russian tortise?

Question

i got one a few day's ago and the pet store said to refill the food when ever it's out but, but that's a lot it eat's n eats n eats so i was wondering how often to feed it....all they told me was it's under five and older the one

i've been feeding it baby mix spinnach

well everyone i've talked to tell's me diffrent things to do, so im just going to call the vet

Answer 1

Pet stores seldom give correct care information for the animals that they sell.
RT's are prone to overeating (which causes pyramiding of the shell and other health problems) and so they should be fed as much as they can eat in 20 minutes each day. If you'd rather you can instead feed as much as your tort can eat in 1 hr...every OTHER day.
Read everything that you can on this website...
http://www.russiantortoise.org/care_sheet.htm
It has the very best information on how to care for your russian tort. Make sure to check out the edible plant list and diet page...
http://www.russiantortoise.org/edible_plants.htm
http://www.russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm
If you have any questions the website that I gave you also has a great forum....
http://www.russiantortoise.org/forum.htm
Good luck !!!!

Answer 2

Surprisingly pet store people aren't the best source of information, at least about turtles. I got a russian tortoise less than a year ago and even though I have had many turtles over the years I had never had one of this bread so I didn't know much about it. Pretty much everything the guy from the pet store told me was wrong. The guy told me that russian tortoise's are nocturnal but over the months that I have had him I've found he has a stricter schedule than most people I know. He wakes up when the sun comes up and is off to sleep when the sun goes down. Last time I checked that's not the definition of nocturnal. As I did research on this bread after I got him I found plenty of the stuff the guy told me was wrong. He even told me that over the years my tortoise would grow so big that he would need an open yard to roam in which is completely wrong.

You really have to do the research yourself not just go by what pet store guys tell you.

When it comes to the food situation you really can't keep giving them food every time the bowl empties. He will continue to eat because tortoise's are "programmed" to eat food while they can get it.

Answer 3

OMG,DON"T feed it spinach! Didn't they give you a care sheet? Spinach can cause the tortoise to get kidney stones.Feed it spring mix or field greens salad mixes ( read the label to make sure there is no spinach),shredded carrots,sweet potatoes,apples,Cheerios,weeds and flowers from your yard ( if they haven't been sprayed with chemicals);dandelion ( all parts),chicory,pigweed,plantain.They also like clover,rose petals,nastursiums,hibiscus flowers,alfalfa pellets,broccoli,sweet corn..........Also make sure it has a full -spectrum light and a basking light,and an undertank heating pad in one corner of the tank.Add a shallow water dish and a cuttlebone (for birds) for the tortoise to nibble on.They do eats a lot! I was amazed at how much mine could eat! I always offered mine food every day for three days and then I would skip a day.

Answer 4

Spinach is too high in oxalates. You really needed to do your homework before bringing this guy home! They need a variety of salad items, they need large housing, a basking heat lamp, and a UVB source. Also water to soak, drink. Here is my fave care site:

http://www.russiantortoise.org/care_sheet.htm

Answer 5

I feed my tortoises everyday, or almost everyday. My Russians eat mainly collard greens, as well as turnip greens, mustard greens, and romaine lettuce, as well as a few other things. Also, I add calcium powder.