Finally some yummy weeds to feed the tortoises!

Good news! The tortoises that I hibernated are all awake, and are eating and active. I sure missed them while they were sleeping...

Mila, enjoying some good basking heat the day she woke up from hibernation

Now that the weather is warming up a little, I also have access to a whole plethora of weeds. As long as they are collected in an area where you know they have not been sprayed or fertilized, tortoise-safe weeds are exponentially more healthy (and much cheaper!) for a tortoise than any store bought food.

Jill, suspiciously eyeing her miner's lettuce. She did eat about half of the pile

I've found that especially 'picky eater' tortoises will almost always eat mixed weeds. They might not like all of them, but if you feed a wide variety, surely they will find something they like.

Here is what was on today's menu. Keep in mind that the weather is pretty mild here in SW Washington State... these might not grow in your area for a few more months. I harvested these in my own garden, as well as in my friend's very weed-overgrown un-sprayed yard. I didn't tell her that I tried to leave the roots in so I can harvest more in the future.... Shhhhhhh... 

Today's tortoise menu weeds (click on the pic to see a larger version)

If you are unsure of the identity of a plant, I recommend double checking with a local nursery or the botany department of a local college. There is a good plant database on The Tortoise Table that I like to use. You can either search for a plant by name (to find out if it is safe), or if you don't know the name, you can search by flower color, and often visually identify the plant. Make sure that the leaves, flower, and root match the description. And if unsure, always err on the safe side and don't feed it.

The same page also has a printable plant booklet that I have found helpful. It has a shorter list of good edible plants that you are likely to find in your garden or nearby field.

Timmy says "RAWR!" and the weeds were toast. 

In order for a tortoise to get the nutrients it needs, feeding a wide variety of plants is very important. Feeding all weeds is best (and cheapest), but I realize this isn't always practical or possible for every tortoise keeper. I end up having to buy food from November-January each year. I get collard greens, mustard greens, kale, endive, radicchio, spring mix, aloe, and opuntia cactus (called 'nopales' in Hispanic food stores), to name a few.

This handsome guy was one of my last year's foster tortoises for IRR.
He refused to eat until I was able to offer him weeds. He thrived like crazy from this point on.

To help ensure the tortoises receive the necessary nutrients, I sprinkle the washed leaves with TNT powder from Carolina Pet Supply. I also provide each enclosure with several cuttlefish bones for calcium. The tortoises help themselves to this, as needed. In addition, I sprinkle some calcium on the leaves for the baby tortoises a few times per week, as they need more than the adults.

This is a pic I took of little Buttercup last year, chowing down on some
cuttlefish bone just a month after I got her.

'Shot' lettuce = yummy treat for tortoises!

The tortoises got to eat a special treat today: my friend gave me a big bag of lettuce that had gone to seed in her garden, and therefore was too bitter for humans to eat. 

Freshly bathed, and chowing down!

 The tortoises seemed to think this stuff was candy. The scarfed it down like there was no tomorrow!

Look how 'domey' little Jill is getting. She is shiny from her bath.

Even little Jill, who is the smallest of the Russian torts, ate a sizeable portion, and then looked up at me, seemingly asking for more. I think she is actually going to end up growing to be a very large Russian tortoise. Just look at how tall her shell has gotten - now she just needs to catch up in length, too! I am keeping her separate from the other Russian tortoises for the cold season, because she got picked on too much last year, and I don't want to let that happen again.

Buttercup enjoyed a few leaves, too, along with a small aloe leaf.

Buttercup, our marginated tortoise, is growing beautifully, as well. She weighed in at 72g the other day, and her new growth continues to be healthy and smooth.

Breakfast time.... and they are all still a little grumpy.

The outdoor enclosure of my Russian tortoises is planted with a variety of weeds and other edible plants... but at this point in the year, a lot of the weeds have been grazed away. I end up having to collect food in our yard and my friends' yards every few days.

'We're not ready to eat yet. It's still too early'

Today when I fed the tortoises, the Russian torts all came over to the food pile, and then promptly all sat down facing away from each other. I quickly took a picture - they have gotten so used to having all the space of the tortoise garden that I think they were a little grumpy about the sudden proximity to each other!

Hibiscus season!

All my tortoises love hibiscus flowers. Knowing this, I have planted 3 different varieties: a blueish purple 'Rose of Sharon', a perennial hibiscus (which dies back in the Fall, and comes back larger every Spring), and a hot pink bush variety, of which I forget the name.

Jill, going to town on some hibiscus blooms

The first blooms show up in mid July, and I usually get new ones through October. Tortoises can eat the leaves, as well as the flowers. I pick new ones every day and mix them into the greens. They are so nutritious!

If you end up with too many flowers, you can place them on a piece of paper and sun dry them. Then place them in a plastic bag, and crumble them over your tortoise's food in the Winter! With all the tortoises I have, I never end up having any left over...

Give me more!

I will write a post about healthy tortoise diet soon, since I have been receiving a lot of questions about what to feed.

My Russian tortoises get fed exclusively dark leafy greens, with the exception of flowers. I supplement with cuttlefish bone for a little extra calcium, and I sprinkle TNT powder on their food during the Winter. During the Summer I feel that they are getting enough of a variety in their food that it isn't necessary to add the TNT, especially since so much of their food comes from grazing in their outdoor enclosure, which is planted with a wide variety of weeds and tortoise-edible plants.

Nom nom nom

My front garden gets a lot of compliments, and I just love it when people walk by our house and stop to smell some flowers, or even to take a picture with their cell phones. My dirty secret is that a lot of what I grow in our garden is meant to be tortoise food. If it happens to look pretty, that is just an added bonus! :) I also intersperse edible plants such as cherry tomatoes, rhubarb, zucchini, squash etc. in my flowerbeds - we love eating the fresh veggies, and it looks nice.

Cuteness alert!

Daylilies are a healthy treat for tortoises... and since they are one of my favorite flowers, I have a lot of them in my garden. I love that Buttercup, our little Marginated baby, is smaller than even the smallest of the daylily blooms. I know she will end up much bigger than the flowers, as well as all my other tortoises... so I took some pictures of her eating a flower!

Buttercup taking a chomp out of a daylily

New tortoise cozy design: The Cheeseburger Tortoise!!!

I'm excited to show you all my newest tortoise cozy design: 

...my foods... it  keeps walking off of my plate!

I am not quite sure what to call it... is it a Tortburger? A Cheesetortoise? A Burgertortoise? A Cheeseburger Tortoise? Any suggestions?

Whatever it is called, I think it is pretty darn funny...

As always, the tortoise cozies are intended as a 'for fun' item, and do not replace a heat source. Tortoise cozies should never be used near a heat source, and should only be on a tortoise that is well-supervised. This Tortoise Cheeseburger is NOT intended for being eaten. 

Sunshine and weeds = tortoise heaven

We have enjoyed a few gorgeous days here in the Pacific Northwest... and so the tortoises have gotten to spend a lot of time outside!

Boo seems to really enjoy the outside enclosure I built him.

I seeded his enclosure with The Tortoise Lady's seed mix, and I am so happy to see how well everything is growing in, now. I also transplanted a variety of tortoise-safe plants, and in spite of Boo grazing on them, there is still plenty left over.

Gotta love that little frowny face!

While I miss watching the tortoises inside, I know that good old 'real' UVB is so important for them, and I know they love having the extra space to roam.

We're busy, but all is well in our little tortoise herd!

It has been a while since I had time to post... we've been busy! (I've been crocheting tortoise cozies instead of taking pics of the tortoises...) Our Russian tortoises as well as our Greek tortoises are doing well. In the picture below, they are freshly bathed, so they look all shiny... 

Feeding frenzy in the tort fort

I am working on converting an oak bookshelf into an enclosure for Lady, by the way. I plan to post instructions with pictures. :)

Variety, variety, variety!

When you ask a tortoise expert what to feed your tortoise, the first thing you will be told: VARIETY! There is no ONE plant that is perfect for tortoises. In the wild, they graze, and they get all the nutrients they need by eating a wide variety of foods.

Shelton, our foster tortoise, refuses to eat store-bought foods. He won't even touch romaine, which is normally a treat for my other tortoises! Weeds, on the other hand, he will tear into like there is no tomorrow. He ate the entire pile you see below.

Shelton chowing down - no more hunger strike!
On today's menu: dead nettle, miner's lettuce, dandelion flowers and leaves, thistle,
and broad-leaf plantain.
 .

Different tortoises prefer different plants - even within a species. Some of my Russians are little piggies that will eat anything, others are very picky. I try to offer a wide variety, so that everyone will eat and thrive.

Timmy enjoying some strawberry leaves, sedum, raspberry leaves, and violet leaves and flowers

As the seasons change, different plants grow in my garden, in my friends' gardens, and near our home. Of course I make sure none of the plants I harvest have been sprayed or are too close to roads. I enjoy collecting food for my tortoises - it is part of my weekly routine. Except for December and January, I don't purchase food for my torts.

Boo enjoying some sedum, violet, and strawberry leaves

I know that for new tortoise owners, the prospect of memorizing edible plants might feel daunting. I recommend printing off this (good but incomplete) list of edible plants HERE. There is also a good list HERE. Maybe you can memorize just one or two at a time. It is best to err on the side of safety, never feed your tortoise something you aren't sure about.

IMPORTANT: please make sure the plants have not been treated with chemicals. 

Russian Tortoise Feeding Frenzy!!!

All the sunshine of the last few days has brought forth a wonderful new crop of fresh weeds for my tortoises! 

They are going absolutely NUTS over the dandelions and miner's lettuce I harvested for them yesterday. 

Russian tortoise feeding frenzy!

I think it is safe to say that the 'bought food' season is finally over - growing/collecting healthy leafy greens is more work, but also SO much healthier for my little tortoises! 

Bold little Boo!

Today Boo, our little Antakyan Greek tortoise, surprised me - I was picking up some old wilted leaves from his feeding rock, and instead of pulling into his shell and waiting for me to finish, he walked over to my hand, climbed up onto it, and gave my thumb a hearty bite and tug. I was so delighted, I was even able to suppress the yelp of pain!

No really. I promise there is a tortoise in there. 

Boo is starting to eat like a little piggy - finally! He doesn't seem to like a big pile of food, so instead, I lean a few weeds or leaves up against a rock in his tort table several times throughout the day. He is finally putting on some REAL weight now, too - out of curiosity I weighed him yesterday, and he came in at 476g, which is 25g more than he was last time.

Such greedy little tortoises!

Russian tortoises are such little vultures when it comes to food! A few days ago, I treated the torts to some endive lettuce, and they just went WILD over it. In the course of being eaten, the lettuce wandered from the feeding rock through the water dish over to the basking area. My little male Roz was being such a little piggy that I ended up making a separate pile of food for him... hence he is not in these pics. 

In captivity, tortoises often get overgrown beaks because the food they are fed is too tender to wear the beak down. For this reason, I try to mostly feed weeds and leaves from my garden, and to include plenty of tougher plants that require more biting and chewing. A lot of the really 'soft' leafy greens are not as high in nutrients as others, so I only feed these as part of the varied dark leafy greens I offer.

The two young females are so funny.  Even when I give them their own pile(s) of food, they always want to eat off of the food the others are eating... preferably while climbing up and over each other.

Mila finally wandered off and hit the jackpot with her own pile of lettuce. She quietly munched away at it until NOTHING was left.

Good little vultures! Eat all your food, grow big and strong... and lay eggs for me this year, please!

Boo is eating!

We have had Boo the Greek tortoise for 3.5 months now. He is still very shy, and often pulls his head inside his shell when someone walks near his tort table... but he is feeling comfortable enough that I was able to get a few good pics of him eating! 

Nom! Good little Greek tortoise!

 Getting Boo to eat has been tricky. His old owner only fed him Romaine, and he has been extremely picky about what he will eat. He won't eat anything even slightly wilted, and he won't eat the stems. He won't eat it if it's lying on the ground, but leaning up against a rock is fine. What this boils down to is giving him small portions several times a day, leaned up against the rock.

Boo the Greek tortoise chowing down on some endive

In December and January I end up having to buy greens for the tortoises... the rest of the year I collect and grow my own. Endive, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, and Spring mix lettuce have been on the menu. Dandelion is starting to sprout now, so in about a week I should be able to get a good harvest every few days. I'm looking forward to having free and healthier tort food again!  

Boo hasn't gained any weight in the last 4 weeks, but I do see him eating more, and he continues to be very active. I hope he will have a growth spurt once the weather warms up a little! For an 8-year-old Greek tortoise, he is VERY shrimpy!

Boo the Greek tortoise update

My little Antakyan Greek tortoise is doing so well. He is VERY active in his new tortoise table: he RUNS all over the place, climbs all over his pumpkin and his rocks, walks through his water dish, basks for a while, then runs and clonks all over again.
It is amazing what a nice big habitat, proper UVB light, and good heat and food will do for a previously lethargic, scared tortoise.

Boo is still kind of shy

He is becoming less of a picky eater, as well. His old owner fed him mostly romaine lettuce, so for several months, Boo refused to eat anything else. My stubbornness finally won out - I gave him NO more romaine, and for a while he wouldn't touch the other, more healthy, leafy greens I offered. I just kept removing the untouched greens, and replacing them with new ones each day. Then a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he had eaten most of his meal! He still has a smaller appetite than my Russian tortoises, but then again, those four are little piggies.

Boo loves being in the water

Boo's colors really come out when he's in the water soaking, which is why so many pictures that I take are of him soaking in the water. He has access to a water dish in his tortoise table, and I soak him in his big tub 1-2 times per week.

Boo = NOT an aquatic species. 

Greek tortoises are desert and steppe dwellers - they like heat, and they eat a high fiber diet of different greens and weeds. Counter to what many people believe, however, they DO need access to water in their enclosure, and they DO need to be soaked regularly to stay hydrated.

Mila and Jill update

Mila and Jill have been with me for 2 weeks now, and have adjusted well. They are so healthy, active, and fun to watch! Getting to 'just enjoy' a pair of new tortoises rather than fretting over their health, performing first aid, etc. is a nice change from bringing home the 'rescue variety' tortoises. 

Jill basking on top of Mila

Why bask on a rock when you have a tortoise-friend to bask on?! Their previous owner commented that she does not want to separate them because they are 'shell-mates.' I wouldn't go that far, BUT I can't deny that these two seem to like each other. They do everything together. 

Freshly misted. I love how bright Jill's shell is!

I mist my tortoises once a day, to help keep their shells nice and healthy. Although Russian tortoises are 'desert' or 'steppe' dwellers, they do actually need moisture to stay healthy. I soak my healthy adult tortoises at least once a week, usually more frequently. Sick Russian tortoises usually need to be soaked more often. When I have hatchlings (*hopefully!*) they will need to be soaked twice daily!

Both torts basking... again. 

Can you tell that these two tortoises love to bask? The basking spot is 100 degrees F. They move into the hot spot to warm up, then wander around their enclosure for a while, until they decide to warm up again.

Christmas week's tortoise food from the local produce store. 

I normally either collect or grow my own tortoise food, but I knew that Christmas week would be very busy, so I bought cactus pad, endive lettuce, collard greens, and kohlrabi (the torts only got the leaves of that, we ate the rest).  In addition to offering a wide variety of foods, I sprinkle TNT over my tortoises' food to make sure they get all the necessary nutrients and trace elements. 

Red leaf lettuce is only an occasional treat in our tortoise household...

Mila and Jill look like hungry hungry hippos when they eat. They are so greedy, and so cute! In the above picture you can see them eating some red leaf lettuce - because it is 'soft' and has a lot of water, it is not recommended to feed it to them too often, but as an occasional treat, mixed in with collards and kale and dandelions, it is fine. 

Nom-nom-nom-nom!

It is especially funny to me when my tortoises end up eating the same leaf, and then look at each other all surprised when they meet in the middle, Lady-and-the-Tramp-style.