Russian tortoises

MichaelL

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Great tortoises that are very hardy, cool to watch, that love to eat, and are very active. My russian tortoises favorite flower above all else is clover. They have never turned it down. Their second favorite is hibiscus and dandelion. They love the white part of romaine lettuce, and it is super cool watching them forage weeds like a wild tortoise.
 
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Sa Ga

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MN
Great tortoises that are very hardy, cool to watch, that love to eat, and are very active. My russian tortoises favorite flower above all else is clover. They have never turned it down. Their second favorite is hibiscus and dandelion. They love the white part of romaine lettuce, and it is super cool watching them forage weeds like a wild tortoise.
Lol. My Russian has not been hardy and doesn't like to eat ANY of those (clover, hib, or dandy). But, she was a rescue who came with some issues, so she's been a little more TLC and $$$ than is to be expected.

I will say that she's been worth EVERY penny and I love her more than I ever thought possible for an animal!

20200409_023521.jpg Morla napping on my chest as I watch YouTube. ❤❤❤❤
 

MichaelL

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Lol. My Russian has not been hardy and doesn't like to eat ANY of those (clover, hib, or dandy). But, she was a rescue who came with some issues, so she's been a little more TLC and $$$ than is to be expected.

I will say that she's been worth EVERY penny and I love her more than I ever thought possible for an animal!

View attachment 291228 Morla napping on my chest as I watch YouTube. ❤❤❤❤
I can't believe yours doesn't like hibisucs or white clover! Wow, I thought all russians loved it. Also, I love that pic!!! And I know how you feel, I wouldn't trade my russians for anything.
 

Sa Ga

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I can't believe yours doesn't like hibisucs or white clover! Wow, I thought all russians loved it. Also, I love that pic!!! And I know how you feel, I wouldn't trade my russians for anything.
Nope. And she doesn't like red food. So sometimes to get her to eat something NOT green, (other than radicchio), I show her the green leaf, and either hide the other food under it or do a switcharoo once the green is being chomped down.
 

MichaelL

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Nope. And she doesn't like red food. So sometimes to get her to eat something NOT green, (other than radicchio), I show her the green leaf, and either hide the other food under it or do a switcharoo once the green is being chomped down.
Hahah mine would just eat flowers all day if they could, I have to limit it because it softens their poop. Also LOL I use that trick too! When they won't eat a certain food that I know is healthy for them, I do the switcharoo ? ?
 

Sa Ga

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Hahah mine would just eat flowers all day if they could, I have to limit it because it softens their poop. Also LOL I use that trick too! When they won't eat a certain food that I know is healthy for them, I do the switcharoo ? ?
AND I find I do that baby-feeding face with her sometimes too (where you open your mouth too and talk to her encouragingly). Eric pointed it out one night.
 

jUMPSu1t

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A3C4AA4C-D61B-4A45-A3A2-0128E9E0EB4F.jpeg66FF0531-DE79-468D-B68C-2D3627EE4BC4.jpeg
We picked Russian tortoises above other species for their character, and they sure have a lot of it! Here’s Prism (top), my 6-7 year old boy, eating his dandelion greens, and Crystal (bottom), my 7-8 year old girl, trying a rose petal for the first time. Their favorite foods are hibiscus, carrots, and sweet potatoes, and Crystal can chomp through a whole carrot in 1-2 days! Their personality, like humans, is reflected in the way they carry themselves. Crystal is definitely more confident, always sticking her head up high, and Prism is more timid, never really showing his neck except when he eats. Both tortoises love digging at odd times in the year (they still don’t have a rigid hibernation schedule), so I put a box full of dirt on the “second floor” of their habitat. Here’s my setup:
image.jpg
Prism will occasionally bury himself in the dirt for days at a time, so his shell is always dirty. That’s why we give him showers with a spray bottle! Crystal’s growth has skyrocketed since we got her, so we had to elevate our log for her to go under it. Both tortoises are adorable, and I can’t wait for warmer weather when I can take them outside!
 
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LasTortugasNinja

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I've only been an owner for a month. So far, it's been a real treat. He's very alert and aware of everything that goes on in his area. Most impressive to me is the sheer amount he eats. He'll eat a towering pile of weeds, dandelions, and greens with a sprinkling of dried flower herbal tea in a matter of minutes. No idea where he puts it all! Human equivalent would be to fill a Volkswagen beetle with salad and eat it all in 30 minutes.
 

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