Eating habits

Cheryl Hills

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
2,334
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
my Russan tortoise, Rosie, loves to eat. I feed her every morning and again in the evening. Every time she hears or sees me now, she comes out, looking for food I think. I give her a big handful in the am and again in the pm. Should I feed her more when she comes out and looks at me? I don't want to overdue it. The handful is about the size of her!
 
M

Maggie Cummings

Guest
I do exactly the same thing...why do you think we are called the "food goddesses" by the tortoises?????
 

W Shaw

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
452
I'm still new to having a tortoise. Only have one little rescue, and only had him since October. He's a russian. I don't know how old he is, but he's about 5 inches long. When I got him, he was on the verge of starvation because his meals were being limited. I think if your tortoise eats it all, she's hungry. Mine gets a dessert sized plate piled high at breakfast, including some calorie dense stuff. I also hand feed him at breakfast if I'm around. When I get off work I remove any wilted leftovers (normally there isn't much left over), and replace it with another fresh plateful. If he's eaten most of that by bedtime, he gets another, smaller snack in case he gets hungry at night or gets up before I do. He has fresh food available at all times. I would not limit your tortoise's meals unless your vet says she's overweight. If she's hungry, feed her.
 

Cheryl Hills

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
2,334
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
Thanks, that is what I am doing. Just wanted to make sure. These are the first tortoises I have owned, ah housed. Don't feel as if we own them but are their caretakers. They are a part of my family anyway. Mother Nature owns them. They are so cute, l just love all of them. I want to make sure I do everything right.
 

W Shaw

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
452
Thanks, that is what I am doing. Just wanted to make sure. These are the first tortoises I have owned, ah housed. Don't feel as if we own them but are their caretakers. They are a part of my family anyway. Mother Nature owns them. They are so cute, l just love all of them. I want to make sure I do everything right.
Yep! I get it! I end up second guessing every move I make with mine!
 
M

Maggie Cummings

Guest
@W Shaw ...justa small bit of advice, don't feed him with your fingers. I realize he's just a little Russian right now, but he's going to get big enough to bite your' fingers and draw blood. Remember, they re used to pulling weeds out of the hard ground. That means when he thinks your fingers are food, he'll bite and not let go.
I had Sulcata and my best one bit my fingers thinking they were food because I always hand fed him. It took 7 stitches to close the wound. Big difference between Russian and 125 lb Sulcata....but at least think about it. Welcome....
 

Cowboy_Ken

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 18, 2011
Messages
17,560
Location (City and/or State)
Suburban-life in Salem, Oregon
Thanks, that is what I am doing. Just wanted to make sure. These are the first tortoises I have owned, ah housed. Don't feel as if we own them but are their caretakers. Mother Nature owns them. I want to make sure I do everything right.

As Maggie3Fan states, it’s best to not feed by hand due to potentially gittin’ yerself bit accidentally. This sadly, happened to one of my sisters while she was carin’ fer my torts whilst I recovered from an auto accident.
Unbeknownst to me my sis was not just feedin’ and waterin’ the sulcatas and others at the Tort Ranch I had one sulcata that liked to make his presence known to her, so she would hand feed ‘em. Well one day while doing so the end of her index finger was bitten by accident.
She went on home couple days later but this small, insignificant, “wound” became infected soon. As it seems to have happened, when she was bitten the beak of the tortoise was cleaned off in her finger. This vegetation was compostin’ in her finger. A good time was had by all.
My sisters outlook during this? She couldn’t understand why my tortoise would think to bite her while it was so obvious that she was caring for them. LOL!
 

Ernie Johnson

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2017
Messages
98
Location (City and/or State)
McKinney, Texas
These guys are programmed to eat, eat, and eat some more. In the wild they are only above ground 3-4 months of the year, so they need to consume enough to get them through the 8-9 months they're, mating, aestivating, or hibernating. They are very prone to obesity in captivity, so feed them 3-4 times a week and make 50% of their diet weeds.
 
Top