South-east Asian (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malay, Indo, etc) Diet

Via Infinito

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I want to have this thread to gather intel for asian plants diet as we seem to only have info on US-UK-European plants.

I am currently feeding these in a mix for my Sulcata, I cut them up every 3 days and store in a box in the fridge:
From garden:
- Axonopus compressus grass clippings (staple)
- Moringa oleifera (drumstick tree)
- Hibiscus leaves (staple)
-Some rose leaves (often)
- Ruellia simplex leaves (quite abundant here) (sometimes)
- Bougainvillea glabra leaves (paperflower) (staple)
- Nephrolepis cordifolia (ladder fern) (staple)

From fridge:
- Sauropus androgynus also called katuk ( vet doctor recommended) (staple)
- Asian watercress (once every two weeks)
- Mustard greens
- Brassica integrifolia also called (cai ngot), it has a sweet pleasant taste.
- a few Morning glory leaves
- Bok choy
- Salad greens (staple)
- Radicchio (rarely)


There are of course tiny sprouts of weeds in the garden that my tortoise plucked them out but I really can't find ways to identify them.
 

ascott

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I want to have this thread to gather intel for asian plants diet as we seem to only have info on US-UK-European plants.

I am currently feeding these in a mix for my Sulcata, I cut them up every 3 days and store in a box in the fridge:
From garden:
- Axonopus compressus grass clippings (staple)
- Moringa oleifera (drumstick tree)
- Hibiscus leaves (staple)
-Some rose leaves (often)
- Ruellia simplex leaves (quite abundant here) (sometimes)
- Bougainvillea glabra leaves (paperflower) (staple)
- Nephrolepis cordifolia (ladder fern) (staple)

From fridge:
- Sauropus androgynus also called katuk ( vet doctor recommended) (staple)
- Asian watercress (once every two weeks)
- Mustard greens
- Brassica integrifolia also called (cai ngot), it has a sweet pleasant taste.
- a few Morning glory leaves
- Bok choy
- Salad greens (staple)
- Radicchio (rarely)


There are of course tiny sprouts of weeds in the garden that my tortoise plucked them out but I really can't find ways to identify them.


So, are you wanting others in your area to add to this thread?
 

RosemaryDW

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@Via Infinito, regardless of what happens with this thread, your first post would be a great one to add to the “Tortoise Chef” thread that is pinned to the top of the diet section.

That thread describes what we are actively feeding out. I include my experiences feeding Asian and Indian foods when I can find them but we could certainly use more info. If you are willing, would you copy it into that thread?
 

Via Infinito

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Viet Nam
@Via Infinito, regardless of what happens with this thread, your first post would be a great one to add to the “Tortoise Chef” thread that is pinned to the top of the diet section.

That thread describes what we are actively feeding out. I include my experiences feeding Asian and Indian foods when I can find them but we could certainly use more info. If you are willing, would you copy it into that thread?
yes sure!
 

Via Infinito

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Viet Nam
So, are you wanting others in your area to add to this thread?

yes please!
or just from those countries from the south-east asia region.
There are so many plants and weeds here where we don't have info on them regarding feeding to tortoises.
 

Hugo's Home

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Nice list! Aren't morning glorys toxic though? And how does your tort like the moringa? I've always wondered about feeding that..
 

RosemaryDW

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@Via Infinito, do you have access to Malabar spinach? I’m not sure of all the names, even in North America it has many, but here are some of the ones I found: Ceylon spinach, Vietnamese spinach (English); Saan Choy, Shan Tsoi, Luo Kai, Shu Chieh, Lo Kwai (Chinese); Tsuru Murasa Kai (Japanese); Mong Toi (Vietnamese); Paag-Prung (Thai); Genjerot, Jingga, Gendola (Indonesian).

It’s high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium. Somewhat high in vegetable protein. There is goo in the stems that has lots of fiber, sounds a bit like what is found in cactus here.

I also recently found here long bean leaves, which are said to be a native food for star tortoises. Lots of good stuff in there but the calcium/phosphorus rate isn’t the best. Good in moderation, I would think.
 

Via Infinito

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@Via Infinito, do you have access to Malabar spinach? I’m not sure of all the names, even in North America it has many, but here are some of the ones I found: Ceylon spinach, Vietnamese spinach (English); Saan Choy, Shan Tsoi, Luo Kai, Shu Chieh, Lo Kwai (Chinese); Tsuru Murasa Kai (Japanese); Mong Toi (Vietnamese); Paag-Prung (Thai); Genjerot, Jingga, Gendola (Indonesian).

It’s high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium. Somewhat high in vegetable protein. There is goo in the stems that has lots of fiber, sounds a bit like what is found in cactus here.

I also recently found here long bean leaves, which are said to be a native food for star tortoises. Lots of good stuff in there but the calcium/phosphorus rate isn’t the best. Good in moderation, I would think.
Oh yes, that is plentiful here! Is it a good staple? I can add that in!
 

Kapidolo Farms

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@Via Infinito, do you have access to Malabar spinach? I’m not sure of all the names, even in North America it has many, but here are some of the ones I found: Ceylon spinach, Vietnamese spinach (English); Saan Choy, Shan Tsoi, Luo Kai, Shu Chieh, Lo Kwai (Chinese); Tsuru Murasa Kai (Japanese); Mong Toi (Vietnamese); Paag-Prung (Thai); Genjerot, Jingga, Gendola (Indonesian).

It’s high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium. Somewhat high in vegetable protein. There is goo in the stems that has lots of fiber, sounds a bit like what is found in cactus here.

I also recently found here long bean leaves, which are said to be a native food for star tortoises. Lots of good stuff in there but the calcium/phosphorus rate isn’t the best. Good in moderation, I would think.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basella_alba
 

RosemaryDW

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@Via Infinito, I was looking over some more foods today and wonder if any of these are near you; all of them are in Southeast Asia somewhere. You’ll have to run them through Google Translate in different languages, most of them have multiple names:

Sour leaf (gongura): A hibiscus relative and supposedly a native food for Indian Star tortoises, fine to feed

Okra: another hibiscus relative, just the leaves, not the vegetable, fine to feed

Bittermelon: leaves and vines only, fine to feed

Water spinach, AKA river spinach, Chinese spinach, water morning glory, etc.: fine once a week or so

Pennywort, the most common name I find for it is gotu kola: fine on occasion. It has very thin stems, which makes it difficult for my small Russian to pick up but I don’t think a larger tortoise would have difficulty with it.

In case you are wondering, I live in an area with high Asian and Indian populations so these foods aren’t too hard to find in our weekly open stall market.
 

Via Infinito

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@Via Infinito, I was looking over some more foods today and wonder if any of these are near you; all of them are in Southeast Asia somewhere. You’ll have to run them through Google Translate in different languages, most of them have multiple names:

Sour leaf (gongura): A hibiscus relative and supposedly a native food for Indian Star tortoises, fine to feed

Okra: another hibiscus relative, just the leaves, not the vegetable, fine to feed

Bittermelon: leaves and vines only, fine to feed

Water spinach, AKA river spinach, Chinese spinach, water morning glory, etc.: fine once a week or so

Pennywort, the most common name I find for it is gotu kola: fine on occasion. It has very thin stems, which makes it difficult for my small Russian to pick up but I don’t think a larger tortoise would have difficulty with it.

In case you are wondering, I live in an area with high Asian and Indian populations so these foods aren’t too hard to find in our weekly open stall market.

we have all 5 of those :D
 

RosemaryDW

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@Via Infinito, I was looking over some foods I’ve seen/fed recently, I don’t know about distribution but I think every country will have some of these..

Because they have a different name in every region, I added the Latin names. In case someone wants to get some exact images for comparison.

Snake gourd, Trichosanthes cucumerina; leaves and vines, gourd on occasion

Sesame, Sesamum indicum

Luffa, luffa; leaves and vines, gourd on occasion

Methi, Trigonella foenum-graecum

Daikon/white radish, leaves only

Celtuce, Lactuca sativa var. augustana,

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea

Mulukhiyah, Corchorus olitorius

Chinese mallow, Malva verticillata
 

Via Infinito

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Joined
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Messages
115
Location (City and/or State)
Viet Nam
@Via Infinito, I was looking over some foods I’ve seen/fed recently, I don’t know about distribution but I think every country will have some of these..

Because they have a different name in every region, I added the Latin names. In case someone wants to get some exact images for comparison.

Snake gourd, Trichosanthes cucumerina; leaves and vines, gourd on occasion

Sesame, Sesamum indicum

Luffa, luffa; leaves and vines, gourd on occasion

Methi, Trigonella foenum-graecum

Daikon/white radish, leaves only

Celtuce, Lactuca sativa var. augustana,

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea

Mulukhiyah, Corchorus olitorius

Chinese mallow, Malva verticillata

Yes we have most of these as well
Are these fine to feed?
 

RosemaryDW

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All fine, always as part of a varied diet.

My Russian does not like sesame but I have read that other tortoises do.
 

cihuyMarihuy

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May 30, 2021
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Tangerang Selatan
I want to have this thread to gather intel for asian plants diet as we seem to only have info on US-UK-European plants.

I am currently feeding these in a mix for my Sulcata, I cut them up every 3 days and store in a box in the fridge:
From garden:
- Axonopus compressus grass clippings (staple)
- Moringa oleifera (drumstick tree)
- Hibiscus leaves (staple)
-Some rose leaves (often)
- Ruellia simplex leaves (quite abundant here) (sometimes)
- Bougainvillea glabra leaves (paperflower) (staple)
- Nephrolepis cordifolia (ladder fern) (staple)

From fridge:

- Sauropus androgynus also called katuk ( vet doctor recommended) (staple)
- Asian watercress (once every two weeks)
- Mustard greens
- Brassica integrifolia also called (cai ngot), it has a sweet pleasant taste.
- a few Morning glory leaves
- Bok choy
- Salad greens (staple)
- Radicchio (rarely)


There are of course tiny sprouts of weeds in the garden that my tortoise plucked them out but I really can't find ways to identify them.
hello there I lived in Indonesia, I had tried mustard green, Katuk, and bok choy. my baby sulcata didn't want to eat. I don't know why my tortoise loves eating kangkong so much. I made a trick when feeding by hand, making kangkong(ipomoea reptans) sandwich with katuk or grass/weeds
 
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