I had a Russian tortoise as a classroom pet for many years.
Unfortunately, she just died a few weeks ago from a bacterial
infection. My experience with this pet was positive. She was a
low maintenance pet and enjoyed her heat lamp, field greens, and
exploring the classroom and outside. They also move quickly so
keep an eye on it at all times. If you bring the tort outside,
be sure that nothing has been sprayed on the grass.

Several things you should know:

**As with any reptile, these torts carry salmonella on their
shells. Hand washing is a must for you and students if they
handle them. We kept hand sanitizer by her cage at all times.
**They scratch when picked up. Warn students of that before
letting them handle the tort. Sasha was dropped, thankfully a
short distance on a rug, several times by students who didn't
follow directions.
**I had to take her to the vets; be sure to check with your
veterinarian about whether or not they treat exotic animals. A
tort is considered just that. My school district also required a
certificate of health from the vet at the beginning of each
school year to make sure she was free of parasites.
**You must be extremely careful of letting them hibernate in the
winter. Sasha did this winter and to my dismay did not
completely clear herself out that's where the bacteria came from
that killed her or so the vet thought.
**Check the website that was listed or Google Russian tortoise
care for complete info on this neat pet.
**I also never let any of the students take her home over
holidays and long weekends.
**Don't keep her in an aquarium either. I used a long Rubbermaid
tub for winter and a mesh reptile cage for the rest of the year.
I also used that cheap green carpet like for decks and newspaper
or shredded paper for her "nest". The cedar chips that were
suggested on some websites were expensive and smelled. The
carpet and shredded paper was easy to clean and inexpensive.
**A heat stone worked very well to keep her enclosure warm in the
winter. Be sure you have the correct lighting for your tort.

Finally, be aware that these tortoises can live for up to 80
years so be prepared to be in this for the long haul.

Best of luck with whatever pet you choose.

Susie

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