Tortoises vs fruits
- Thread starter Renee2019
- Start date
There's no shortage of tortoise advice all over the internet, including (possibly especially) of FB, but as with all such advice, it should be balanced against other sources, and never taken as blanket advice for all species of tortoises.
Fruit is a perfectly acceptable part of my redfoot's diet, as well as a number of other species to a similar or lesser extent, but the best diet for a tortoise in your house is going to be a close replication of whatever their relatives in the wild eat.
One of the interesting points raised by this, and other, pieces on animal diet is the suggestion that occasional transgressions of a tortoise's dietary parameters is OK ... it probably is, but adhering to the proper diet is easy and even better, so why not do that?
I've been guilty of this myself, feeding my redfoot Darwin foods that I can likely (or even probably) get away with, like banana and avocado ... he can, and has eaten those foods without apparent adverse effects, but that's not a good enough reason to feed him those things when there are lots of great things to feed him.
TFO has fantastic caresheets for a number of tortoise and turtle species, including guides to feeding and food ... it makes sense to me (now) to feed my tortoise on a diet made up of a variety of foods, in a ration of greens to fruits and veggies to proteins that will benefit him to the greatest degree.
I could feed him other stuff, but to what end?
Just a thought based on a tangent suggested by the link the OP provided ....
Jamie
Fruit is a perfectly acceptable part of my redfoot's diet, as well as a number of other species to a similar or lesser extent, but the best diet for a tortoise in your house is going to be a close replication of whatever their relatives in the wild eat.
One of the interesting points raised by this, and other, pieces on animal diet is the suggestion that occasional transgressions of a tortoise's dietary parameters is OK ... it probably is, but adhering to the proper diet is easy and even better, so why not do that?
I've been guilty of this myself, feeding my redfoot Darwin foods that I can likely (or even probably) get away with, like banana and avocado ... he can, and has eaten those foods without apparent adverse effects, but that's not a good enough reason to feed him those things when there are lots of great things to feed him.
TFO has fantastic caresheets for a number of tortoise and turtle species, including guides to feeding and food ... it makes sense to me (now) to feed my tortoise on a diet made up of a variety of foods, in a ration of greens to fruits and veggies to proteins that will benefit him to the greatest degree.
I could feed him other stuff, but to what end?
Just a thought based on a tangent suggested by the link the OP provided ....
Jamie
@Renee2019 - this is your last warning. If you post anymore info from everythingturtles.com without their permision, I'm going to delete.
Prickly pear cactus the pads can be fed much more often then just a treat. The actual cactus fruit is what should be fed as a treat if your going to feed a fruit. Tortoises would come across the fruit along with the cactus in the wild.
Any tort can be fed a small piece of fruit. Do they need it or should it be a steady treat no. In the wilds of most if not all tortoises they would eventually run across a fruit if some kind and would eat it. Same as if they come across a dead bird or rodent a lot of tortoises would eat it. It's not something that they should eat a lot of.
Babies tortoises should not be fed fruit. Just to dangerous for their little bodies.
Any tort can be fed a small piece of fruit. Do they need it or should it be a steady treat no. In the wilds of most if not all tortoises they would eventually run across a fruit if some kind and would eat it. Same as if they come across a dead bird or rodent a lot of tortoises would eat it. It's not something that they should eat a lot of.
Babies tortoises should not be fed fruit. Just to dangerous for their little bodies.
SweetGreekTorts
Well-Known Member
I don't get why she's pulling information off the internet and Facebook and bringing it here. We already have all the information HERE that she needs, and we've shared it with her on multiple occasions.
Yeah, I don't get it either. She doesn't seem to realize that if we thought that info was valuable we would already have shared it here. We've been doing this a whole lot longer than she has.
Renee2019
Member
because i want to.
SweetGreekTorts
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry, but that's not a valid reason. The internet and Facebook are full of incorrect and outdated information, as we've already pointed out to you more than once. We have correct and up-to-date information in this Forum. If you seriously want a tortoise, and want to be able to provide the proper care for it, then all the info you need is in this Forum, not Facebook. We are trying to help you, and teach you, but you need to listen. Otherwise it's the tortoise that will suffer.
We've been trolled
The info about fruit on this link is correct and I agree with it.
The remark referring to sulcatas, Russians, greeks, etc... being desert species that need 70% grass in their diet is plain false. None of those listed are "desert" species, and all of the Testudo are not grass eaters at all. 70% grass for a Russian or a greek? That's absurd. They are broadleaf weed eaters. 70% grass for a sulcata seems fine to me, but not for any of the other species listed.
The remark referring to sulcatas, Russians, greeks, etc... being desert species that need 70% grass in their diet is plain false. None of those listed are "desert" species, and all of the Testudo are not grass eaters at all. 70% grass for a Russian or a greek? That's absurd. They are broadleaf weed eaters. 70% grass for a sulcata seems fine to me, but not for any of the other species listed.
Yes, but maybe we don't want you to. The information you're posting here is neither wanted nor correct.
SweetGreekTorts
Well-Known Member
That's exactly why myself and some other members in here got booted from groups on Facebook owned by the lady that provides all that info. She has a "my way or the highway" mentality and believes she's the most knowledgeable person about tortoises out there. Anybody who challenges her simply gets kicked off the island and banned for life.
Yep I got booted. Lol
Me too ....
J
J
Which one? I'm in for a good fight. I can get really mean too if I don't give a hoot. Lol
SweetGreekTorts
Well-Known Member
She runs all the "Owners Worldwide" groups for the different species. So "Sulcata Tortoise Owners Worldwide," "Russian Tortoise Owners Worldwide," "Leopard Tortoise Owners Worldwide," etc. Her name is Noelia Perez.
And if that's not bad enough - she's worked her way into being a member of other people's groups so she can act like the smartest keeper, always trying to jump in first with advice. Of course in the other groups she has no admin authority so cannot kick you out, so she'll just block your profile personally.
Have fun!!! I seriously wish I could see, but she's blocked me personally on Facebook and I've been blocked from all her groups. I was extra bad stepping on her toes [emoji41]
Billna the 2
Well-Known Member
........[emoji16]
I told her and others in the Redfoot worldwide group that Cypress mulch was not toxic that wasn't true and she went off on me saying she's seen countless eye problems, respiratory, and skin problems from using Cypress mulch. That if I wanted to use it and harm my Tort fine but stop telling others it's ok. Two minutes later I was blocked from all the worldwide groups.
Correction after going to FB and looking it wasn't her it was one of her worldwide minionsI told her and others in the Redfoot worldwide group that Cypress mulch was not toxic that wasn't true and she went off on me saying she's seen countless eye problems, respiratory, and skin problems from using Cypress mulch. That if I wanted to use it and harm my Tort fine but stop telling others it's ok. Two minutes later I was blocked from all the worldwide groups.
