Russian diets info

[Sazlee]

Hey everyone.I was just wondering if someone could give me some advice on the dietary requirements of Russian torts? Not so much what they can eat... But more the quantity and how often they need to bed fed? Just don't wanna leave room for any mistakes ) thank you!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Russian tortoises should be eating mostly leafy greens, including grocery produce and wild weeds. In the sunflower family, this includes wild and cultivated forms of lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole, radicchio, and dandelion. In the brassica family, this includes arugula, collards, turnip greens, and mustard greens. There are other weeds they can eat, and they occasionally eat grass, too. You can also give them pelleted foods like Mazuri and ZooMed Grassland. On an infrequent basis (no more than monthly), you can offer sweeter fruits or vegetables, such as strawberry, raspberry, grape, or diced carrots.

As far as quantity, a good rule of thumb is to offer them a pile of food about their size, or what they can eat in about 20 minutes. If you feed them more than once a day, then just divide that amount accordingly. Time of day doesn't matter so much, because in the wild they just forage when the temperature is suitable. I usually give my guys breakfast, which they eat a lot of, and then snack on the leftovers the rest of the day.

Some folks like to feed every other day, but others (like me) like to feed everyday. Russians are known to eat gluttonously, but if they're well-fed, then they might not eat for a day every once in a while, and that's fine.

 

[Sazlee]

Ok thank you very much

 

[Blakem]

Do you know a good amount of what they can eat? If so, great, if not, search the forum! As to your questions:
1. I will place food with my Russian every day. If he eats all of it, great. By the afternoon I will put a snack out. Ezek, my Russian, does not seem to over eat and is picky. I will spray his food every chance I get, as I've never seen him drink water, to ensure he is being somewhat hydrated.

2. Most will say to feed the size of a turtle/tortoise shell, but I will give a little more. On the days that I am gone all day (8am-7pm) I will put 3X that amount.

I am not an expert in Russians, I've just told you what has worked well in raising my Russian tortoise well. Ask as many questions as you would like.

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Sorry, GeoTerraTestudo, I lagged on my post a I am currently working.

Go with what he says, he's had much more experience.