Russian tortoise won't eat?

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Speedy_Tortoise

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My Russian Tortoise hasn't eaten in a few days. He doesn't usually have this problem, though he is a very pickey eater. Many times if there is romaine mixed in his meal he only eats that. Lately I've been trying lots of different lettuces and taking him outside more often since its getting warmer. I've been trying to feed him spring mix for the past couple of days and he's not eating. Please help.
 

Yvonne G

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What usually springs to mind when a tortoise won't eat is that it isn't warm enough. Check your habitat. Lay a thermometer on the floor in different spots all over the enclosure. It should be around 70-75 on one end and around 85-90 on the other end, with it getting as hot as 115 or so directly under the light.
 

tortoisenerd

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If you haven't already done so, take a fecal sample to a tort vet to test for parasites. Even better, take the tort in for a health exam (symptoms or not I think its a great idea). If you post more about your overall care (enclosure, temps, humidity, diet) with pictures of the enclosure it will be very helpful. Is the tortoise active--walking around and basking? Does it walk over to the food, sniff, and walk away? I would place the tort in a basking area in line of sight of the food a couple times a day and offer a variety of foods to entice the tort. Radicchio in the spring mix is red and torts usually love it.
 
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kevinjasner

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Speedy_Tortoise said:
My Russian Tortoise hasn't eaten in a few days. He doesn't usually have this problem, though he is a very pickey eater. Many times if there is romaine mixed in his meal he only eats that. Lately I've been trying lots of different lettuces and taking him outside more often since its getting warmer. I've been trying to feed him spring mix for the past couple of days and he's not eating. Please help.

I have learned that Russian Tortoises are "programmed" to eat allot in a short period of time. In the wild they are active only a few months of the year. When they come out of hibernation they feed voraciously in preparation for aestivation (some refer to this as summer hibernation though its not really hibernation, but more like a long siesta).
 

dmmj

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If you have access to hibiscus flowers try those I have never known a healthy russian to refuse them.
 
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