Feeding habits

[CathyNed]

Hey guys! I have an adult russian tort measuring 5inches and i was just wondering about other keepers feeding habbits. I always feed him straight after a soak but he has access to food also growing in his enclosure. I feed him a mix of dandelions, plantain, lambs lettuce ,turnip greens, red leaf lettuce, geranium, clover, romaine, rocket. I usually hand feed him some of the dandelion. What id really like to know is should i be tearing up his food before putting it in his dish or putting in full leaves. If i tear it he has difficulty picking it up off the flat dish for his food but if i leave full leaves he chews down on it but cant pull it away!would like to hear how others feed and if i should just leave him to it!

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

For my female, i leave full leaves for her, she opens her mouth very wide and is great at pulling the big leaves if its too much.
My male, for some reason, doesnt open his mouth wide at all (its not because his beak is overgrown), so i cut his food up, i dont cut it too small, just enough for him to work a little to eat it. With them being small, he is kind of scraping to eat the last bits but it keeps his beak filed some so i dont mind. Or ill hand feed him the rest if i have time.

 

[dmmj]

you should avoid cutting up the food for your tortoise. It helps strengthen them the more they have to tear it up.

 

[CathyNed]

For my female, i leave full leaves for her, she opens her mouth very wide and is great at pulling the big leaves if its too much.
My male, for some reason, doesnt open his mouth wide at all (its not because his beak is overgrown), so i cut his food up, i dont cut it too small, just enough for him to work a little to eat it. With them being small, he is kind of scraping to eat the last bits but it keeps his beak filed some so i dont mind. Or ill hand feed him the rest if i have time.

you should avoid cutting up the food for your tortoise. It helps strengthen them the more they have to tear it up.

Thanks guys.
I have been hand feeding dandelion letting him pull it off the stem and then tearing up the rest. He is able to pull food from the lettuces/turnip i have planted in his enclosure. Seems to find it hard if the food isnt fixed for him to pull against. Will try him with big leaves tomorrow. I aways feel the need to save him but im probably just spoiling him

 

[JoesMum]

I never cut anything up - tearing at food helps with beak maintenance. And he can put a foot on food to stop it moving while he pulls at it

 

[CathyNed]

@JoesMum @dmmj @Linhdan Nguyen
Ya so ive watched him there. He doesnt really get the whole use your legs thing!! He bites into the middle of the leaf, cant pull it , tries his feet but cant get it, usually tries at the wrong side. Or else he bites the top of the leaf and keeps pulling it in with his tongue and swallowing but he isnt actually biting a chunk off he is swallowing the leaf whole.

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

@JoesMum @dmmj @Linhdan Nguyen
Ya so ive watched him there. He doesnt really get the whole use your legs thing!! He bites into the middle of the leaf, cant pull it , tries his feet but cant get it, usually tries at the wrong side. Or else he bites the top of the leaf and keeps pulling it in with his tongue and swallowing but he isnt actually biting a chunk off he is swallowing the leaf whole.

I understand. Max will literally sit there and try to eat for 2 hrs straight sometimes. Which is why i cut some of his food up into pieces. Mayne you can switch it up and leave the full leaves some days & cut them up other days. If it looks like hes struggling to scrape the flat pieces of leaves, ill usually gather them up in one pile again , though if i dont, the food still gets eaten, it just takes much longer.

 

[CathyNed]

I understand. Max will literally sit there and try to eat for 2 hrs straight sometimes. Which is why i cut some of his food up into pieces. Mayne you can switch it up and leave the full leaves some days & cut them up other days. If it looks like hes struggling to scrape the flat pieces of leaves, ill usually gather them up in one pile again , though if i dont, the food still gets eaten, it just takes much longer.

Ya i know it takes him a while. Must be so frustrating to keep opening and closing your mouth, twisting and turning your position and not get anything. Thats when i usually decide to step in. He spent a while not eating so i dont want him giving up.I usually pile the food up so he can grab it more easily but like you said those last bits can take a while if unaided.

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

Whoops, accidentally hit post . But yes i understand & feel the same. Im not sure why but my Max doesnt open his mouth wide. Thats the reason why he takes so long to eat. My boyfriend keeps saying his jaw is probably broke but idk, i assume if it was, it wouldnt open.