FUSSY RUSSIAN

[TaylorTortoise]

My Russian is so picky/fussy he is so spoiled and will only eat his Santa Barbra mix.
I tried mixing it up with romaine, collard greens, kale, mustard greens and breaking it up into small pieces and he outsmarts me and tells me who's boss by rejecting half, or most of it!! >__<
Tanks dad had to run out to a local produce to buy him his favorite mix. (Santa Barbra)
Anybody else have this problem?!

 

[Duckster RT]

It takes a long time to get a RT to change. Change anything especially food. I offer a favorite and when he opens to eat it I switch it. Of course you can only do it a couple times before they get mad and stop. But time and repetitively doing it can help. Or wait a little bit to see if he is hungry enough to eat the heathy food items.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Hmm. I think the problem here is not Tank. He’s not the one buying the salad mix, is he?

It’s hard to for humans to see it but Russians aren’t mammals; they can go a long time without eating and be just fine. He won’t starve himself. Brace yourself, as it can take a loooooong time for them to change their mind about something. It’s harder for you than him, I promise.

You could also try arugula, watercress, turnip leaves, and bok choy. They are all in the plant family as the collards, kale, and mustard. Turnip leaves might be the “sweetest” if you want to try them first. My outdoor Russian is a great eater but would have to be very hungry to eat collards or kale, just not her thing.

Romaine is okay as part of a varied diet but doesn’t offer any value over the stuff in the Santa Barbara mix so I wouldn’t worry about that one.

 

[Mrs.Jennifer]

My Russian is so picky/fussy he is so spoiled and will only eat his Santa Barbra mix.
I tried mixing it up with romaine, collard greens, kale, mustard greens and breaking it up into small pieces and he outsmarts me and tells me who's boss by rejecting half, or most of it!! >__<
Tanks dad had to run out to a local produce to buy him his favorite mix. (Santa Barbra)
Anybody else have this problem?!

I had this same problem when I got my RT rescue. Take some of the Santa Barbra mix and finely chop it. Then take just one other green and finely chop a small amount of it and mix them together. Do this for a week. DO NOT GIVE IN!!! They are like hostage takers that play on the emotions of family members until they get the ransom! They will not starve themselves. Then, once they are consuming that new “mixture,” start mixing in a little bit more of the other green into the Santa Barbra mix, with the idea that you are reducing the Santa Barbra mix over time. You may need to do this with other greens as well. Remember: This is a process, not an event.

 

[TaylorTortoise]

Hmm. I think the problem here is not Tank. He’s not the one buying the salad mix, is he?

It’s hard to for humans to see it but Russians aren’t mammals; they can go a long time without eating and be just fine. He won’t starve himself. Brace yourself, as it can take a loooooong time for them to change their mind about something. It’s harder for you than him, I promise.

You could also try arugula, watercress, turnip leaves, and bok choy. They are all in the plant family as the collards, kale, and mustard. Turnip leaves might be the “sweetest” if you want to try them first. My outdoor Russian is a great eater but would have to be very hungry to eat collards or kale, just not her thing.

Romaine is okay as part of a varied diet but doesn’t offer any value over the stuff in the Santa Barbara mix so I wouldn’t worry about that one.

When you say you keep your tortoise outdoors, how do you house him outdoors? Especially during weather conditions like temperature drops and rain?

 

[Lyn W]

When you say you keep your tortoise outdoors, how do you house him outdoors? Especially during weather conditions like temperature drops and rain?

They have to be old enough to cope outside and you need a predator proof enclosure and because RTs can climb and dig they also need to be escape proof.
This is for the UK but may give you some ideas

Outdoor Accommodation in a Colder (UK) Climate

Background We live in the UK and have had our Greek, Joe, a male Testudo Graeca Graeca (TGG), since 1970. He is full grown, weighing in at around 3.2kg (7lb) and measures just over 26cm (10”) Straight Carapace Length (SCL) He would have been wild caught, so was not a baby when he joined the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[RosemaryDW]

When you say you keep your tortoise outdoors, how do you house him outdoors? Especially during weather conditions like temperature drops and rain?

Let me see if I’m answering your question correctly.

We found our tortoise on the street so didn’t plan for it or anything. We happen to have a very tiny yard that is escape proof—high walls, no gaps, etc. You can’t keep a Russian outside without secure barriers, that’s probably how she got away from her last owners.

In the winter we hibernate her in a refrigerator. It’s not cold enough or dry enough where I live for her to safely hibernate outdoors, although she certainly would if we didn’t put her in the fridge. (It’s her own fridge, not the human one!)

In the spring and fall she has a heated “night box” to use when she wants. She’s been out of hibernation a couple of weeks just now and hangs out there overnight and when it’s cloudy. She always has a warm, dry place to stay.

Depending on when she decides to hibernate (she takes her cue from the weather and we take our cue from her!) she hibernates between three and four months of the year.