Angulate only wants to eat weeds

TortillaTheTortioise

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I have noticed that my 8 month old angulate will only eat weeds and will not touch any other foods or fruits or veg. I have not had a lot of weeds growing here this season so I have had to give him aloe, sedums, grasses, veg, salad mixes and kale in place but he won't eat it, he will nibble occasionally but won't eat it. I only have a few weeds left in the garden that will be left and he is eating all of them and soon I will run out of food, I have even tried not giving him weeds for the day and just the replacements but he won't eat it and will go and sleep. How do I get him out this picky eating?
 

method89

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have you tried dried versions of the weeds you feed him? perhaps sprinkle them of the top of the items he wont eat.
 

TortillaTheTortioise

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have you tried dried versions of the weeds you feed him? perhaps sprinkle them of the top of the items he wont eat.
I've tried cutting up the weeds and sprinkling it on the food but he still won't be interested in it even after nibbling it a few times
 

RosemaryDW

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This must be very frustrating for you.

I’m not experienced with angulates but generally speaking, a tortoise won’t starve itself to death. It might take a long time to change its mind about different foods but a tortoise can go longer without food than you and I. It’s harder on us than it is on the tortoise.

I give my tortoise access to all kinds of food but she’d rather eat what she can graze for herself. That’s totally natural and what she would be doing if left where she was born. That said, she would absolutely eat different foods if needed; yours will as well.

I know it’s hard but give yourself and your tortoise some time. At only eight months, its got decades to go on food choices. :)
 

Tom

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I wouldn't offer any fruit at all.

Try some other greens like endive, escarole, cilantro and arugula. Finely chop the weeds and a little bit of the new stuff and mix it all up.

Mine is the same way. I tried all summer long to get him to eat "tortoise food". I offer a bounty of weeds, leaves, flowers, succulents, etc... All he would eat was Mazuri tortoise chow and one particular type of spineless opuntia. I've never had this trouble with any other tortoise species. Chersina seem particularly stubborn and reluctant to change their ways.
 
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