Animal Island: Wilden tortoise's diet beyond romaine

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spikethebest

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http://www.sunherald.com/2010/07/28/2363620/animal-island-wilden-tortoises.html

Q: We just added a baby tortoise to our family. In the pet store they were feeding it romaine lettuce and we have continued this at home, with the addition of a calcium supplement a few times a week. I feel that he needs more than lettuce. I tried adding some prepared tortoise food to his lettuce, but he ends up not eating it. What do you suggest?

A: Just romaine lettuce is not a good diet for any creature. In this case, the proper diet depends on what species of tortoise you have and where it is native to. Tortoises from arid areas such as Russian or Greek tortoises eat large amounts of high-fiber bitter greens including kale, dandelion, chicory or watercress. Buy a bunch of each of these greens, cut them into small bits and keep the resulting mix of greens in a covered plastic container in the fridge. Feed it daily to your tortoise with a small amount of phosphorus-free calcium supplement sprinkled over it. For tortoises native to tropical rain forests, such as the South American Red Foot tortoise, add tropical fruit, such as banana, mango and papaya in a ratio of about 3 parts greens to 1 part fruit. These tortoises, too, need the calcium sprinkled on their food, as their shells will not grow correctly without it.

Q: My two female Westies got into a huge fight the other day, and they just would not quit. My husband tried to spray them with the hose, but that did nothing. Finally we both grabbed the hind legs of each dog and pulled, and that worked, but both of us got bitten in the process. They seem fine now, and it is like they never had the fight. But if the situation ever happens again, what should we do? It was a terrifying experience for us.

A: The best way to break up a dogfight is to throw a big black blanket over the two dogs like a cast net. When the dogs suddenly find themselves in darkness and unable to see, they will panic and disengage from each other. As far as your Westies go, remember that the fight most likely had some kind of trigger that led up to it, such as a favorite toy being presented to one dog and not the other. Try to be proactive in not allowing the events to build up again to a second fight. It is easier to be proactive than reactive.

Q: There is a cornucopia of frogs and toads in my lawn. I live behind a sump that has water in it all year round. They range in size from half an inch to 3 inches and vary in color and shape. This is OK with me except that I have to mow the lawn and cannot go more than 5 feet without seeing many of them hopping left and right to get out of the way. Is there anything I can do to dissuade them from staying in the lawn? I contacted my local horticultural cooperative extension service, and they could not help. I tried mothballs and garlic, but these did nothing, either.

A: Due to the loss of habitat here on Long Island, there is a definite housing shortage for amphibians. Most likely these are Fowler's toads and northern green frogs that have just changed into their adult forms and are still looking for a permanent home. Until they do their best to disperse, the best advice I can offer is to not mow until the sun is at its zenith. Set the mower on the highest setting. This way the frogs and toads will be as low in the grass as they can be, as they hate the sun, and you will hurt as few of them as possible.
 
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