Food

[johanna]

What does everyone feed their pancakes? I want to make sure I'm giving mine everything they want and need.

 

[tortoise-kid]

A fantastic section on diet :
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Mtorniericare.htm

 

[johanna]

Pretty much the only thing I can get on that list is romaine and dandilion. I give spring mix, kale, dandilion, beet greens, watercress, and mustard greens. Anyone have any other suggestions? I've tried tomato but they dont like it. I've never tried fruit. Does anyone else give fruit?

 

[Tom]

No fruit. Try looking in the Plant ID section and see if any of those weeds look familiar. Also try mulberry, rose, hibiscus, and grape leaves. You can also find spineless opuntia cactus at any Mexican/Ethnic grocery store too. Or you can order it online. You can also chop up safe grass with scissors and sprinkle that on top of the other stuff. Mazuri is also fine a couple of times a week. At the grocery store look for endive, escarole, parsley, cilantro and collard greens...

 

[johanna]

Mine is picky and hates cilantro and parsley. I love both and always have both available for myself. I sometimes do endive when its available. We dont have a mexican grocery here. I shop for most of my food at the asian market but they dont have organic so I worry about the safety with my guys. I've never seen mulberry, rose, hibiscus, or grape leaves. I only have veggies in my fridge. I know how to shop for veggies. I'm in the upper midwest and I am afraid we just dont have those options here. I put mine outside to eat the grass and dandilions in the summer, but that is only 2-3 months in a warm year. I should move somewhere warmer.

 

[GBtortoises]

Pancake tortoises will usually eat just about any weeds including dandelion, clover, sow thistle, broad and narrow leaf plantain, wild chicory, crown vetch, trefoil, purslane, lambsquarter and more. Some will occassionally eat timothy hay and fresh alfalfa and hay can be fed occasionally too. Grocery store greens can consist of dandelion (which is actually chicory in the grocery store), endive, escarole, romaine, mustard greens, beet greens, collard greens, carrot tops and sparingly kale, spinach and cabbage. They can also be fed cactus and the other items that Tom mentions above. Mine love cactus pad and it's actually the only "non weed" that I've seen them consume.
Most Pancakes don't show much interest in vegetables but I believe they should still be offered to them occasionally in case there is an interest. Fruits should definitely not be part of their regular diet. A very occasional piece of fruit will do no harm but they may not even be interested in it.

 

[johanna]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll have to look into some indoor gardening and grow some of the weeds you talk about. I have never seen them in the stores.