What should I feed my Russian tortoise?

Question

About three weeks ago I bought a Russian tortoise, and everbody tells you what sort of things to feed them, and to feed them as much as they can eat in 20 minutes. I was wondering what other people give theirs each day. He's really cool, and i want to keep him as healthy as possible!

Answer 1

lettuce is good for tortisies

Answer 2

I feed mine greens every day. Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, romaine lettuce. I also add various vegetables every other meal or so, such as yellow squash and carrots. Occasionally they get a slice of apple or small piece of canteloupe as a treat. Calcium powder is important. I also keep a pile of Timothy hay in their enclosure for fiber.

Answer 3

Russian Tortoises are grazers and enjoy broad leaf plants. The best diet is a variety of weeds (leaves and flowers). Dandelion is a favorite.

see care sheet below.

Answer 4

iceman is extreamly wrong, if tortoises eat meat it causes overweightness and deformities, you want a low protein high fiber diet.

Feed him whatever is in the backyard, because that would be the closest to his food in his enviroment, ( no mushrooms)

I.E dandelions, dandelion leaf, buttercups, hibuscus flowers, cherry tomatoes, - don't just feed him whats in the back yard, give him a treat sometimes, like fruit, only 1 every 3 weeks.

Answer 5

bananas, ripe cucumber, jelly fish, fish food (prawn based) and preferably protein rich food like shrimp, ground beef and if it eats dead animals like rats, frogs(non-poisonous ones) dont hesitate to do so....but in general they prefer SOFT food. So I'd go with bananas for starters, then maybe some water melons and try out the ones mentioned above. And even dog food soaked in water is a good source for protein. Protein=Mass=weight=Size

Answer 6

Dandelion (Taraxacum officianale)

Hawkbits (Leontodon spp.)

Sowthistles (Sonchus spp.)

Hawkweeds (Pictis spp.)

Hawkbeards (Crepis spp.)

Plantains (Plantago spp.)

Clovers (Trifolium spp.)

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) [preferred by T. hermanni]

Cat's ears (Hypochoeris spp.)

Vetches (Vicina spp.)

Trefoils (Lotus spp.)

Mallows (Malva spp.)

Bindweeds (Calystegia spp.)

Sedums (Sedum spp.)

Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis)

Also (observed eaten by T. hermanni and T. marginata in Greece):

Robinia (pseudo-acacia) leaves

Wild clematis

Acanthus

Nettles

this is a basic wild food list which is what they would eat in the wild it is best to stick to a weed fodder diet as it is better for you tortoise, you can feed some lettuce, cucumber, collards, greens, they also enjoy a monthly treat of a fruit salad (apple, melon, grapes, pear,strawberries and blackberries) but only as a treat, avoid any cat or dog food you could kill your tortoise if you feed this and make sure you feed a good calcium supplement as well  http://www.tortoisetrust.org/ here is a site that has lots of up to date articles and tortoise keeping and their care, you might find it interesting, best of luck with the tortoise honey.