Need help with tort diet

[kmfernandez]

Hi my name is Kevin, and I live in El Paso, TX. I recently had purchased a leopard tort, and currently am feeding him grassland tortoise food, and some other mixture of different round pellets (some are different color and smell very good; another was bought from from exo-terra and say tortoise diet; and the other two are little brown pellets). I also add some calcium powder w/ D3, along with a mutivitamin powder sprinkled on. Lately after viewing this page for a couple of weeks, i have begun to question whether its a good diet or not. can some one please assist me in suggesting an ideal diet for me leopard tortoise.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Kevin:

I'm not a big fan of using the manufactured diets as the staple or main food. If the weather doesn't permit you to have the tortoise outside grazing on natural weeds and grasses, then I much prefer grocery store greens over the pelleted foods.

Here's a nice list of foods for your leopard tortoise:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...orts-DT-Marginated-Greeks-Russians-Sullys-etc

Bear in mind that baby tortoises usually won't eat dried grass (hay) until they get to be 3 or 4 years old. I have 2 baby leopard tortoises that I'm raising and I feed them a basic diet of Spring Mix or Santa Barbara Mix. These are packaged lettuces that you can find in the grocery store. Then, to this I'll add some things that I pick from the yard...clover, dichondra, dandelion greens, grape leaves...whatever I can find growing at this time of year. \

You put down a bed of the greens then put a few moistened pellets on top of that, sort of like using the pellets as a supplement.

Good luck with your baby. Can we see pictures?