Feeding Russian Tortoise

[Tortoise Mommy]

Hello all!
I am a new Russian Tortoise owner (as of yesterday)
I need some help making a shopping list for food. I have read several online articles and know she needs plenty of leafy greens but I'm wondering if there is any particular type some of you may favor over others. We picked up a few things from our reptile store when we brought her home blast night but this was just to get her through the night and I'm going to get her fresh greens today so any help would be greatly appreciated! Are shredded carrots a good idea or no?
Also, we do not have very good options for "fresh" where I live so I'll be doing her shopping at a regular chain grocery store.
One last question, how do you all prepare your tortoise food? Should I leave it intact in bigger leaves, or should it be chopped or shredded?
Thanks in advance for your help!!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Since the tortoise is new to you, it's best to keep it from brumating this winter, but next winter your food problems will be solved by allowing the tortoise to brumate.

I use endive, escarole and radicchio as the base of my tortoises' diet, then I add whatever edible leaves and flowers, weeds, etc. I can find at the time of year. Usually there are a lot of edible weeds in the winter.

I tear the leaves apart or cut heads of romaine into 2" pieces , so I can mix it all up. Doesn't really matter if you leave it whole or if you cut it up. The tortoise takes a bite then pushes the piece of food away from his mouth, tearing it off so he can swallow it.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

Thank you!! Hopefully I can find the endive, escarole, and raddicchio.

 

[Yvonne G]

Thank you!! Hopefully I can find the endive, escarole, and raddicchio.

Here in CAlifornia it's a packaged salad called Santa Barbara Mix.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

Ok, thanks again. I'll look for that. I'm in Virginia.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome!

ReadyPac is the brand that sells the Santa Barbara mix.

I hope that you'll be able to find ways to incorporate other foods into his diet as you get more experienced with him. For now, if you are going to rely mostly on the grocery store you'll probably want to supplement with something like Mazuri, to be sure he's getting enough fiber and other nutrients.

Carrots are not a good idea on more than the rare occasion. They are high in sugars which our Russians can't digest properly. I give my Russian a chunk of something "orange" maybe once a month, some sweet potato, a bit of bell pepper, the top of a carrot, some squash or pumpkin. About one inch square. When fall is coming I feed these a little more often. Others feed these foods more often than I do but still not often/much.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

Thanks! We are planning to try growing our own food when the weather warms up here, but that will be at least March or April. Maybe sooner if we can work it out indoors. We've heard some good things about Testudo seed mix and may try that.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Super, the testudo mixes are very well done and I think the best way to plant for a single tortoise.

I'd also suggest growing some squash for the fiber in the leaves and stems; that's super easy.

If you get the heat and humidity for it, I also suggest okra. It's related to hibiscus and can be better suited for climates that can't support that plant year round. By feeding okra I mean the leaves and some of the flowers, not the okra vegetable itself. They can have a little of that now and again as well.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

Great!!! We always grow squash in our garden anyway during the season because it's a family favorite, so its good to know she can benefit from that as well! We can easily add okra when we do our garden.
Are there any indoor plants you recommend for the colder winter months?

 

[Cathie G]

Thanks! We are planning to try growing our own food when the weather warms up here, but that will be at least March or April. Maybe sooner if we can work it out indoors. We've heard some good things about Testudo seed mix and may try that.

Since you're in Virginia you should also still be able to find dandelion greens, plantain,clover etc...still growing. With a Russian you want to clean the fresh cut weeds really good. (Like you would for your salad and untreated with pesticides and weed killers) This is just my opinion but...I think the reason my Russian sniffs every blade of grass or weed that he eats is so he doesn't eat a bug or its poop. He is a vegan and very particular about what he eats. Chop it up the way Yvonne said with grocery store greens and mix it all together for a wonderful salad.

 

[Cathie G]

Super, the testudo mixes are very well done and I think the best way to plant for a single tortoise.

I'd also suggest growing some squash for the fiber in the leaves and stems; that's super easy.

If you get the heat and humidity for it, I also suggest okra. It's related to hibiscus and can be better suited for climates that can't support that plant year round. By feeding okra I mean the leaves and some of the flowers, not the okra vegetable itself. They can have a little of that now and again as well.

Super, the testudo mixes are very well done and I think the best way to plant for a single tortoise.

I'd also suggest growing some squash for the fiber in the leaves and stems; that's super easy.

If you get the heat and humidity for it, I also suggest okra. It's related to hibiscus and can be better suited for climates that can't support that plant year round. By feeding okra I mean the leaves and some of the flowers, not the okra vegetable itself. They can have a little of that now and again as well.

Oh me oh my. I love okra but have been afraid to feed it to my tortoise. Leaves and flowers are a different story.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Oh me oh my. I love okra but have been afraid to feed it to my tortoise. Leaves and flowers are a different story.

Okra is a mallow, so the leaves are good to feed on a regular basis. Plenty of fiber.

Okra the vegetable/fruit has some great things in it for tortoises, actually, it’s just not something to feed often. Mine gets several a year. She’d probably get more if I cared for okra whatsoever.

Seeds are potentially a problem, should your tortoise somehow try to inhale twenty of them at once. Mine doesn’t go after okra that way but I cut one into a few pieces before feeding, to be safe.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

This may be a weird question, but I'm new to this and want to make sure I'm doing it right! Do I include the stems from the greens like kale and mustard greens, or should I only feed her the leaf part?

 

[RosemaryDW]

Great!!! We always grow squash in our garden anyway during the season because it's a family favorite, so its good to know she can benefit from that as well! We can easily add okra when we do our garden.
Are there any indoor plants you recommend for the colder winter months?

Hmm, I’m in California so winter isn’t a “thing” here. How cold is cold there?

One can theoretically grow Chinese Maple (Abutilon) as a houseplant. It’s another mallow with flowers that closely resembles those of its hibiscus relative. We grow it (outside) in a shady spot and it is happiest in winter. Our tortoise likes it but you’d need some space to grow one large enough to provide regular food.

Turnip greens are quite easy and I would think do well there outside? Unless it freezes where you are. They are easy enough to grow inside as well. Lots of calcium. You can also grow some of the greens that go into salad mixes that aren’t actually lettuces: mizuna, mache, watercress. Or look for a packet of spicy salad/mesclun mix; I like what’s in this one: https://www.groworganic.com/pvfs-mesclun-spicy-mix.html.

You can keep cactus as a house plant—it’s a great food. But you need some space and time to get enough growth for regular feeding.

Indoor growing always seems to me like a great deal of work for limited output. All the space and light that is needed... My tortoise is terribly spoiled with fresh food, living where we do. But honestly, if it were me, I’d go as broad as I could at the grocery store and then look to supplement with something like Mazuri and some of the dried items available from TortoiseSupply or Carolina Pet Supply.

Our trusted member, Will, sells a number of great dried foods, including a variety pack: https://kapidolofarms.com/161-2/. Everything but the alfalfa would be great for your tortoise. I think he may be one of the few sources for dried cactus chips.

Next summer you can look into freezing and/or drying your own plants.

 

[RosemaryDW]

This may be a weird question, but I'm new to this and want to make sure I'm doing it right! Do I include the stems from the greens like kale and mustard greens, or should I only feed her the leaf part?

Feed everything. She may not eat the stems of everything but no reason not to feed it.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

Great thanks! Options were limited at the store tonight so we have mustard greens and kale with a couple of supplements from seller. However a friend told me about a whole foods store that specializes in organic and farm fresh in another town, so I'm going there tomorrow to see what they have.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

Hmm, I’m in California so winter isn’t a “thing” here. How cold is cold there?

One can theoretically grow Chinese Maple (Abutilon) as a houseplant. It’s another mallow with flowers that closely resembles those of its hibiscus relative. We grow it (outside) in a shady spot and it is happiest in winter. Our tortoise likes it but you’d need some space to grow one large enough to provide regular food.

Turnip greens are quite easy and I would think do well there outside? Unless it freezes where you are.


It definitely freezes here! Depending on how rough our winter gets it can get as low as single digit temperatures here, and sometimes can stay below freezing for days at a time. Outside growing just won't work this time year.
We are going to try something inside tho, maybe a few potted plants since we just have the one tortoise.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

It definitely freezes here! Depending on how rough our winter gets it can get as low as single digit temperatures here, and sometimes can stay below freezing for days at a time. Outside growing just won't work this time year.
We are going to try something inside tho, maybe a few potted plants since we just have the one tortoise.

 

[Tortoise Mommy]

Oh, and these are the two supplements we were given to "try out" so we just have the sample sizes until we see if this works for her. We were told to only do the flower one a couple of times a week. Anyone have any experience with either of these?

 

[RosemaryDW]

I wouldn’t feed the first to a Russian, as it has fruit in it. I think it’s for redfoot tortoises.

ZooMed is a reputable brand. You may have to moisten those at first and mix them into other foods; the smell can throw tortoises until they get used to them.

I don’t know as to how often to use a flower topper; I’d ask that question in the food specific forum. Title it Zoo Med Flower Topper, or actually start with a search for flower topper yourself. I’m sure it’s come up before.