onwards through to mid march.

The Russian tortoise is usually active early morning and early evening. Returning to its burrows and hides during the most hottest times of the day. They are also most active when the temperatures are roughly around 20 to 32°C.

This tortoise is a small species, and rarely gets over 8 inches, however it has been known that some horsefields have reached 10 inches. Given correct care, tortoises should outlive their owners, some tortoises have lived for so long that they have been passed down in generations. WHen you own a tortoise like this, it is best to get a regular check probly yearly or something like that, just to check everything is in order.

The best diet for a tortoise is a Variety of this and that, including greens, weeds, plants and flowers.
Most grocery stores have a decent selection of greens that horsefields will eat. Ideally the green should be organic, and pesticide free. Although, not all keepers have access to the correct food. Heres a little list of what grocery store foods are edible for a horsefield tortoise:
Romaine lettuce, endive, escarole, radicchio, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, collards, salad mixes and occasionally cabbage.
With this list you can provide a good variety diet for your horsefield. This is not all thats just edible, heres a list of plants that are edible:
Hibiscus, hosta, sedum, mulberry leaves, ice plants, hen and chick weed, prickly pear flower, fruit and pads, dandelion, plantain, mallow, henbit, rose flowers, cornflowers, forsythia, day flower, californian poppy, clover, thistle, lavander, sunflowers, cress, grass, agave, aloe vera and many more.
Another thing, mixing flowers, plants and grocery store foods, you can highly create a nice varied great dietary for your horsefield.

You must avoid many foods, anything not listed on edible foods you should never feed, heres a list of many things people do often feed that is bad and can cause big problems for your horsefield...
Iceberg lettuce, bok choy, meat, all grains (bread and similar things), dog food, cat food, pellet foods, and similar things.
All these are bad, also they cause pyramiding. Another thing that can cause pyramiding will be OVER feeding your tortoise, adults should be fed once a day, and babies until they reach 4 inches should be fed twice a day. These feeds should be limited for 30-45 minutes, and however much they eat within that time is their choice. Many people just leave food in the enclosure, infact i do with my tortoises. Tortoises will eat like pigs if given correct food, they will often eat most if not all their food within 30-45 minutes. To go with their diet, they should have a shallow dish big enough to fit the tortoise in it, with fresh water and should be changed if dirty, got substrate in or change daily if still clean.
Aswell as this, you should soak your tortoise in shallow luke warm water twice a weak or every other day. Many people use a shallow plant pot saucer for a water dish within the enclosure.

Supplements and nutrients are a big thing for tortoises, these contain minerals, vitamins, nutrients and much more things that are good for your tortoise. You should supplement your tortoises food two or three times a week, you can buy mostly powder, with this you just take a pinch with your fingers and sprinkle it over the tortoises food. You can buy many brands such as Nutrobal, TNT, and T-rex. Along with this you can also give calcium which all that is is a Cuttlebone often used for birds, large parrots and similar animals. This cuttlebone is nothing but pure calcium, some tortoises cant get enough of it, where as others hate the stuff and never touch it. If you do use it and your tortoise is eating it like crazy, do not worry, it is not harmful if they eat to much of it. Calcium cannot harm a tortoise so the vets and some experts have said.

For more information on Horsefield Tortoise diets then please visit www.russiantortoise.org - click this link.

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