housing for a russian tortoise

Question
Hello,
I've recently ended up with a reptile enclosure that a friend used for a baby Sulcata tortoise until it got bigger.  I took the enclosure hoping to use it for a Russian Tortoise.  But after reading some information on the web I am worried that it might actually be too small.  My new cage is 30" long by 18" wide and 14" tall.  Is this too small to keep a tortoise in?  I certainly want to make sure it is large enough before I get my new pet.  

Answer
Hi Ksenia,

Good for you for checking on this first.  If you're getting a hatchling, they're very small (about 1.5") and that would be suitable for a few years.  For an adult, it's really too small.  You want something more like 3' x 4', minimum.  Tortoises are active and will use all the room you can give them.  You also want to make sure that the enclosure is open for good air circulation, so the typical snake/lizard enclosures you see with the glass fronts won't work.  You can build a tortoise table, or use something like an old bookcase turned on its back.  Kiddie pools also work well if you have the room for one.  Also keep in mind that Russian tortoises do very well outside, and you can build an outside enclosure for the warmer months if you have a yard.

Here's a link to a good site (you can join the Yahoo RT group by clicking on the link on the front page):

www.russiantortoise.org