Diet questions!

[TortoiseMan]

Hey People,

Got a few questions about diet of tortoise, so if you can answer that will be very apreciated!

1) Is lettuce say for tortoise (as a backup for wild plants)? We currently feed him a mix of plantain (greater and slender), dandelions (flowers and leaves) and other wild plants of which I cant remeber the names! Oops.

2) Second thing is that I've seen a tortoise near me that is solidly fed on fruits - should the diet be changed to a greener diet?

3) Lastly, Fuchsia? Safe?

Thanks in Advance,
TM

 

[jackrat]

What kind of tortoise?

 

[TortoiseMan]

Greek Spur-Thighed is my current one (1 and 3)

Red-footed is the one in question 2

 

[Tracy Gould]

Yer Fuchisa is safe here is a good site to check plants on

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=440

I fed a Lettuce mix to my Tortoise everyover day but i do not stick to the same lettuce mix and Iceberg is a no no. Every species of Tortoise diet is different and some do eat fruits but i do not think a fruit only diet is good but i am fairly new to Torts so i may be wrong

 

[TortoiseMan]

Yer Fuchisa is safe here is a good site to check plants on

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=440

I fed a Lettuce mix to my Tortoise everyover day but i do not stick to the same lettuce mix and Iceberg is a no no. Every species of Tortoise diet is different and some do eat fruits but i do not think a fruit only diet is good but i am fairly new to Torts so i may be wrong

Ok. Thanks for the link - ill bookmark that

Cheers for answering my questions so fast! Great response.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

One of the ways you can assess a diet is seeing how extreme it is. Feeding just fruit is pretty far to one extreme while feeding just lettuce would be the other side of the extreme. For redfoots (and other torts as well), they benefit when you find a balance between extremes. Including lots of variety (of appropriate foods) is usually the best way to set up a tortoise diet.

 

[jackrat]

The redfoots I keep have been on the diet found on tutletary.com's care sheet since I aquired them.It's a good balance of greens,fruits,and a little protein and D3.

 

[TortoiseMan]

One of the ways you can assess a diet is seeing how extreme it is. Feeding just fruit is pretty far to one extreme while feeding just lettuce would be the other side of the extreme. For redfoots (and other torts as well), they benefit when you find a balance between extremes. Including lots of variety (of appropriate foods) is usually the best way to set up a tortoise diet.

Ok, cheers. I'll get into contact with the owner and try persuade him to change the diet

My current tortoise diet is a mix of mixed wild plants (plantain, dandelion and other ones) with the occasional flower.

Just thought of another question - with tomatoes and cucumber how often can i feed it to my boy?

Thanks in advance
TM

 

[PeanutbuttER]

I should also clarify that I didn't mean that all torts should eat fruit, just to make sure nobody gets that from what I said.

 

[TortoiseMan]

The redfoots I keep have been on the diet found on tutletary.com's care sheet since I aquired them.It's a good balance of greens,fruits,and a little protein and D3.

Ok, Thanks for the info and i'll bookmark that page aswell!

PeanutbuttER, I didn't think that all so its ok, and it is also great to clarify!

Cheers,
TM

 

[Tracy Gould]

Tomato is high in acid so some owners do not feed it at all but i do let Shelby have a piece every now and again Cucumber is high in water i tend to only give this like i fed toms as a treat, the same goes with fruit as fruit is really fattering but i offer this not weakly but every so often and i only let her have a small piece as a treat

 

[TortoiseMan]

Tomato is high in acid so some owners do not feed it at all but i do let Shelby have a piece every now and again Cucumber is high in water i tend to only give this like i fed toms as a treat, the same goes with fruit as fruit is really fattering but i offer this not weakly but every so often and i only let her have a small piece as a treat

So, either 2 weeks or even more between giving it too them? a month?

Cheers
TM

 

[Tracy Gould]

Tomato is high in acid so some owners do not feed it at all but i do let Shelby have a piece every now and again Cucumber is high in water i tend to only give this like i fed toms as a treat, the same goes with fruit as fruit is really fattering but i offer this not weakly but every so often and i only let her have a small piece as a treat

So, either 2 weeks or even more between giving it too them? a month?

Cheers
TM

I tend to feed these monthly they have there bad points but they also have good points too. But i have a Hermann and her Diet is different to other Torts like a redfoot which tends to eat more fruit and they eat worms and things like that too, So u would be best looking up the care for your species of tort,there are good care threads on here and lots of experts who look after different types of tort.

 

[TortoiseMan]

Tomato is high in acid so some owners do not feed it at all but i do let Shelby have a piece every now and again Cucumber is high in water i tend to only give this like i fed toms as a treat, the same goes with fruit as fruit is really fattering but i offer this not weakly but every so often and i only let her have a small piece as a treat

So, either 2 weeks or even more between giving it too them? a month?

Cheers
TM

I tend to feed these monthly they have there bad points but they also have good points too. But i have a Hermann and her Diet is different to other Torts like a redfoot which tends to eat more fruit and they eat worms and things like that too, So u would be best looking up the care for your species of tort,there are good care threads on here and lots of experts who look after different types of tort.

Ok, cheers, ill have a nosey at the threads

Thanks for all the answers people, great answers, very indepth and fast!
TM

 

[Tracy Gould]

Hi again i have just been checking out the Greek posts and found a care sheet link of u

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/iberacare.htm

 

[TortoiseMan]

Hi again i have just been checking out the Greek posts and found a care sheet link of u

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/iberacare.htm

Thanks for another amazing font of knowledge - your links have been of great use to me - so thank you again!

TM

 

[TortoiseMan]

URGENT!!!!!! A ram stole my plantain!!!

Hey people.

A ram stole my plantain!!! So can a tortoise eat Hebe leaves, Violet leaves, forget-me-not leaves???

Thanks in advance!
TM

 

[Yvonne G]

Yup...all edible.

 

[TortoiseMan]

Yup...all edible.

Ok cheers! Problem averted!

....darn that ram!

Thanks,
TM