Russian Tortise Diet

[BaddestMarie]

-I bought the Russian Tortise pellets && the little mango bites that you have to refrigerate. He honestly will not eat any of it at all. All he eats is lettuce && apples. I tried strawberrys && grapes, but it always turns it down. Is that normal? Is there anything i cant feed him && what can he eat?

 

[cherylim]

You shouldn't be trying to feed him fruit all the time. It's not good for them in large amounts and should only be given as a rare treat.

You want to be feeding the foods mentioned in this thread, and if he doesn't eat them you keep feeding them until he does - he won't starve himself.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ed-Greeks-Russians-Sulcatas-etc#axzz1aFgdu0Ao

 

[dmmj]

I would cut out all the fruits and vegetables (lettuce included) mine get a carrot once a month to help with beak maintenance.
Here is a sample list of what I feed mine. Grape leaves, mulberry leaves, artichoke leaves, radish tops, strawberry leaves, dandelion greens and flowers, hibiscus flowers and leaves, and various squash leaves and flowers.

 

[BaddestMarie]

You shouldn't be trying to feed him fruit all the time. It's not good for them in large amounts and should only be given as a rare treat.

You want to be feeding the foods mentioned in this thread, and if he doesn't eat them you keep feeding them until he does - he won't starve himself.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ed-Greeks-Russians-Sulcatas-etc#axzz1aFgdu0Ao

-I dont feed him fruit all the time. He gets an apple once a month. Hes just really picky.

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I would cut out all the fruits and vegetables (lettuce included) mine get a carrot once a month to help with beak maintenance.
Here is a sample list of what I feed mine. Grape leaves, mulberry leaves, artichoke leaves, radish tops, strawberry leaves, dandelion greens and flowers, hibiscus flowers and leaves, and various squash leaves and flowers.

-He wont eat carrots unless its shredded. Also i dont give him iceburg lettece, i give him romaine.

 

[GBtortoises]

Russians should be fed a diet that is high in fiber, low in protein. In captivity this can consist of the item that the Captain listed above along with many other greens including, but not limited to: chicory, broad and narrow leaf plantain, crown vetch, alfalfa (sparingly), sow thistle, lambsquarter and other wild weeds. Most of us in the North, me included, are forced to feed grocery store greens in the winter when weeds aren't available. The grocery list can include: Dandelion (actually chicory in stores), endive, escarole, romaine, beet greens, mustard greens, collard greens, carrot tops and sparingly kale, spinach and cabbages. Green, red leaf and other lettuces can be fed occasionally too but most consist primarily of water content with little to no nutrional value.

I do also feed mine vegetables, not more than 15-20% of their total diet. They include: pumpkin, squashes, carrot, sweet potato, green, red and yellow bell pepper and occasionally some corn, green and yellow beans and peas. Admittedly, most of my Russians rarely, some never, consume the vegetables. But I feed them the same diet that my other Testudo get as a matter of convience.

 

[Grigor.Love.]

Russians should be fed a diet that is high in fiber, low in protein. In captivity this can consist of the item that the Captain listed above along with many other greens including, but not limited to: chicory, broad and narrow leaf plantain, crown vetch, alfalfa (sparingly), sow thistle, lambsquarter and other wild weeds. Most of us in the North, me included, are forced to feed grocery store greens in the winter when weeds aren't available. The grocery list can include: Dandelion (actually chicory in stores), endive, escarole, romaine, beet greens, mustard greens, collard greens, carrot tops and sparingly kale, spinach and cabbages. Green, red leaf and other lettuces can be fed occasionally too but most consist primarily of water content with little to no nutrional value.

I do also feed mine vegetables, not more than 15-20% of their total diet. They include: pumpkin, squashes, carrot, sweet potato, green, red and yellow bell pepper and occasionally some corn, green and yellow beans and peas. Admittedly, most of my Russians rarely, some never, consume the vegetables. But I feed them the same diet that my other Testudo get as a matter of convience.

Good information. I have a russian and it's always nice to be reminded what he can and can't have.

 

[jeffbens0n]

Marie,

Not sure if you are or if it was just a quick picture, but I would also recommend that you do not keep your russian tortoise with your eastern box turtle. They are different species from different continents and have different requirements. They also could pass pathogens to each other that could be harmful to one another.

 

[BaddestMarie]

Marie,

Not sure if you are or if it was just a quick picture, but I would also recommend that you do not keep your russian tortoise with your eastern box turtle. They are different species from different continents and have different requirements. They also could pass pathogens to each other that could be harmful to one another.

-I only reason why they are in the same tank id because my husbands brother just didnt want her, so we got her now. So she sorta got dumped on us && i wasnt gonna turn her down. She needed a home, so i gave her one. Right now we dont have enough space for so many tanks since i have an aquatic turtle tank as well. I just gotta figure something out.

 

[Doritoinmontucky]

I have never had the problem of my Russian not taking variaty, but i have run into it in other spieces. Try mixxing a small amount of the new food in with something he likes, and over the course of a couple weeks just gradualy increase the amount of new food untill you have him eating it. ZooMed makes an awsome Grassland Tortoise Diet, wene wetted down a little mine love it. I mix it with greens, and weeds, and the occasional fruit(not very often).

 

[BaddestMarie]

I have never had the problem of my Russian not taking variaty, but i have run into it in other spieces. Try mixxing a small amount of the new food in with something he likes, and over the course of a couple weeks just gradualy increase the amount of new food untill you have him eating it. ZooMed makes an awsome Grassland Tortoise Diet, wene wetted down a little mine love it. I mix it with greens, and weeds, and the occasional fruit(not very often).

-Idk what they were feeding him in PETCO because my russian wont eat store food. The picture shown is the food i had first bought for him && he wont eat it. Ive tried many times && all he does is step in it && keeps walking. But when i give him romane lettuce or greens, he runs to the food && chows down.

 

[pdrobber]

I'm not sure what's in either of those foods you have pictured ,but I'd say your tortoise doesn't necessarily need them. Some of us here feed packaged pet foods like Mazuri or Grassland but they're not required to have a healthy tortoise. Keep going with the greens, that's what he should be eating!

 

[BaddestMarie]

-When i feed him Romaine Lettuce, i always spray it with the Flukers Liquid Vitamin. It has many vitamins, Minerals && Amino Acids. On the bottle it stated that it was for all Reptiles. I took a picture to show you what it looks like.

 

[Utah Lynn]

Have you tried a Spring Mix salad. These have a little of everything. This and Romaine lettuce are about the only things my RT's will eat. Just stay away from the pet store pellet foods.

 

[BaddestMarie]

Have you tried a Spring Mix salad. These have a little of everything. This and Romaine lettuce are about the only things my RT's will eat. Just stay away from the pet store pellet foods.

-I always buy the spring mix && romaine. My russian is soo picky but he loves his spring mix I bought some little star pellets && it has dandilion && other things in it but he wont eat it. Hes just into the color green && wont eat anything unless its greens.