Need an authoritative voice on Russian Tortoise diet

[darthsmozers]

Hello,

I am new to this forum, but I am hoping someone may be able to help.

My wife and I now own a russian tortoise, and want to feed him what he should be eating. However, the list of food from the pet store compared to whats listed in some books and websites are all in conflict with each other.

For example, the list from Pet shop recommends 80% of the diet be vegetables, mostly yellows and reds, and some greens, while 20% of the diet can be fruits. However, some books and websites suggest staying away from fruit completely due to the possibility of parasite blooms.

Some websites list Kale and Collard Greens as acceptable greens, but a book I read mentions Kale as a green that reduces the calcium in the body, and should be avoided.

It seems fairly unanimous to sprinkle some calcium dust on the food - is this right?

I'm sure there are owners out there who just try different things, but I'm looking for an authoritative voice on this matter. While I doubt the little guy may live the "up to" 50 years, I'd hope to keep him healthy and happy for more than just a few years...

Other notes: He is primarily indoors, as we live in an apartment. (After getting him settled in did we realize the benefits of providing ourdoor areas, but alas for now this will have to do.) He has a very large terrarium with a half-log to sleep in (or climb on as he wishes!), a basking area, a water dish, some rocks to climb over, some nice dry bedding, and areas to burrow. It just seems the diet is the one thing we're finding impossible to decide which source is legit. He is currently eating Collard Greens, Kale, and the occasional bit of Romaine Lettuce, all occasionally sprinkled with calcium dust.

Any help on the matter would be much appreciated

Thanks!


edited to remove name of pet shop by linda

[darthsmozers]

PS - I just noticed a funny typo in the title to say "Rortoise" not "Tortoise", but don't know how to change the thread title. Sorry!

PS again - just noticed the name of the pet shop was removed. Fine by me, but can someone explain why the name of the store cannot be used in a thread? Thanks!

[egyptiandan64]

Removing the name of the petshop is for legal purposes and they don't need the free advertising .
You really shouldn't feed any fruit to a Russian as it can adversely affect the gut flora. You should stick to weeds and store bought greens. Here are some good weed and plant threads, http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...ead.php?t=6243
http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...ad.php?t=30825
Kale shouldn't be fed everyday, but once every 2 weeks is fine. Some of the good greens you can find in grocery stores here are Romaine, red leaf and green leaf lettuces, curly endive, escarole, dandelion (which should be fed just once a week) and spring mix (make sure you remove the spinach)
Yes you do need to supplement with calcium at least 3 times a week.
Do you have a light that produces UVB?

Danny

[darthsmozers]

Originally Posted by egyptiandan64

Removing the name of the petshop is for legal purposes and they don't need the free advertising .
You really shouldn't feed any fruit to a Russian as it can adversely affect the gut flora. You should stick to weeds and store bought greens. Here are some good weed and plant threads, http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...ead.php?t=6243
http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...ad.php?t=30825
Kale shouldn't be fed everyday, but once every 2 weeks is fine. Some of the good greens you can find in grocery stores here are Romaine, red leaf and green leaf lettuces, curly endive, escarole, dandelion (which should be fed just once a week) and spring mix (make sure you remove the spinach)
Yes you do need to supplement with calcium at least 3 times a week.
Do you have a light that produces UVB?

Danny

Thanks for the reply, Danny!

I forgot to mention we're in the USA too, so your grocery list is great.

Related question - what is bad about spinach for a russian tortoise?

Another - what about the kale is bad for the little guy? Is it the reduction of the calcium that I read about?

Yes, we have a UVB lamp and an infrared one at night, though just like the diet I've heard mixed messages about lighting. I'll check at home to see what we have exactly (are brand names allowed to be posted here?)

[egyptiandan64]

Yes brand names are just fine

Spinach is high in oxalic acid (kale is medium and so are dandelions). Oxalic acid binds with calcium and forms calcium oxalates. This is the main cause of bladder stones in tortoises and people.

You don't need the infrared light at night as long as your house doesn't get below 60F at night.

How long are your lights on for?

Danny

[darthsmozers]

Originally Posted by egyptiandan64

Yes brand names are just fine

Spinach is high in oxalic acid (kale is medium and so are dandelions). Oxalic acid binds with calcium and forms calcium oxalates. This is the main cause of bladder stones in tortoises and people.

You don't need the infrared light at night as long as your house doesn't get below 60F at night.

How long are your lights on for?

Danny

We have both lamps on a dual timer. The daytime UVB light goes on at 6:15am (when we wake up) and switches to infrared at about 7:30pm. So roughly 13 hours UVB during the day/11 hours infrared at night. Both are pointed to the far corner of the terrarium, away from the half-log that he tends to sleep under. His routine seems to be he's ready for breakfast when the UVB switches on in the morning (today he was actually waiting by the food dish!), he eats, he basks in the corner for a little while, walks around, basks some more, then sleeps under the log until the next morning. Temp in the corner seems to be in the 80-90 (F) range, and near the log it seems to be in the low 70s (F).