Speedy's Diet?

[The Speedmister]

Hi,

Currently, I feed my 4 yr old Russian, Speedy, 5 times a week. This is because he does not hibernate, and, if he eats every day, he would be consuming much more than he would in the wild, in an overall year. This can lead to a deformed shell and shortened life.

Anyway, on the days he eats, he has baby leaf salad, white chicory, Romaine lettuce, home-grown dandelion, occasionally cucumber and very rarely rose. He has some Reptavite supplement (VD, Calcium + . . .) lightly sprinkled on top, as well as a permanent option of a cuttlefish bone.

Does this sound like a good diet for my Speedy?

Thanks!

P.S - I would appreciate examples of what people feed their tortoises.

 

[Yvonne G]

One of the most important things you can do for Speedy is provide him with a large enough habitat that he can get exercise. Exercise is very important to keep the Russian from getting fat. What affects the shell is lack of sunshine, not too much food. Too much food makes the tortoise's body inside the shell grow obese. I'll try to find a picture of Fat Nat for you. She's my sister's obese Russian tortoise.

My Russians live outdoors year round. I box them up during the winter to hibernate, but I've occasionally had to over winter an ill one in the house. I always fed once a day even during the winter, and in 35 years of tortoise-keeping, I've never had a tortoise grow a deformed shell from eating too much during the winter.

On the other hand, I've taken in quite a few Russian tortoises that were kept indoors without the correct sun/UVB and they had deformed shells. Not from the food, but from no sunshine/UVB.

 

[ChiKat]

I have a 2-year old Russian tortoise and I feed him every day. He lives in a fairly large enclosure and gets plenty of exercise so obesity isn't a problem, like Yvonne said.
Here is more info on diet: http://www.russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm

I feed my Russian spring mix, turnip greens, escarole, curly endive, kale, mustard greens, etc. and during the summer he gets weeds such as dandelion, plantain, clover, garlic mustard, etc. I would give your tort a little more variety if you can! Especially more greens and weeds. Romaine and baby leaf lettuce isn't as nutritional, but still good as part of a varied diet.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Its my opinion that a growing tortoise like yours should not be limited with food as long as they have space to exercise and are fed a varied low calorie diet, similar to they would get in the wild. Once they are full grown, then start to monitor weight vs. SCL to maintain a healthy weight for their length. The diet sounds like a good start, but I would work to add more variety.

I feed spring mix about 55% (about 10 different greens over time with buying good brands and rotating them) and greens about 40% (dandelion, turnip, mustard, radish, watercress, collard, and any lettuces that aren't in spring mix or are in small amounts, such as a nice leafy endive which is my tort's favorite, or maybe microgreens). The last 5% is healthy treats like chemical free flowers, cactus pads, squash, pumpkin, and a bit of commercial food like Mazuri or Grassland. I only use pure calcium, no D3 and no vitamins, as my tort has UVB and gets a varied diet. From Carolina Pet Supply I get TNT, an all-natural supplement (ground up weeds--so you can't overdose the tort on it). I alternate days with calcium and TNT, which I think is appropriate for my tort's age. I'd just do the pure calcium unless you need the D3 (because of no access to sun or a UVB bulb)...but the ideal thing is to get the tort out in the sun or get a Mercury Vapor Bulb.

I am lucky to live in a place with lots of organic grocers, but everything I list I am able to find in the store...as much as I'd love to grow stuff, it hasn't worked. I do visit quite a few stores over time though. If I'm in the neighborhood of somewhere I know has a different place to shop, I'll visit. If you can grow weeds and greens and create an outdoor enclosure, that is how your tort will really thrive. With outdoor grazing, that is the closest to wild as you get.

Remember that variety is over time--I'll feed all that over the course of a few months. I think there is no such thing as a staple food. I see no reason to not feed a tort daily--I sure wouldn't like to look at the lonely look on my tort's face when I tell him its a no food day! I don't think that letting a tort eat as much as it wants, daily, will cause deformities, as long as they have a large enclosure and a similar diet to the wild. Sure, they will grow a good bit faster, but if you are seeing pyramiding, you have something else going on...lack of humidity, lack of exercise, or high protein...the only time I have heard of Russians being pyramided (not just a bit bumpy...which can be normal) is if they have been fed dog food and kept in a tiny enclosure.

There is a lot of misinformation out there unfortunately. Personally, I'd take the advice of a group of people online over one person's opinion at a pet store, but thats your call to make.

Overall, I think you are doing great...a few tweaks is all I'd recommend. Good luck!

 

[bellabrownn]

That is really very informative post but anyone here to tell me what kind of food I serve to my tortoise for diet.....