Let Ciwt introduce you to Elliot, a Russian tortoise. He lives in the rehab center her friend was in recently (luckily she has now been able to fly home!), and Ciwt and her friend both became quite fond of Elliot.
The answer to the headline question is: Elliot eats a Lot. He is a burrowing animal, and you can see him relaxing in his beloved burrow-type shelter away from the warm light. You can also see the size of his new meal of mostly leafy greens. It's one of his species' favorites so he comes right out to eat and, when full for now, goes right back into his burrow/shelter.
Ciwt and her friend feel lucky Elliot wasn't in hibernation when we were there. On average, Russian tortoises hibernate anywhere from 8 weeks to 5 months throughout the year. Some have been known to spend as much as 9 months a year in dormancy. Whenever Elliot does hibernate it must do him good; the average life span of Russian tortoises is 50 years, and Elliot is 80 according to the sign outside his cage!
Ciwt and her friend are also glad Elliot wasn't on the moon. It turns out that two Russian tortoises flew there in 1968, circled it, and returned safely to Earth on the Soviet Zond 5 mission. Accompanied by mealworms, plants and other lifeforms, they were the first Earth creatures to do that. Who knew?
Bye Bye, Elliot.
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