Hello guys.
New to tortoise keeping. Please help and guide me.
He is our family's tort, but I don't think we are doing a good job of taking care of him. The vet said he was fine, but I think I need to learn a lot more. I know we can provide a better life for him.
I was wondering if I am feeding the Russian correctly. The vet said he was too light.
I feed Envide, Escarole, Turnip Greens, Timothy hay, Bok choy, Water cress, and Opuntia cactus. He does not like the cactus or the Escarole the rest of the food he eats. He is very picky about his food.
I am sure this is not nearly enough of what he should have. I did take a look at the list of foods for desert tortoises and was wondering how you feed all those foods to your torts.
1. So how can I feed my tortoise better?
2. How often to feed?
3. How much to feed?
4. How do I know if he needs calcium supplementation. I do have cuttle bone in his pen.
5. Additional vitamin D3? In CO there is only a few months of summer and a lot more cold months. I hope that picking a dessert tortoise was not a bad decision on my part.
6. He is outside most of time (summer time) and grazes on plants, but is this enough? I always feed him anyway. Days are getting a bit cold here in Co USA.
7. Is creeping charlie (clover like plant) toxic to the Russian?
8. Can the Russian eat grape leaves? Somewhere I read that they were toxic, but I am not sure where.
9. Where can I order some grass seeds? There is specific grasses that he could eat and I would like to cultivate, but I can't find them locally. I will be honest and say I don't have a green thumb. Hopefully I can get some stuff to grow.
10. Do I need to plant them in pots or can they be fine outside? I live in CO and it gets cold here.
11. I buy a lot of greens, but the tort is small and does not eat all of it. Is there a way to not waste so much? I make a lot of veggies for my family and I, but still I end up throwing away a lot of rotting greens. I want to start cultivating some food on my own for the tort.
Sometimes my family gets mad. They say this tort is just an animal and that the vet said he was doing well. I just feel that I can do a better job in taking care of him. I am constantly trying to get my family to understand that he is an exotic pet and it is now our responsibly to look after him.
I have a lot of other questions and will be posting pictures of his pen so you guys can help me make it better.
Thanks
Cynthia
Sorry for the wall of text.
New to tortoise keeping. Please help and guide me.
He is our family's tort, but I don't think we are doing a good job of taking care of him. The vet said he was fine, but I think I need to learn a lot more. I know we can provide a better life for him.
I was wondering if I am feeding the Russian correctly. The vet said he was too light.
I feed Envide, Escarole, Turnip Greens, Timothy hay, Bok choy, Water cress, and Opuntia cactus. He does not like the cactus or the Escarole the rest of the food he eats. He is very picky about his food.
I am sure this is not nearly enough of what he should have. I did take a look at the list of foods for desert tortoises and was wondering how you feed all those foods to your torts.
1. So how can I feed my tortoise better?
2. How often to feed?
3. How much to feed?
4. How do I know if he needs calcium supplementation. I do have cuttle bone in his pen.
5. Additional vitamin D3? In CO there is only a few months of summer and a lot more cold months. I hope that picking a dessert tortoise was not a bad decision on my part.
6. He is outside most of time (summer time) and grazes on plants, but is this enough? I always feed him anyway. Days are getting a bit cold here in Co USA.
7. Is creeping charlie (clover like plant) toxic to the Russian?
8. Can the Russian eat grape leaves? Somewhere I read that they were toxic, but I am not sure where.
9. Where can I order some grass seeds? There is specific grasses that he could eat and I would like to cultivate, but I can't find them locally. I will be honest and say I don't have a green thumb. Hopefully I can get some stuff to grow.
10. Do I need to plant them in pots or can they be fine outside? I live in CO and it gets cold here.
11. I buy a lot of greens, but the tort is small and does not eat all of it. Is there a way to not waste so much? I make a lot of veggies for my family and I, but still I end up throwing away a lot of rotting greens. I want to start cultivating some food on my own for the tort.
Sometimes my family gets mad. They say this tort is just an animal and that the vet said he was doing well. I just feel that I can do a better job in taking care of him. I am constantly trying to get my family to understand that he is an exotic pet and it is now our responsibly to look after him.
I have a lot of other questions and will be posting pictures of his pen so you guys can help me make it better.
Thanks
Cynthia
Sorry for the wall of text.
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