Well, I finally offered my pair of Russians some mushrooms today. I gave them some chopped white mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) along with romaine lettuce. The female gobbled them up enthusiastically. The male ate a little bit, but didn't seem to like them as much as the female. I guess this shouldn't surprise me, because the female appears to be much less fussy about what she eats than the male.
Anyway, I thought this was interesting. Their cousins, the Hermann tortoises, eat a lot of mushrooms, but they come from chaparral and forests, not grasslands and deserts. Nevertheless, there could still be a few mushroom species that grow in Central Asia in the wetter parts of the year. Maybe steppe tortoises like to take advantage of them during those times?
In a sense, I will treat mushrooms like fruits, and only offer them to my Russians as an occasional treat. Still, it's nice to know I can include them in their diet for some more variety. I might also experiment with some other types of mushrooms, like shiitake (Lentinula edodes), which seem to be more healthful.
Anyway, I thought this was interesting. Their cousins, the Hermann tortoises, eat a lot of mushrooms, but they come from chaparral and forests, not grasslands and deserts. Nevertheless, there could still be a few mushroom species that grow in Central Asia in the wetter parts of the year. Maybe steppe tortoises like to take advantage of them during those times?
In a sense, I will treat mushrooms like fruits, and only offer them to my Russians as an occasional treat. Still, it's nice to know I can include them in their diet for some more variety. I might also experiment with some other types of mushrooms, like shiitake (Lentinula edodes), which seem to be more healthful.
