Diet help

[jade_woods]

Hey I was just wondering if someone could give me a list of foods I can feed my Russian tortoise on a daily basis and foods i can give her as a treat

 

[JoesMum]

Treats are for your satisfaction only.

Your tort needs a diet of leafy weedy greens to be healthy. It cannot digest sugars properly- they cause kidney and digestive problems - so fruit, bell pepper, carrot and tomato should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally - if at all.

Here's a list of suitable greens

Look them, and any greens that you can buy in your grocery store or supermarket, up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database if you're not sure what they look like.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

 

[jade_woods]

Treats are for your satisfaction only.

Your tort needs a diet of leafy weedy greens to be healthy. It cannot digest sugars properly- they cause kidney and digestive problems - so fruit, bell pepper, carrot and tomato should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally - if at all.

Here's a list of suitable greens

Look them, and any greens that you can buy in your grocery store or supermarket, up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database if you're not sure what they look like.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Thanks so much , this helped a lot , can rocket and lettuce be eaten on a daily basis or just occasionally

 

[tortoishell]

Those plants are safe to eat but you should have a varied diet. I understand if you can't find any weeds because of the weather (depending on where you live)

 

[jade_woods]

Those plants are safe to eat but you should have a varied diet. I understand if you can't find any weeds because of the weather (depending on where you live)

Yeah , I was just wondering what they can eat in their varied diet

 

[Pearly]

Whatever Joe's Mum listed in her post is "good food" but none are good enough to make them exclusive. You want to have as wide of variety as possible. Think of say10 items from that list that you have easy access to and start with making those your base, on top of which you add few other things changing them, rotating all the time. I also like adding a bit of commercial tortoise diet pellets that i soak and mix in with the fresh chopped food. It is so much fun to watch those babies eat!!! Just love it!!!

 

[JoesMum]

You don't have to feed a variety within a day, or even a week if it can't be had. Variety over time is what is important. Feed what is seasonally available. Rocket and lettuce should always be served with other things as they contain less nutrients and fibre than the weeds. They should not be the main part of the diet.

That said, the wider the variety you can feed at any time, the less likely you are to have a picky eater that decides to go on hunger strike when a new plant comes into season and a favourite can't be had any more!