UK sulcata owner

Miscally

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Hi
Firstly thank you for all the information you have posted. As I'm in the UK I'm having some problems with names of weeds etc. I have just been given a one year old sulcata - a 40th anniversary present for my husband and I
Does anyone know of a good uk based list of weeds to feed?
I'm feeding dandelion, various grasses, buddlia and trefoil. There are loads of weeds in my garden but I'm not 100% sure what they all are Thank you for your time
 
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MangoKing

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Columbus, Ohio
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/

I am fairly positive the tortoise table is UK based. I know i have to look some plants up by latin names as the common names I know in the midwest US are different. I would also add dont be scared to post pictures here to get help in identifying any you cant your self. A lot of people tend to be good about helping.
 

Miscally

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Thank you. The tortoise table seems to cover European tortoises in the main and have food lists for them. Would those work ok - leaving out fruit and flowers?
 

Miscally

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Also, could I feed apple or plum tree leaves? I have loads of those. We also have some reeds are they suitable? Thank you
 

JoesMum

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Hello and welcome from Kent UK: The diet of Sulcatas is very similar to that of the smaller Testudo: Weedy and leafy greens. Apple, almond, cherry and plum leaves ... and their stones/pips... contain cyanide and must not be fed for obvious reasons.

Your tortoise cannot digest sugars properly - they cause digestive and kidney problems - so sweet foods like fruit, tomato, bell pepper and carrot should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.

You should start introducing grass to the diet by snipping a tiny amount up small with scissors and sprinkling it on wet food then gradually increasing the amount over time.

Write a list of the plants that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up online on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed.

If you can’t identify a plant then post a photo in our Plant ID forum and someone will help you.

Your Sulcata will grow rapidly into a 100lb+ (50kg+) bulldozer. They don’t stay small long and they cannot hibernate.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

How to raise a healthy Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

For those that have a young Sulcata (contains a food list)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

We are happy to look over photos of your enclosure and lighting to see if there are any improvements we recommend. We love pictures of tortoises anyway. :)
 

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