Russian Tortoise
Agrionemys horsfieldii
Natural Habitat
Arid, sandy steppes and deserts. They are burrowers and spend much of the year underground.
Where I'm Found
Native to the dry steppes and deserts of Central Asia. Their range covers parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and the sandy deserts of Kazakhstan and Russia.
Source: Abu Shawka (CC BY-SA 3.0)
What I Eat
Herbivorous grazers.
- Wild: Grasses, twigs, flowers, and fleshy leaves.
- Zoo: Hay, broadleaf weeds, and tortoise pellets.
How Long I Live
- Wild: 40 – 50 years
- Captivity: 50+ years
Fun Facts
- Burrowers: They dig tunnels up to 6 feet long to escape the extreme heat and cold of their native deserts.
- Size: They are a small species, rarely exceeding 8–10 inches in length.
- Space Travel: Two Russian tortoises were the first vertebrates to travel to the moon (and return safely) on the Soviet Zond 5 mission in 1968.
