Dante finally ate something

[NeonAmnesia]

He seems to be only liking carrots and bell peppers, or anything that's red or orange. I mixed it with some dried flowers (food topper from zoomed) and soaked grassland tortoise pellets. All sprinkled with some repti calcium. Hopefully I'll get him to eat other greens by using bell peppers and carrots.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Both Peppers and Carrots should not be fed.
Russians can't process sugars. (But I'm guessing you already know that.)
But sometimes giving a tortoise something OFF of the menu can jumpstart them into eating better, more appropriate things.
When/why did he stop eating?
Also, if that is sand substrate, make sure it isn't getting eaten.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Substrate looks more like sphagnum moss vice sand.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Substrate looks more like sphagnum moss vice sand.

My eyes...
This phone....
Moss would also be a bad choice, @NeonAmnesia.
Tortoises eat it.

 

[NeonAmnesia]

@ZEROPILOT @Maro2Bear

its my carpet, he's not in the enclosure.

And I'm not feeding it too much but I want him to get him to start eating. He's now eating other veggies without the peppers so yeah.

Also I have only recently got him, last Saturday. So he may still need some time to get used to but he's warming up quickly

 

[NeonAmnesia]

I know what I'm doing in terms of what I should and should not have in my enclosure? I mean, wouldn't that be one of the important things to know before even getting a tortoise.

And like I said, he's not in the enclosure in this pic

 

[TammyJ]

I know what I'm doing in terms of what I should and should not have in my enclosure? I mean, wouldn't that be one of the important things to know before even getting a tortoise.

And like I said, he's not in the enclosure in this pic

Well, you seem to know exactly what your tortoise needs, then. Not everyone does, and they seek help and advice from this forum, which is what it's here for, apart from just exchanging opinions and ideas. I am so glad I found this site when I first got my redfoots over three years ago. They are doing absolutely wonderfully and I know that is because I took the good advice I got here.
All the best!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I know what I'm doing in terms of what I should and should not have in my enclosure? I mean, wouldn't that be one of the important things to know before even getting a tortoise.

And like I said, he's not in the enclosure in this pic

Yes.
But as you read more and more posts, you'll be astonished at how many keepers have jumped into the hobby without a clue.
Please don't take any comments as a personal attack of some kind.
All of them are meant to help and some of them are un needed.
Myself, I answer all members with the same level of information until I know them better.
I try not to make assumptions so that I don't overlook a possible issue.

 

[NeonAmnesia]

Yes.
But as you read more and more posts, you'll be astonished at how many keepers have jumped into the hobby without a clue.
Please don't take any comments as a personal attack of some kind.
All of them are meant to help and some of them are un needed.
Myself, I answer all members with the same level of information until I know them better.
I try not to make assumptions so that I don't overlook a possible issue.

It's literally my carpet, how does it even look like moss of some sort

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's literally my carpet, how does it even look like moss of some sort

It didn't to me.
But the photos are both quite blurry.

 

[Unkapunka]

I didn't know what it was Zeropilot. You took a guess.

 

[Sa Ga]

When Morla came to me Sept 2019, she was only fed broccoli, romaine, kale, and peas (and Zoo Med pellets, which she wouldn't touch).

I ended up having to soak the pellets to absolute mush, and then wrap them into a "burrito" of kale/romaine/etc. She still won't eat the pellets alone, but now she LOVES the burritos so much, if I give her plain leaves, she sometimes turns her nose up at them (all I have to do is even just dip them into the water of the pellets to get her to eat the leaves). In learning to love the pellet burritos, I've gotten her to learn to eat dandy greens, turnip greens, radicchio. and collards. She still doesn't like chard though...

She's a GREAT eater now....
BUT...
She will not eat on her own. If I don't handfeed her, she won't eat.

Any suggestions? (And because of her health issues, I can't afford to starve her out. I tried putting food in and if she didn't eat on her own, she didn't eat at all. Welllllll, she didn't eat for almost 3 days and she wasn't looking good, so it was back to feeding her... ?)

 

[NeonAmnesia]

When Morla came to me Sept 2019, she was only fed broccoli, romaine, kale, and peas (and Zoo Med pellets, which she wouldn't touch).

I ended up having to soak the pellets to absolute mush, and then wrap them into a "burrito" of kale/romaine/etc. She still won't eat the pellets alone, but now she LOVES the burritos so much, if I give her plain leaves, she sometimes turns her nose up at them (all I have to do is even just dip them into the water of the pellets to get her to eat the leaves). In learning to love the pellet burritos, I've gotten her to learn to eat dandy greens, turnip greens, radicchio. and collards. She still doesn't like chard though...

She's a GREAT eater now....
BUT...
She will not eat on her own. If I don't handfeed her, she won't eat.

Any suggestions? (And because of her health issues, I can't afford to starve her out. I tried putting food in and if she didn't eat on her own, she didn't eat at all. Welllllll, she didn't eat for almost 3 days and she wasn't looking good, so it was back to feeding her... ?)

I also used the burrito method today, but with a spec of bell pepper (the piece is small as the point of the needle, if anyone's worried about me giving too much bell peppers). My tort seems to be interested in anything that's red or orange. Though I too have to handfeed him to get him to eat the other veggies and plants or he'll just pick out the bell peppers only. Dante wouldn't even eat the pellets unless there's something red on it. This made me think that his previous owner didn't feed a large variety of things that Russian tortoises should eat. Turns out it was true when I asked them today.

I guess now I'm wondering if anyone else's tort was like this but eventually ate on their own without being picky, or are these torts going to be picky eaters forever, lol.

 

[Sa Ga]

I also used the burrito method today, but with a spec of bell pepper (the piece is small as the point of the needle, if anyone's worried about me giving too much bell peppers). My tort seems to be interested in anything that's red or orange. Though I too have to handfeed him to get him to eat the other veggies and plants or he'll just pick out the bell peppers only. Dante wouldn't even eat the pellets unless there's something red on it. This made me think that his previous owner didn't feed a large variety of things that Russian tortoises should eat. Turns out it was true when I asked them today.

I guess now I'm wondering if anyone else's tort was like this but eventually ate on their own without being picky, or are these torts going to be picky eaters forever, lol.

Yes, thank you, NeonAmnesia! I'm not alone w/ my spoiled tort! I am sincerely hoping someone can suggest something to get her to eat on her own cuz I don't want to be 93, trying to roll pellet burritos!

 

[Blackdog1714]

Maybe try these Nature Zone Bites for Tortoises, Soft Moist Food, 24-Ounce they are orange and cost 7.39 on Petco

 

[Maro2Bear]

It's literally my carpet, how does it even look like moss of some sort

I think I was the one who initially suggested it looked like your tort was on sphagnum moss while eating. You have to admit, your carpet does look like the type of sphagnum moss that is available. Anyhow, good to know it’s not...

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Red is a trigger color.
I can toss red, peach and yellow hibiscus flowers into my pen.
The red ones get eaten first every time.
It's one of the reasons why we discourage using red light bulbs.
Red means food to them.

 

[queen koopa]

Yes, thank you, NeonAmnesia! I'm not alone w/ my spoiled tort! I am sincerely hoping someone can suggest something to get her to eat on her own cuz I don't want to be 93, trying to roll pellet burritos!

I think most of the time when torts get re-homed its because the previous owner was unable to provide adequate care for them. And thats how you get a tort that eats 2 things only. In my case, my 5 year old Sulcata wanted only spring mix and romain. Been working on her balanced diet now for almost 2 years. When the grass drys out, I have a very hard time feeding her- she hates it. But I do have a lot of weeds, other grasses, and aloe she eats as well. She will not eat hay unless I saturate it with mazuri pellets in water or a mashed carrot. So her “picky” eating tendencies come back when the live grass drys up. Maybe try growing some Russian friendly plants indoor and offer that, my tort really likes live plants.

 

[Ttfjc]

Well, you seem to know exactly what your tortoise needs, then. Not everyone does, and they seek help and advice from this forum, which is what it's here for, apart from just exchanging opinions and ideas. I am so glad I found this site when I first got my redfoots over three years ago. They are doing absolutely wonderfully and I know that is because I took the good advice I got here.
All the best!

What kind of substrate is best? And what brand.

 

[DesertGirl]

When Morla came to me Sept 2019, she was only fed broccoli, romaine, kale, and peas (and Zoo Med pellets, which she wouldn't touch).

I ended up having to soak the pellets to absolute mush, and then wrap them into a "burrito" of kale/romaine/etc. She still won't eat the pellets alone, but now she LOVES the burritos so much, if I give her plain leaves, she sometimes turns her nose up at them (all I have to do is even just dip them into the water of the pellets to get her to eat the leaves). In learning to love the pellet burritos, I've gotten her to learn to eat dandy greens, turnip greens, radicchio. and collards. She still doesn't like chard though...

She's a GREAT eater now....
BUT...
She will not eat on her own. If I don't handfeed her, she won't eat.

Any suggestions? (And because of her health issues, I can't afford to starve her out. I tried putting food in and if she didn't eat on her own, she didn't eat at all. Welllllll, she didn't eat for almost 3 days and she wasn't looking good, so it was back to feeding her... ?)

Sounds like a good bonding exercise to me. At least she’s eating, right?