Russian tortoises should graze on an array of leafy greens, flowers and shrubs. Avoid food that contains chemicals like iceberg lettuce (which provides no nutrients) and grains high in protein as too much protein can damage their protective shells.
Reptiles require a deep layer of bedding such as reptile bark, cypress mulch, shredded aspen or clean soil; any dusty substrates could lead to respiratory issues in time.
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Vegetables
Russian tortoises are herbivorous animals in their natural environment, so when kept as pets they should be fed a diet that closely mirrors this in captivity. This means providing dark green leafy vegetables along with some fruits but no more than 10%. Avoid whole grains as these contain too much protein and starch.
Russian tortoises enjoy feeding on vegetables such as arugula, endive, kale, mustard greens, radicchio, and turnip greens; mix these leafy greens to provide variety and balance their diet. Additional options may include parsley sage dandelion leaves and timothy hay for variety and balance.
Foods to avoid include potatoes, rhubarb, sweet potato, bell peppers and zucchini due to their high sugar content which could cause liver damage or obesity in Russian tortoises. They should only be given as treats rarely but shouldn’t comprise more than 10% of their diet.
Fruits
Russian tortoises rarely encounter fruit in the wild; however, when given as treats on occasion they are capable of digesting it when offered in small doses and as rare treats. Berries, melons and tomatoes may be offered occasionally; high sugar-content fruits should be avoided entirely.
Tortoises should primarily consume vegetables and hay as part of their diet, with grocery store options including kale, chard, dandelion greens, turnip greens, endive spinach romaine lettuce spring mix being some examples. Timothy orchard grass and brome hays may also be suitable options.
A tortoise’s diet should include an assortment of flowers and leaves, such as dandelions, blackberry, strawberry, roses and nasturtium. It is important to avoid plants that grow in clusters as these contain chemicals that inhibit absorption of nutrition by tortoises – for instance rhubarb or foxglove are toxic!
Seeds
As a pet, the Russian tortoise should receive fresh vegetables, leafy greens and fruits regularly as an added boost of nutrition. When purchasing grocery store vegetables from grocery stores, always ensure they have been properly cleaned to remove chemicals or waxes before adding to its enclosure. Also ensure only safe outdoor plants are planted as eating toxic plants may lead to serious illness; some toxins have immediate symptoms while others build up over time and lead to longer-term effects in their bodies.
Garden and pet store food that are safe to feed include kale, collards, turnip greens, romaine lettuce, endive, radicchio and mustard greens; as well as oatmeal, Timothy Hay and Clovers for healthy options. If your pet is an herbivore you could offer some pansy, viola and livingstone daisy flowers as treats as well.
Russian tortoises may enjoy eating bananas, but should only receive them in small amounts as their high sugar content can harm them if fed too frequently. Grapes should only be provided to fruit eaters as treats in small doses.
Water
Russian tortoises are designed to eat all day in order to prepare for aestivation (summer hibernation that does not involve true hibernation), leading them to consume too much food while they prepare for hibernation in summertime. If a tortoise appears overweight in captivity, reduce their food intake until its weight begins decreasing again. If this becomes an issue when pulled back out from its shell, reduce how much food they are getting.
Russian tortoises tend to drink from shallow puddles that form after rainstorms in their natural habitat, so providing an accessible water dish that’s shallow but deep is an effective solution – but make sure that it gets cleaned frequently for maximum effectiveness!
Provide a hiding place and substrate such as sand, reptile carpet or timothy hay; avoid bark mulch pebbles or wood chips which hold in too much moisture and could potentially impale tortoises’ intestines. In general the tank humidity should not surpass 60% and babies/juveniles and adults should have access to one or two hides lined with moist moss for hiding places.
