Food
- Thread starter Torty
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Yeah, Russians have a bit appetite because they have an instinct to store up fat for their winter hibernation, which in the wild can last up to 6 months ... not to mention they aestivate for up to 3 months during the heat of the summer. So, in the wild they only have 3 months to pig out and stock up (rather like a bear or a squirrel).
In captivity, this can be maladaptive, because they can become obese. If you are going to be hibernating them, it's actually a good idea to let them pig out, because they will need that fat to last them while they're dormant and not eating. In that case, a little pudge is a good thing. However, if you are going to try and keep them awake all year long (not always an easy task), you don't want to let them get too fat. You can tell a tortoise is fat if:
1) Its "tortoise BMI" (weight for a given length) is too great.
2) It's too fat to draw itself into its shell.
Barring these extremes, and as long as your tortoises get some activity, it's good to let them eat quite a bit. There are two often-used rules of thumb for how much to feed a tortoise:
A) Once a day, feed as much as it can eat in about 20 minutes. You can divide this up over the day, too (e.g. two ~10-minute sessions).
B) Once a day, give a pile of greens almost as big as the tortoise. This does not refer to mass or volume, obviously, just a rough size. Again, this can be divided up over the day.
Me, I let them eat a big pile of greens every morning for breakfast, and then if they're still hungry in the evening (as judged by climbing, pacing, etc.), I let them have a little more (Option B above). If the weather is nice enough, I let them forage outside, too.
In captivity, this can be maladaptive, because they can become obese. If you are going to be hibernating them, it's actually a good idea to let them pig out, because they will need that fat to last them while they're dormant and not eating. In that case, a little pudge is a good thing. However, if you are going to try and keep them awake all year long (not always an easy task), you don't want to let them get too fat. You can tell a tortoise is fat if:
1) Its "tortoise BMI" (weight for a given length) is too great.
2) It's too fat to draw itself into its shell.
Barring these extremes, and as long as your tortoises get some activity, it's good to let them eat quite a bit. There are two often-used rules of thumb for how much to feed a tortoise:
A) Once a day, feed as much as it can eat in about 20 minutes. You can divide this up over the day, too (e.g. two ~10-minute sessions).
B) Once a day, give a pile of greens almost as big as the tortoise. This does not refer to mass or volume, obviously, just a rough size. Again, this can be divided up over the day.
Me, I let them eat a big pile of greens every morning for breakfast, and then if they're still hungry in the evening (as judged by climbing, pacing, etc.), I let them have a little more (Option B above). If the weather is nice enough, I let them forage outside, too.
I don't have Russians at the moment, but I'm an advocate of letting them eat. Mine graze all they want every day. That is the best way to house and feed them in my opinion. Have a large planted enclosure and let them have at it. If you are actually putting down food for them indoors then I would give them a big pile in the morning and another in the evening if they finish it all up. The one exception would be an under-exercised tort that is becoming obese, as GTT mentioned above. Another forum member puts it this way: You cut them back if they are getting fat, not if they are growing. Is yours already grown or still growing?
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