my elongated tortoise

Question
Hi !
A friend recently left me an elongated tortoise and i would like to know the diet and the enviroment i should be giving her.
For the moment she is in a temporary enclosure that is a little small, i use wood chops as bedding, she has a uvb light and a littler cave and well as a little pool.I feed her mainly cucumber, salad, cappucine  flowers from the garden and some fruits.
Is that a good diet and should she be getting some protein ?
I am going to make her a new and bigger enclosure what kind of plants could i add in there ?

Thank you !

Nathalie

Answer
Hi Nathalie,

What you have described so far sounds pretty good. Elongatas are omnivorous just as Redfoot tortoises are (the species I keep), so yes they do need some animal/insect protein in their diet. I don't know what the availability for feeder insects is like for you in Beijing but earthworms, large mealworms or silkworms are all suitable choices. In a pinch you can also offer a bit of moistened dry cat food. Try to find a high quality, grain free type if possible. Canned cat or dog  food is considered too fatty. Give an amount that she can finish in a couple minutes, around 2 or 3 worms or a small handful of dry cat food about once a week or 2 to 3 times a month.
Other then that their diet can consist mainly of a mix of greens, weeds, grasses with some vegetables and a smaller percentage of fruit. Variety is the key. Try to avoid offering greens that are all from the cabbage family which would include things like kale, collard and bok choy. An exclusive diet from this group (the Brassica family) can lead to thyroid problems over time. Just mix it up with things such as dandelion and escarole/chichory. You will need to lightly dust her food with a calcium/vitamin D3 supplement about once a week. You will find this in stores that sell reptile supplies. If that is not available then scrapping a cuttle bone (sold for pet birds) over her food can help provide the additional calcium she will need.

Elongatas like humidity and moisture and a place to soak which it seems she is getting. You need to avoid cedar wood chips as a bedding which can be a respiratory irritant. Cypress is a good choice and holds humidity well.  You didn't mention a heat source. She should have an ambient temperature of 75 to 80F and a basking area that is around 90 to 95. A heat lamp over one end of her enclosure should provide that temperature range. Elongatas are a bit unusual from most other tortoises in that they are not strictly diurnal (active during the day) but rather crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk). Some keepers report that theirs tend to avoid basking under bright lights  while others say theirs are fine with that. You can use a red heat lamp if yours seems to avoid the brightness.

I'm including some links that list toxic and non-toxic plants for tortoises. I would encourage you to try to verify the latin name when you are purchasing. The same common name can sometimes be used for different plants.

http://www.tortoise.org/general/edibplan.html

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/files/Edible%20Plant%20Collection_First%

http://www.thetortoisehouse.com/Edible04.htm