Favorite foods

[Polonius]

Hey! What are your torts favorite thing to munch on? My little Russian loves red romaine lettuce, that is the only thing he will let me feed him by hand that and the occasional strawberry

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

They are broadleaf weed eaters. Accordingly, I feed them lots of broadleaf weeds, some succulents, and occasional flowers of a variety of non-toxic plants.

Lettuce is lacking in fiber and not great in the nutrient department either. Fruit is actually bad for them as it wreaks havoc with the gut flora and fauna. A little bit might not kill them, but its not good for them either.

 

[destortoise]

You should try succulents (like opuntia cactus). They love it and it is great for them!

 

[dmmj]

my love grape....... Leaves they eat them by the bucket fullsoh yes and tortoise crack also known as hibiscus flowers.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't allow my tortoises to get hooked on a favorite. They eat what I feed them, no matter what it is.

 

[TerrapinStation]

Our redfoot loves pretty much everything...... but he gets real excited for banana, mango,papaya or kiwi.

His staples are kale (red and green) collards, mustard greens, grated squash (all varieties, whatever is on sale) pumpkin, melon, grapes, and berries.

Just make sure whatever you are feeding is appropriate and healthy, then keep it diverse so they do not get stubborn/spoiled.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Mine loves violet flowers and leaves passionately. -They may be her very favorite. She remembers where I plant them and goes looking for them. She also really likes hollyhock and hibiscus flowers and leaves. This year I learned the depth of her love for squash and pumpkin vines. I didn't provide enough protection for my pumpkins. She was so much larger this year and she ate my whole pumpkin patch We just laughed and said "bon appetite" to the happy tortoise.

 

[W Shaw]

Mine is obsessed with radicchio. He doesn't like the stuff everyone else's Russians love - hibiscus, cactus, and Mazuri. He doesn't get TOO mad at me if I wrap a little scrap of Mazuri in radicchio, as long as I don't do it for more than one or 2 bites. He prefers hand feeding over eating by himself, so my best bet for introducing new things is to hand feed it to him. If he's not willing to try it, there's no question. If it's mildly distasteful he bonks it with his nose and then lowers his head and waits for it to go away. If it's really offensive, he covers his face with his elbows and then slaps at it (or me) with one hand.

 

[W Shaw]

Our redfoot loves pretty much everything...... but he gets real excited for banana, mango,papaya or kiwi.

His staples are kale (red and green) collards, mustard greens, grated squash (all varieties, whatever is on sale) pumpkin, melon, grapes, and berries.

Just make sure whatever you are feeding is appropriate and healthy, then keep it diverse so they do not get stubborn/spoiled.

The herpetologist who cares for the tortoise at the university here warned me not to allow my little guy to eat kale because of the high oxalate content. Is this not an issue for redfoots? Mine's a Russian so his needs are different.

 

[Rutibegga]

Troggy loves radicchio and Mazuri. And any protein source (eggs, canned dog food). He's ok with other greens, especially spring mix, and gets really excited about fruit for a minute or two, but will move on pretty quickly. I've begun decreasing the mount of food I offer him so he is always hungry (he's not even 8 months and weighs over 200g, so I'm not really concerned he's going to waste away) in an attempt to broaden his culinary horizons.

 

[TerrapinStation]

The herpetologist who cares for the tortoise at the university here warned me not to allow my little guy to eat kale because of the high oxalate content. Is this not an issue for redfoots? Mine's a Russian so his needs are different.

Hmmmm I hope not. Will do more research now, thanks for the heads up....

 

[Lyn W]

Dandelions are my torts favourite when they are in season. Plantains, clover, grape leaves.
Everything I feed is coated with ground 'Readigrass' to add fibre as he will only eat grass if he can graze on it
and still won't touch any form of hay/grass if just left on his plate.
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk will help you see what is safe and good in moderation or toxic etc

 

[Tom]

The herpetologist who cares for the tortoise at the university here warned me not to allow my little guy to eat kale because of the high oxalate content. Is this not an issue for redfoots? Mine's a Russian so his needs are different.

What effect oxalates have or don't have in the various tortoise species is a matter of debate. There is just so much that is not known.

Feeding some kale once in a while should not be a problem for any species. Variety is key, and kale is a good way to add some variety. I have been feeding kale as a small part of a varied diet for all my species since the 80's.

 

[W Shaw]

What effect oxalates have or don't have in the various tortoise species is a matter of debate. There is just so much that is not known.

Feeding some kale once in a while should not be a problem for any species. Variety is key, and kale is a good way to add some variety. I have been feeding kale as a small part of a varied diet for all my species since the 80's.

Cool! Thanks! I was doing that when I got mine, but once the herpetologist said that. I stopped buying kale and mixed greens with kale. But Ronan used to really like it. I'll add a little back, now and then, now that I know it won't hurt him.

 

[destortoise]

As stated above, avoid getting into the habit of "latching" onto a veggie like kale. They are known to be high in oxalate content. Just keep things varied. Avoids pickiness A favorite green of Squash's is definitely turnip greens. A great Calcium to Phosphorous ratio and known to be low in oxalate content!