Hi ,

In a few weeks I am adopting a horsefield tortoise.  I have been told it is 4yrs old and it is appears to be healthy with a good appitite and is very active.  It has a long pointed tail which it carries to one side.  Does' this make it a male?  I have read that this is a digging species and the best substrate is a 50-50 mix of topoil and playsand.  How deep should this be and can you put artificial plants in there to make it more realistic?

Yes, this will most likely be male if the tail is almost touching the top of the legs. Most horsfields(without the 'e' in the middle) have good appetites as they are geared to only eat for 3-4 months in the wild, so it's up to us not to overfeed, or deformities will occur.  Don't use sand, as although they live in sandy areas in the wild, it is nothing like our sand. Sand in the UK will cause eye irritation and not allow them to dig. They don't just dig, but like to construct burrows to dig in so need deep topsoil in their habitates, at least a foot. Artificial plants will just be dug up and even chewed, so not a good idea. Build the middle of the enclosure up with roots and rocks, which is what they are used to in their native habitat. Here is how I keep mine www.tortsmad.com/russians.htm

Take care

Sue

Yes, this will most likely be male if the tail is almost touching the top of the legs. Most horsfields(without the 'e' in the middle) have good appetites as they are geared to only eat for 3-4 months in the wild, so it's up to us not to overfeed, or deformities will occur.  Don't use sand, as although they live in sandy areas in the wild, it is nothing like our sand. Sand in the UK will cause eye irritation and not allow them to dig. They don't just dig, but like to construct burrows to dig in so need deep topsoil in their habitates, at least a foot. Artificial plants will just be dug up and even chewed, so not a good idea. Build the middle of the enclosure up with roots and rocks, which is what they are used to in their native habitat. Here is how I keep mine www.tortsmad.com/russians.htm

Take care

Sue

Many thanks for the info and the link, it was very informative.  I have led to understand that tortoises should be kept on thier own, is it possible to keep two in an enclosure and how big should it be? In you link it mentioned about Horsfields being greedy and getting over weight, how much should they eat to keep them healthy.  Sorry for so many question and is the Jacksons ratio guide good to help keep track of size and weight?  Any other information will be greatfully recived as I am totally new to tortoises and have a lot to learn.