hello from scotland !

[NB98x]

hello fellow tort owners , i am new to the tortoise forum & just thought i would introduce myself and my tortoise my name is natasha i am 19yrs old born & living in scotland . i am the owner of a horsfield tortoise called daisy whos 3yrs old & loves baths , dandelion flowers/leaves , bananas , sleeping & hiding . she hates eating out of her dish so i have to put all her food on the floor of her tort table for her to eat it lol . i have had daisy since she was 6 months old & plan on having her for many happy years any tips on what other wild plants/flowers i can find here in scotland to feed daisy ? thanks

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome to TFO from Kent UK

I recommend you read the TFO care guides if you haven't already

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian (aka Horsfield) Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Plants are harder to track down as winter sets in and few of us manage without a good quality pellet feed (softened in water) as a supplement. I use Komodo which is widely available. Mazuri is not so easy to source but can be bought here
http://www.shelledwarriorsshop.co.uk/

I recommend that you write a list of the plants that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed. The website is here:
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/

 

[JoesMum]

The best "dish" for your tort is, in fact, a piece of flat rock, slate or even the rough back of a wall tile.

It helps to keep your tort's beak in shape by abrasion as it eats

A terracotta plant saucer makes a much better and safer water dish.

The shop bought reptile bowls are a tipping hazard and not suitable

 

[NB98x]

hello , thanks for ur helpful reply regarding tort care/diet , i see you are also in the UK its very cold here at this time of year so you are right its hard to source many plants just now . normally come this time of year i feed her kale/chard/other greens (not iceberg or any other kind of lettuce, very rarely spinach as i read that binds calcium) i read on another site it was ok to feed them greens if outdoor plants were too difficult to source . i am a regular buyer of the komodo reptile range & daisy enjoys their plant & flower pellets however id prefer to stick to natural plants/flowers where its possible . i currently have a terracotta dish (bought it from the reptile section @ pets at home) its similar to ceramic plant pot material & it isnt deep but for some strange reason she just never eats the food whenever i put it in there . i will try the slate and see if she takes to that thanks for making me aware of that and also thanks for giving me the link for the mazuri stuff ive never heard of it/tried it before but will defo look into getting some . just want to be sure i am feeding her whats best for her same goes for her general living conditions

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[JoesMum]

hello , thanks for ur helpful reply regarding tort care/diet , i see you are also in the UK its very cold here at this time of year so you are right its hard to source many plants just now . normally come this time of year i feed her kale/chard/other greens (not iceberg or any other kind of lettuce, very rarely spinach as i read that binds calcium) i read on another site it was ok to feed them greens if outdoor plants were too difficult to source . i am a regular buyer of the komodo reptile range & daisy enjoys their plant & flower pellets however id prefer to stick to natural plants/flowers where its possible . i currently have a terracotta dish (bought it from the reptile section @ pets at home) its similar to ceramic plant pot material & it isnt deep but for some strange reason she just never eats the food whenever i put it in there . i will try the slate and see if she takes to that thanks for making me aware of that and also thanks for giving me the link for the mazuri stuff ive never heard of it/tried it before but will defo look into getting some . just want to be sure i am feeding her whats best for her same goes for her general living conditions

The Tortoise Table link I gave you earlier is a life saver as it covers both weeds and shop bought stuff.

If you are struggling to identify plants growing outside, post a photo in our plant identification forum and someone will identify it for you

 

[NB98x]

honestly thanks 1,000,000 for your comments and resources they will be really helpful for me to give my tort the best of care to suit her needs my dad is a bit of an outdoorsy person so oftentimes comes home with a plastic bag full of different plants/flowers (not so much during the autumn/winter) and then researches which ones can be safely fed to her vs which ones cant but the internet is a big place & is full of so many different sites eg one says this can be fed & the other says it cant so its quite scary ! but once again thanks for those links im going to go have a wee look into them all xx

 

[JoesMum]

honestly thanks 1,000,000 for your comments and resources they will be really helpful for me to give my tort the best of care to suit her needs my dad is a bit of an outdoorsy person so oftentimes comes home with a plastic bag full of different plants/flowers (not so much during the autumn/winter) and then researches which ones can be safely fed to her vs which ones cant but the internet is a big place & is full of so many different sites eg one says this can be fed & the other says it cant so its quite scary ! but once again thanks for those links im going to go have a wee look into them all xx

This is probably the biggest tortoise forum in the world. We're a friendly bunch and even the old hands get stuck from time to time. There are people on here with decades of hands-on experience, including vets and people who run rescues.

The one thing we have in common is the best interests of our tortoises and we're doing our best to correct the outdated, conflicting and misleading stuff still trotted out by some people.

Stick around and join in

 

[NB98x]

This is probably the biggest tortoise forum in the world. We're a friendly bunch and even the old hands get stuck from time to time. There are people on here with decades of hands-on experience, including vets and people who run rescues.

The one thing we have in common is the best interests of our tortoises and we're doing our best to correct the outdated, conflicting and misleading stuff still trotted out by some people.

Stick around and join in

yes ive only just registered a few hours ago but am loving it already ! i think its great that theres a forum like this so all tortoise owners can share their mutual love of these brilliant wee creatures & also help each other with any worries/concerns/queries they may have about them . they really do become a huge part of your life so its brilliant that this site can actually be 100% trusted due to members actually having their own pet torts & some having lots of experience looking after them . i sure will be sticking around here you have been a great help to me so far & everyone else on here seems very clued up & friendly as well ! tortoise owners unite lol

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hallo, Natasha, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and Daisy.

 

[Taylor T.]

Welcome to the forum!

Could you post pictures of his enclosure please?

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum, Natasha.

Please post pics of your tort as well as the enclosure.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Natasha

 

[NB98x]

A very warm welcome to the forum, Natasha.

Please post pics of your tort as well as the enclosure.

I'm not currently at home just now but I'll be sure to post a few pics for u [emoji1419]

 

[NB98x]

A very warm welcome to the forum, Natasha.

Please post pics of your tort as well as the enclosure.

Thank u I'm not at home just now but I will Defo post some pics when I am [emoji51]

 

[NB98x]

[QUOTE="NB98x, post: 1535978, member: [emoji1419][/QUOTE]

 

[NB98x]

Welcome to the forum!

Could you post pictures of his enclosure please?

Thank u , I am not at home at the moment but I will be sure to post some pics later [emoji51]

 

[NB98x]

Hi Natasha
View attachment 220613

Hello

 

[Gillian M]

Thank u I'm not at home just now but I will Defo post some pics when I am [emoji51]

Look forward to seeing them.

 

[PJay]

Welcome to TFO!