carrots safe?

[sara]

I heard that a carrot is good for a russian to chew on to keep his beak trimmed.. is this true? also is a cuttle bone safe? That would also trim his beak as well as give him calcium.

 

[jeffbens0n]

Both are safe. Cuttle bone can be available to your tort at all times. Carrot should be more of a once in a while treat.

 

[JoesMum]

Carrots have a very high sugar content, so should only be fed occasionally to Russians.

Russians, like all Testudo torts, cannot digest sugars properly and too much could make your tort sick. That is why all fruit, including bell peppers and tomatoes should be infrequently... preferably never. This is the one case where carrots have to be classified as fruit!

 

[Talka]

I alternate Sheldon on cherry or grape tomatoes and carrots every Sunday. He gets one teensy tomato or 1/3 of a baby carrot once a week. So far he's been ok with that, but it's borderline too much. I wouldn't do it any more often.

 

[sara]

o.k. so carrots a once in awhile treat. what else is good for him to trim his beak on?

 

[JoesMum]

Don't chop any food stuffs. Let your tort tear at it. It wears down the beak. Feed on a hard surface such as a piece of slate.

Easy eat food like mushy pellets and food that's chopped finely and can be gulped, don't wear down the beak.

Natural grazing, means tearing at plants that are rooted down and that provides resistance too. You can mimic this by sticking a skewer or wire tent peg through a lettuce or bok choy and anchoring it to the ground.

 

[wpeltola]

For the beak, put his food on a medium sized flat stone (like a river stone) and while he eats, it will also help to keep the beak trimmed naturally. It's also good for maintaining the claws too

- Bill

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Here's mine