Hi i am so excited to join this forum!

[dleebrand]

I am the new owner of an under nourished 40 pound spur thigh tortoise. She is not use to regular feedings and she was only given leaves and grass. I have been giving her a variety of vegetables and some fruit. She is in a 16 x 16 foot pen with a house for shelter. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!

 

[dmmj]

welcome to the forum, glad you have joined.
In all actuality the leaves and grass is a good diet for you tortoise.
Could you post some pictures so we can see it?

 

[jackrat]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[SulcataSquirt]

Welcome! Would love to see some pics!

 

[african cake queen]

hi,welcome to the forum.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Hi & welcome. I also would love to see a picture!

 

[pdrobber]

welcome

 

[dleebrand]

Here she is!!

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[blafiriravt]

hey there. welcome to the forum!

 

[Laura]

welcome!
that is like saying this poor cow only had hay to eat.. its what they eat..
fruit and veggies should only be fed in small amounts.. really No fruit is better...
a 40 pound tortoise is also going to need a much large area and a grazing area too.
What kind of outdoor set up do you have for it? Heat? Where are you located?
we love pictures!!!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi dleebrand:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Your pictures are not showing. You can use photobucket.com or tinypic.com then just copy the code to here.

May we know your name and where you are?

 

[dleebrand]

I was told they need more than just grass and leaves and they must have a variety of vegetables. Is this not true? I was also told the way to tell that she is under nourished is the fact that her pyramids are protruding. Is this true? I'm having trouble posting pictures of her. I live in Florida. She is in a 16 x 16 foot pen with grass, tree, shade, house, heat light, and water. Do I need anything else for her? I live on 3 acres and she loves to walk the property with me. Is this okay? Thank you for your help!

 

[Jacqui]

? I was also told the way to tell that she is under nourished is the fact that her pyramids are protruding. Is this true?

If only this were true then we could so easily fix pyramiding. They are not like ribs that protrude to show a lack of body fat covering. I just had never heard this reasoning for pyramiding before. Interesting.

I welcome you to TFO and advise you to start reading in the sulcata section as just about everything you have apparently been told is not true.

 

[ripper7777777]

I was told they need more than just grass and leaves and they must have a variety of vegetables. Is this not true? I was also told the way to tell that she is under nourished is the fact that her pyramids are protruding. Is this true? I'm having trouble posting pictures of her. I live in Florida. She is in a 16 x 16 foot pen with grass, tree, shade, house, heat light, and water. Do I need anything else for her? I live on 3 acres and she loves to walk the property with me. Is this okay? Thank you for your help!

Welcome to the forum, I'm new also, it's a great place and lots of great people and info.

It sounds like your Sully will have a great home. Just make sure all the plants she grazes on are ok.

I was given this site to help with plants

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?mode=cl&col=all


There are a lot of Sulcata experts here and lots of great care sheets and diet info. Just keep in mind they are not humans so what would be great for us to eat isn't for them. But they are like Humans in the fact they will gobble up yummies, People like donuts, they make us smile but not a good idea on a regular basis. Same with fruit and veggies for the sulcatas.

 

[AnthonyC]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Torty Mom]

Welcome to TFO!! They need a varied balanced diet. Here are a few ideas to get you started: grape leaves, mulberry leaves, hibiscus flowers and leaves, rose flowers and leaves, pansy flowers and leaves, squash leaves and squash once in a while, lots of grazing grass, crimson clover, chia, dandelions flowers and leaves, plantian major, sow thistle, common mallow, banana plant leaves, optunia cactus, prickly pear fruit, cosmo flowers & leaves, nemeisa flowers and leaves, alyssum, sprouting wild bird seed..... these were listed in no special order. I grow all my own plants, save on $$$$. Carolina Pet supply.com has some great seeds and seed mixes!! That should get you started, I am off to work!

 

[dleebrand]

Thank you all so much!! I am readin everything I can get my hands on about sulcatas! I really like the idea of growing her food myself!!

 

[byerssusan]

Hi and welcome. You are going to love it here. I do. I haven't been here very long but in the short time I have been here I don't think I could have gotten this far without everyone here helping me. Browse through everything. My fav is the enclosures everyone has. I love seeing them getting new ideas all the time. Congrats on your new tort. Will be glad when we see this beauty.

 

[dleebrand]

I put her picture as my profile picture because I haven't been able to get it in my post.