How often should I be feeding my tort?

[CXR]

Hey everyone, I've been lurking on the forum for a bit now, planning to get a Russian tort in 2 months (I've been doing research the past 2 months) and I want to know how often I should be feeding my tort.. I see a lot of people say whatever it can eat in 20 minutes, but I also heard that they will eat even if they're full, so is that a good idea? Or does anyone else have any better advice? I've also heard to just feed them a big pile of greens (Varied, I know.) and the pile should be about the size of them? I'm a little confused on this subject, so I'd like to hear everyone's opinion

 

[Tom]

You've been researching the wrong sources. Tortoises are grazers. They should be allowed access to the right foods in the right enclosure all day every day.

Give these a read through:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[CXR]

Thanks! I'll go read those now.

 

[Pearly]

Mine are 2 yrs old and I'm raising them from tiny hatchlings. The first year I was putting down fresh food 3x day always way more then they could eat in one seassion. They keep coming back to it and eat more like Tom said- all day long. Now twice a day, I feed them in am before thaking them outside, they eat a BIG pile of food, then outside in their tort garden they can free graze on things that I have growing there plus snails which they love and then at sunset they come back inside, get a bath and eat another meal (not as much as in the morning) and they go to sleep in thei warm humid cave. I NEVER limit their food.

 

[rhondak]

I give mine a handful of greens in the morning and let him eat throughout the day. He doesn't always eat as soon as he gets it so I don't limit his time.

 

[Pearly]

I've also heard to just feed them a big pile of greens (Varied, I know.) and the pile should be about the size of them? Forgot to address this part of the original post. I have read about the "pile size of the carapace" but all that's relative. If your pile is fluffy leaves its weight will not be that substantial and for little hatchling it will take very few leaves to make a "pile" his size. If you look at the piles I make for mine , finely chopped, mixed dense mass of cactus, with greens and some soaked commercial tort pellets... then you can see the difference. "My piles" then are about a size of one of my torts and that's for both of them, they always walk away with some food left over and I still feed them twice a day. Breakfast being their biggest/main meal. I think the key is, to give them good food and not limit it and right conditions for them to digest it (warmth). P.s. The "wormy" looking pink things on top of food are freeze dried river shrimp which I used to sprinkle few on top of their "good food" just to spark their interest in eating. They love that stuff!

 

[Pearly]

another example of "Pearly's tort food pile" the pinkish bits are chopped papaya

 

[Pearly]

View attachment 210128 another example of "Pearly's tort food pile" the pinkish bits are chopped papaya

 

[RosemaryDW]

As Tom said, Russians are grazers; they should have food throughout the day. Russians do have big appetites but with an appropriately sized enclosure, they won't have any trouble walking it off.

 

[SnapperAndShelldon]

Go ahead and feed your tortoise some lettuce leaves/the kind of food your feed yours. See if your tort has finished them. That can help you with how much to give your tortoise.

Russian Tortoises need to be fed each day, and throughout the day.