Russian tortoises are herbivores in the wild, necessitating an diet rich in leafy greens and hay for grazing purposes.
Leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens and dandelion greens should make up the mainstay of your pet’s diet; other vegetables can occasionally be included for treats.
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Cucumbers
Cucumbers may provide tasty treats for sulcata tortoises, but should not be fed on an everyday basis as they contain 95% water and may lead to overhydration which could cause health issues for them. While they do contain vitamins A and C they do not supply enough nutrition as a primary food source for tortoises.
Cucumber leaves and skin provide your tortoise with multiple nutritional benefits while being low in calories. If they are having difficulty eating these treats, consider quartering or grating them so it becomes easier for them to consume.
Your tortoise must receive all of its required nutrients through a healthy diet of vegetables and fruits. Examples include kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, collard greens, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes squash bell peppers tomatoes. Edible weeds and flowers such as dandelion coreopsis hibiscus hosta pansy mulberry (leaves not fruit) vetches etc are also excellent additions to their daily menu.
Vegetables
Russian tortoises found in the wild typically feed on grasses, weeds and flowers; accordingly, pet tortoises should receive a diet similar to their wild counterparts. Be wary of foods high in sugars or carbohydrates which could result in bloat, obesity and parasite blooms.
A healthy tortoise diet should include a variety of leafy green vegetables such as endive, escarole, romaine lettuce, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens collards and radicchio. You can either grow these items at home or purchase them from grocery stores.
A variety of vegetables is important because certain veggies contain anti-nutrients which impede tortoises from absorbing certain minerals and proteins, including oxalic acid, phytic acid and purines. If possible, feeding fresh pesticide-free food would be ideal; otherwise use a combination calcium-D3 product several times weekly as an alternative solution.
Fruits
Many foods can impede your tortoise’s ability to absorb vital nutrients. Oxalic acid binds with calcium, phytic acid binds with minerals, goitrogens interfere with iodine absorption and tannins bind with protein and prevent digestion – but selecting an array of vegetables and fruits will minimize these side effects.
Offer your pet a variety of berries and fruits cut into bite-sized pieces to supply vitamins and antioxidants, such as cantaloupe or honeydew melons; apples can also provide important Vitamin C benefits!
Provide your tortoise with an assortment of foods to mimic its natural diet, such as grass (Common Bermuda, Timothy and Fescue), weeds and other grasses; clover; dandelion greens; arugula; endive; watercress; collards; radicchio; kale; turnip greens and opuntia cacti are great choices to add variety. Occasionally add Timothy or alfalfa hay to maintain this habit!
Hay
Pet Russian tortoises benefit from eating grasses, wildflowers and weeds to supplement their commercial food diet with essential nutrients not found elsewhere. A varied diet should be provided in order to prevent nutrient deficiencies; some plants such as azalea, rhododendrons and tulips as well as foxglove, parsley, kale or other leafy greens that contain oxalic acid can be poisonous if eaten in large quantities – these should all be avoided due to potential poisonous properties that block calcium absorption.
Hay is an ideal alternative to vegetables and can be easily found at grocery stores. Simply mix in a few spoonfuls with fresh non-chlorinated water. For tortoises living indoors without adequate UVB light sources, dust his food with calcium/vit D3 powder periodically – such as RepCal products which do not contain phosphate.
Water
Russian tortoises are herbivores in their wild environment and require dark leafy greens such as dandelion, collards, turnips, kale and mustard greens, which are low in oxalates for food sources. Hay and grasses like Timothy hay, oat hay Bermuda grazing grass or meadow grass provide additional sources of fiber while vegetables such as carrots squash bell peppers should make up no more than 10% of their diet.
Avocadoes contain persin, a toxin which can lead to respiratory issues and anemia in reptiles. Rhubarb leaves contain high concentrations of oxalates which should also be avoided for similar reasons. Tortoises should always be examined by a veterinarian experienced with reptile care upon being acquired as pets as well as annually thereafter for health checks that include stool sample analysis and deworming treatment.
