fruit

[flyingsqueak]

So how bad is fruit realistically?

I had to move my russian to a different apartment for a little while (spraying for bugs at home). This other place is much louder and brighter than what he's used to, so he hasn't eaten for a few days--I know, nothing to panic over, but it's still not good!

So, I know that they tend to love apple even though it's bad for them. I wanted to entice Orrin to eat his good greens. So I tested to see how much he likes apple. I gave him a tiny piece (1/4 in by 1/8 in). He ate it out of my hand! Orrin never even eats in front of people let alone out of my hand! So in order to get him to eat his healthy greens I tore up a tiny piece of apple into little bits and mixed it into his pile of greens dandelion and "sweet baby lettuce" (basically spring mix without spinach). It sounds like he's really going at it right now!!!

I don't want to go in and disturb his meal with my presence, so I don't know for sure. He could just be digging/trying to climb his flower pot hide, but it really sounds like he's eating

So how bad is adding a tiny bit of fruit once or twice a week? Specially if he's not eating without it.

 

[GBtortoises]

A little bit of fruit once in a while for a Russian tortoise is not "bad". But in large quantities, daily feedings or situations where a tortoise may be under stress feeding fruit is not beneficial. In the case of your tortoise being moved temporarily to new surroundings and not eating it's regular diet, fruit should not be used to entice it to eat. Tortoises often go off their feeding routine when placed in a new environment. As long as he was heatlhy,strong and active before the move you should have nothing to worry about if he doesn't eat for a few days. More important than eating in this situation is that he remain well hydrated. Any healthy tortoise will usually begin to eat like it's former self within a few days to a week of being placed in a new environment as long it's surroundings are not in constant change. Russian tortoises are among one of the species that is least adapted to consuming fruit. Their digestive systems are designed to consume and slowly process high fiber, often low nutrition diets. They process their foods very slowly. Fruit is high in sugar, usually high in acid content and with a tortoise that may not processing, digesting and expelling what it consumes on a normal schedule, the fruit that is consumed will sit in it's gut and ferment. This can lead to several digestive problems.