I see people feeding cactus leaves to their torts. Can Russians eat that as well and if so is this the right one?
Is this the right cactus leaf?
- Thread starter LoutheRussian
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Frogg.Queen
Member
Those are cactus pads my dear. 
There is a species of cactus that’s really popular among tortoise owners called prickly pear, which has cactus pads that look just like that.
Im not a cactus expert, so I’m not 100% sure if those are prickly pear(tho it looks very similar). Since those look like they’re stocked at a supermarket, you could take a careful look at the label or ask an employee if those cactus pads are prickly pear.
(**also, I wouldn’t recommend feeding many other types of cactus to your tort; not all cacti have the same nutritional value, and a lot of them are really prickly and can sometimes hurt the tortoise’s mouth. Prickly pear and dragonfruit are the exceptions, since they aren’t very pokey like the common cactus.)
There is a species of cactus that’s really popular among tortoise owners called prickly pear, which has cactus pads that look just like that.
Im not a cactus expert, so I’m not 100% sure if those are prickly pear(tho it looks very similar). Since those look like they’re stocked at a supermarket, you could take a careful look at the label or ask an employee if those cactus pads are prickly pear.
(**also, I wouldn’t recommend feeding many other types of cactus to your tort; not all cacti have the same nutritional value, and a lot of them are really prickly and can sometimes hurt the tortoise’s mouth. Prickly pear and dragonfruit are the exceptions, since they aren’t very pokey like the common cactus.)
Yes. That is the correct type. Spineless opuntia, AKA Nopales.
Notice its not entirely spineless. Handle the pads with thick rubber gloves and wipe the spines off under running water.
And don't be surprised if your tortoise doesn't want to eat it right away. Tortoises eat what they've eaten before, so it might take some time for you to get him to eat it if he hasn't seen it before. Cut up a small amount into tiny little pieces and mix it in with other favorite greens. This will get him used to the smell, taste and texture. Gradually, add more of the opunita, and eventually you can just drop half a pad in there.
And the spines won't hurt your tortoise. They just hurt our fragile human hands. I've been feeding whole pads, spines and all, to all ages and all of my species for years with no issues. In the wild they eat fully spined cactus pads with no problem. Even species from countries like Madagascar where cactus doesn't occur naturally. I've seen footage of wild radiata eating introduced fully spined cactus. Farmers there use it to encircle their fields to keep wildlife out. The tortoises just walk up and eat it. I don't know how those spines don't affect them, but they don't.
Now that I think about it… When I'm walking around the ranch doing tortoise chores and I get those spines stuck in my hand or arm, I pull them out with my teeth and spit them out, and the spines have never stuck in my mouth. Hmmmm...
And the spines won't hurt your tortoise. They just hurt our fragile human hands. I've been feeding whole pads, spines and all, to all ages and all of my species for years with no issues. In the wild they eat fully spined cactus pads with no problem. Even species from countries like Madagascar where cactus doesn't occur naturally. I've seen footage of wild radiata eating introduced fully spined cactus. Farmers there use it to encircle their fields to keep wildlife out. The tortoises just walk up and eat it. I don't know how those spines don't affect them, but they don't.
Now that I think about it… When I'm walking around the ranch doing tortoise chores and I get those spines stuck in my hand or arm, I pull them out with my teeth and spit them out, and the spines have never stuck in my mouth. Hmmmm...
I tried out the cactus leaf and my little male devoured his like someone was gonna take it from him. My female who normally is my piggy and will eat anything from my hand before I can even set it down for her was pretty indifferent to it.
My tortoise goes back and forth. Some days she devours it; others she is “eh.”
I almost regret letting him try it because after his second feeding with cactus mixed in he ate all the cactus and mothing else. That was two days ago and whenever I bring him food he waddles over, sniffs it and once he realizes there's no cactus he looks up at me with his grumpy eyes. Then he turns around and walks away
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