How much to feed my bowsprit

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batchick

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Hi all, I'm new to the forum and new to tortoises. We are in Cape Town, South Africa and have recently taken stewardship of Ned, a male bowsprit tortoise. I am looking to see if anyone can advise. Ned stays in our garden, which is mainly indigenous and so contains a number of the plants he would eat in the wild. However, I'm not sure if these are all he needs, so have been supplementing with some green veg and butternut. He goes wild for the butternut.
My question is, how much should I be doing this? How much should a tortoise of his size (1.2kg) be eating at different times of year? I'm concerned that if his system isn't really designed for the veggies and it'd be better for him just to be on the indigenous stuff, but then I'm concerned that maybe there are nutritional gaps in the range of indigenous plants we have.
Any advice would be welcomed.
 

N2TORTS

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WOW !!!!!!> .... neat, rare tort ...
The Bowsprit tortoise (Chersina angulata), also known as the Angulate tortoise or Rooipens, is a species of tortoise found in dry areas and scrub forest in South Africa. This tortoise in the only known member of the genus Chersina.

JD~:)
 

Tom

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Hello and welcome to the forum. I spent around 3 months in Capetown a few years ago. Fantastic place.

Here in the states many of us use the same strategy that you are using now. We let them graze and live outside, but we also "feed" them other stuff too. For many of us, depending on the species we keep and where in the country we live, our tortoise have to come inside for part of the year. You are fortunate to live in the natural range of your species. Makes things a lot easier.
When you consider the size of your garden and the variety of plants that grow there, it is pretty small compared to "the wild". I think supplementing the more natural foods is fine. Good greens to feed are collards, mustard, kale, endive, escarole, cilantro, red, green and butter lettuce, carrot tops, celery tops, watercress, swiss and red chard, bok choy, etc... Variety is key. I like to grow a lot of my own food now too. Hibiscus, grape leaves, roses (leaves and flowers), mulberry tree leaves, and spineless opuntia cactus.

Unfortunately bowsprits are very rare over here, so most of us will just be able to give you general tortoise suggestions. Few of us have any experience at all with bowsprits. I'm looking forward to learning more about them from you. :)
 

batchick

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Thanks. I grow quite a lot if my own veg too, so will definitely give him more of that stuff as a supplement. And keep up with regular weigh-ins to monitor his weight.
 

batchick

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Since Bowsprits are a novelty for the forum, here are a few pictures.
Today's the first cooler day after a major heat wave and so he's been racing around all day. Hence the power-walking second shot.
 

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