Hand feeding my tortoise.

[Camryn]

Many people on this forum suggest and talk about hand feeding their tortoise. I try every day with his favorite food: purple romaine lettuce and he just pulls right into his shell. I try many different angles and I approach him very slowly.. Most of the time he just stares at it in my hand, then I'll put it down in front of him and then he'll eat it. He is a funny tortoise. Any suggestions on how to approach him. I know its not important to but I would love to try it out

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I don't think it's worth stressing him out. Take a very long time frame if it's important to you. Spend the first two years just dumping the food in the same spot at the same time. Then reevaluate. Tortoises are all about patience & time.

My boxies will eat slugs off a spoon. I started that so the slugs would get eaten and not wander off after I'd spent so long gathering them. But I don't hand feed the tortoises.

 

[Flipper]

I'd first just get the tort to eat with you close by, then with you looking at him, then over weeks, months or yrs, whatever you're tort needs it'll eventually eat from your fingers

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

My russian loves eating out my hand, but I do think it just more natural for them to eat alone... and I usually just put the food in there, and check to see if he eats all of it (how fast he does too) your guy just might be a little shy

 

[Dizisdalife]

Hold it at ground level,or just above, far enough in front of him to not be threatening and let him come to you. Be patient. If you must drop the food stay where you are and let him come to you and eat it near you. Getting him to relax around you is the first step. I can feed my tortoise from my hand, or stir up his food while he is eating, but if someone else approaches he will stop immediately and check them out. He may go to them and smell them before he comes back to resume eating. Tortoises really are cautious critters.

 

[Tom]

Most sulcatas are a little on the shy side at first. Then somewhere around two and a half to three and a half they just sort of lose their fear and start getting bolder and bolder. This is a big generality and there are exceptions both ways. Another generality is that females tend to be less interested in interaction than males. Again, there are exceptions.

If this really matters to you, you can cut the tortoises food back for a few days. Just reduce the amount by half or so. Then wait until an afternoon after the food has been reduced a few days and try again. Hunger helps to overcome fear.

 

[Evy]

I have owner by sully for a year. Mazuri is the food t go for mine but depends of his mood. Patience is very important and also if you handle it often. London loves to be pet and then he let's me per his head and clean his eyes and mouth. But if I don't have him out for a day he get shy all over again. And then I start like new. But he is not hard to get along with



London my lovely Sulcata tortoise :0))