Russian Tortoise diet?

Question

I have a Russian tortoise. From the research that I have done I know that he needs a great variety in his diet and as little store bought vegetables as possible. However I try to get him to eat many things but he'll just eat romaine lettuce. He eats around everything else. If i give him other stuff and no romaine, he won't eat at all

Answer 1

I've gone through this exact same problem before. What I did was buy a small food processor for ten bucks at Wal-Mart. I used it to chop up and mix various vegetables, including the romaine, as well as adding vitamins. The tortoise would smell the romaine and eat, eating up everything else in the process since it was all chopped up and it couldn't pick out the romaine. Eventually, my tortoises learned to eat any veggies I offered them, without having to chop it up. Good luck!

Answer 2

I've had my tort for a little under a year. I generally feed him two kinds of food. Green leaf lettuce and collard greens one week, red leaf lettuce and turnip greens the next, romaine and kale another. And I give him both each time, because they are foragers and like variety. Pretty basic. As for how much, he just has a small kidney shaped bowl and I fill it enough to cover the bottom and show over the edge. Make sure you cut or tear the leaves to about the size of the tort's head. Although it is entertaining to watch them eat a leaf three times the size of their head, it's easier for them if you cut it first. Also, don't be surprised if it doesn't eat the first day or two, mine had some serious anxiety the first couple days. But after the adjustment period hes been happy all the time.

Answer 3

Yes, I have also used a food processor to chop everything up really small and mixed together. Works great for lots of reptile species that eat salads.

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