Russian tortoises must be fed a diet rich in minerals and vitamins, along with foods they might find naturally in their environment.
Russian tortoises in the wild graze on grasses and weeds like dandelions and clover; you can replicate this experience for your pet by providing him with an assortment of hays, greens and plants in your garden or backyard.
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Grass Hays
Tortoises need grass hay as part of their daily diet, as it offers protein, energy, calcium and vitamins – essential nutrients that contribute to their well-being.
Grass hay can be made from various varieties of hay such as Timothy hay, alfalfa hay and orchard hay. Each type has unique nutritional values that can provide a well-balanced diet when fed alongside other food sources.
No matter which bedding material you select for your tortoise, regular changes should be made in order to avoid accumulations of waste in its environment and keep your tortoise safe. Newspaper, ground corn cobs, walnut shells or small rodent bedding should not be used as these substances rot quickly and will impair his digestive system and put his health at risk.
Greens
Tortoises in the wild typically rely on herbaceous and succulent vegetation such as grasses, weeds, flowers and leaves as food sources, in addition to fruits and vegetables for sustenance.
As a pet parent, you should provide your animal with a diet that closely reflects its natural state. Their meal should include plenty of fiber-rich food while being low in protein content and rich in vegetables.
Some owners choose to supplement their tortoise’s diet with commercial tortoise pellets. These supplements should make up no more than 25% of its overall diet.
However, these diets can contain too much protein and cause shell deformities in tortoises – something which is both painful and potentially lethal for them.
Mixed Salad
Mixed salad can provide your pet Russian tortoise with an abundance of foods rich in proteins, fiber and calcium. You can either purchase this food at local farmers markets or grow it yourself in your garden.
Tortoises require a diet rich in plant-based nutrients for proper functioning and to thrive, providing essential nutrition in an easily absorbable form. For maximum effectiveness and health benefits, feeding them a vegetarian-based diet may be best.
Make sure the plants you provide to your tortoise are safe to consume and do not contain any poisonous components, such as wild cherry, black cherry, trumpet flower, sweet pea, nightshade plants, lily of the valley cherry (Jersey cherry), English Ivy or Golden Seal plants – to name but a few of those potentially toxic species.
Calcium Dust
There are various ways of supplementing a tortoise’s diet with additional calcium, but one of the easiest and simplest approaches is dusting powder made from natural calcium carbonate – an easy and convenient way to ensure they get enough of this essential mineral!
Calcium supplements also help prevent deficiency diseases that could arise from not getting enough calcium, such as metabolic bone disease (M.B.D) and soft shell syndrome.
Your tortoise needs a balanced diet that contains calcium and vitamin D3, especially if they spend time outdoors as UVB rays from the sun can trigger vitamin D3 production in their bodies. Incorporating Vitamin D3 supplements may also benefit them – particularly important if spending time outside! UVB rays trigger its production.
Supplements
Russian tortoises are herbivores and should be fed a diet rich in leafy greens, vegetables and flowers such as collards, kale, escarole, turnip greens, turnip flowers, mustard greens spring mix chicory.
Tortoises should also receive a calcium supplement as part of their diet in order to ensure they receive enough of this mineral – without enough, your tortoise could develop metabolic bone disease and become unhealthy.
Tortoises will benefit from receiving high-quality grass pellets that contain fiber on one day each week to provide them with essential nutrition. To ensure they receive enough vitamins and minerals, an appointment should be scheduled at their veterinarian office to administer this regiment of feedings.
