Here comes a debate. I have been keeping and breeding tortoises and turtles for over 50 years. I feed almost every day, Except, during cooler weather, or of course hibernation. It seems that my view is not the one shared by many others. I have been reading for years, that keepers feed every other day, or so. From what I have seen, there is almost always food available in the wild. Of course during the cold winter, the food is scarce, but they hibernate. Other than that, there are almost always greens,or insects etc. available on land or in the water. I keep my Adult Stars, Leopards, and Sulcatas outside year round. They have heated dog houses in the cold weather, here in Arizona. Most days over 60 degrees, the stars, and sulcatas, and usually the female leopards, graze some on the yard. All my pond turtles,pretty much stop eating during the winter. On warmer days in late fall, and early spring, they will occasionally eat some of the Mazori I feed the goldfish. In the 25 years I have been in AZ, the only problem I have ever had with any abnormal shell growth, was one summer when I feed the pond on Koi food. I had 5 small Het Red ears, amongst the other adult turtles, and their shells grew irregular. I then realized that Koi are too vegetarian. I never saw what people feel is the problem with almost daily feedings.Only in extreme weather would they not eat in the wild. On many forums, people feel bad, not feeding their pet turtles daily. On young inside turtles and tortoises, I have never let them go with out daily feeding.
I guess now is the chance to tell me I am wrong, but with generations of well formed turtles and tortoises,I feel comfortable with daily feeding, unless the weather is extreme.
I guess now is the chance to tell me I am wrong, but with generations of well formed turtles and tortoises,I feel comfortable with daily feeding, unless the weather is extreme.