# Russian tortoise favorite food?



## Tyanna (Oct 3, 2014)

What's your Russian's favorite food? I'm wanting to pick up pansies today and I will get my testudo seed mix on Monday, what other foods do your Russians love? (I want to grow these in my indoor greenhouse, btw)


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Oct 3, 2014)

The Italian Dandelion mix from tortosieupply is delicious, and he likes chicory and clover from outside. He just 'tolerates' other weeds like mallow and plantain


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## lismar79 (Oct 3, 2014)

Mine LOVES radicchio, pumpkin, squash, dandelion greens, cactus, & clover. She tolerates mallow, plantain, & mulberry leaves. Wont touch Mazuri...at all.


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## Magilla504 (Oct 3, 2014)

Haha, finally! Someone else that has torts that do not go crazy for mazuri. Mine scarf on weeds and greens. I have offered mazuri on occasion to see if they want the variety but they do not seem to be to fond of it


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## GotTort (Oct 3, 2014)

My Russian eats Mazuri like its a chocolate delicacy. He would eat only that if I let him. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tortoise Forum


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## Tom (Oct 3, 2014)

Mine eat everything. They have only seen Mazuri twice in their whole lives, and they scarfed down every last bit of it and then licked the plate clean.


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## Tyanna (Oct 3, 2014)

I have never fed Mazuri...can anyone explain why it's fed?


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## Tyanna (Oct 3, 2014)

I'm trying pansies tonight! I got red colored as it seems he likes things that are that color more.


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## Tom (Oct 3, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> I'm trying pansies tonight! I got red colored as it seems he likes things that are that color more.



Did you grow them yourself? If yes you are good to go.

Store bought pansies will be full of systemic pesticides.

Just making sure you know this.


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## leigti (Oct 3, 2014)

I have never said any pellet food at all so I don't really have much of an opinion on Mazuri. My dog and cats eat raw food so I figured my tortoise would too  now if I could just get myself to eat that healthy, oh well. My Russian tortoise loves sedum plants. he will pass up any other food to eat them, even dandelion flowers.


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## Tyanna (Oct 3, 2014)

Tom said:


> Did you grow them yourself? If yes you are good to go.
> 
> Store bought pansies will be full of systemic pesticides.
> 
> Just making sure you know this.




I guess I got confused on information given to me at the time. You're right, he can't eat store bought ones. I have some seeds on hand that I'll start from scratch. I don't know what I was thinking, I'll plant those outside for looks instead  thanks Tom for the reminder.


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## Tom (Oct 3, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> I have never fed Mazuri...can anyone explain why it's fed?



They don't _need_ Mazuri, but I do think it offers benefits.

It is a convenient food to have around when you run out of other stuff, especially for people who live in areas with frozen winters.

I also like it because it is a nutritionally complete diet formulated specifically for tortoises. I see it as a supplement to a good diet and a way to ensure that there are no missing trace elements or nutritional components in my tortoises diets. I think this is especially important for people who mostly rely on common grocery store greens. There can be nutritional deficiencies depending on the soil in which any greens are grown. Feeding some Mazuri once in a while is cheap insurance to make sure your tortoise is getting everything it needs.

Plus they really like it...


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## Tyanna (Oct 3, 2014)

leigti said:


> I have never said any pellet food at all so I don't really have much of an opinion on Mazuri. My dog and cats eat raw food so I figured my tortoise would too  now if I could just get myself to eat that healthy, oh well. My Russian tortoise loves sedum plants. he will pass up any other food to eat them, even dandelion flowers.
> View attachment 98597



Are sedum plants pretty hardy? Would they do good in fall weather in the north?


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## Tyanna (Oct 3, 2014)

Tom said:


> They don't _need_ Mazuri, but I do think it offers benefits.
> 
> It is a convenient food to have around when you run out of other stuff, especially for people who live in areas with frozen winters.
> 
> ...



Great information!! I'll have to buy some of that from tortoise supply. I live in a frozen area where weather is unpredictable! LOL


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## leigti (Oct 3, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> Are sedum plants pretty hardy? Would they do good in fall weather in the north?


They are very hardy yes. They last at least through October here in Washington state and maybe even longer. they do have a lot of water content so don't overfeed or your tortoise might get diarrhea, mine hasn't but I have read that it is a possibility.


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## Tom (Oct 3, 2014)

leigti said:


> They are very hardy yes. They last at least through October here in Washington state and maybe even longer. they do have a lot of water content so don't overfeed or your tortoise might get diarrhea, mine hasn't but I have read that it is a possibility.



Have you got a latin name? There are sooooo many types of sedum...


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## leigti (Oct 3, 2014)

I used to know the name but I'm spacing it right now. @yvonne told me what it was and I still can't remember, Friday afternoon burnt out I guess. I will research it and find out.


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## Tyanna (Oct 3, 2014)

Are all types of sedums safe?


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## leigti (Oct 3, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> Are all types of sedums safe?


Justabout all are yes. The tortoise table website lists one that is not safe I think.


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## Tom (Oct 3, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> Are all types of sedums safe?



No. I looked into this because "sedum" is listed as a food for wild tortoises. We have several types available here, but all of them were listed as toxic. The only one I can remember off hand was "brown bean" sedum. There were hundreds of plants in the "sedum" family when I looked this up last. I eventually gave up trying to figure out which ones were okay and which ones weren't.


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## leigti (Oct 3, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> Are all types of sedums safe?


The sedum in my yard is called stonecrop autumn joy. Other types of safe sedum our carpet stonecrop and hens and chicks. I have fed all of these to my tortoise without any issues.


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## Tyanna (Oct 4, 2014)

Seems complicated. Thanks for the replies. I'm gathering a list of things to plant when summer here rolls back around. Just don't wanna plant certain things if my Russian will turn his nose up at it.


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## leigti (Oct 4, 2014)

Tyanna said:


> Seems complicated. Thanks for the replies. I'm gathering a list of things to plant when summer here rolls back around. Just don't wanna plant certain things if my Russian will turn his nose up at it.


I have found that my Russian is slowly increasing the variety of food that she will eat. Almost never eats a new item the first time but probably will the second or third time.but they still have their individual tastes and don't always go by the book  it took mine two years to eat a dandelion flower and she still won't touch a mulberry leaf.so maybe just plant a little bit of everything instead of a lot of one thing and see what she likes and a year or two from now she will like more things.


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## Tyanna (Oct 4, 2014)

That's a great idea! Mine has done pretty good at trying new things too!


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## Jacqui (Oct 4, 2014)

My Russians favorite food is whatever is currently being placed in front of them.


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