There is a lot of misinformation about how to feed Russian tortoises in captivity. Some people claim you should only feed them a few times a week, whereas others say daily is necessary. This can be confusing.
Russian tortoises are natural grazers. They need food available at all times. Russian tortoises graze on broadleaf weeds, grasses, greens and other plants throughout the day. However, it’s important to create variety in a Russian tortoise diet.
In order to create variety, you will want to feed your Russian tortoise different tortoise-safe foods than what he’s already grazing. Offer greens, tortoise pellets and other weeds (including dried weeds) throughout the week. You can offer these foods a throughout the week to add variety.
Try to create a staple diet of natural grazing and offer pellets or other greens during the week. Different foods offer different nutritional values. Like your own diet, if you eat a pepperoni pizza for each meal, you’re missing a lot of vitamins and minerals in your diet.
Safe Russian Tortoise Diet
Russian tortoises require a high fiber diet. You may find that many of the grasses and weeds in your lawn are safe for your tortoise. And, if you’d rather plant a lawn just for your tortoise, try using a good pasture seed mix.
Weeds
- Chickweed
- Clovers
- Dandelion
- Deadnettle
- Lamb’s lettuce
- Mallow
- Milk thistle
- Nettle
- Plantain (narrow and broad leaf varieties)
- Sow thistle
Grass
- Bermuda grass
- Buffalo grass
- Fescue grass
- Kentucky blue grass
- Oat grass
- Timothy grass
- Wheat grass
Greens
- Arugula
- Endive
- Escarole
- Grape leaf
- Radicchio
