animateash
New Member
Still preparing to receive our adopted adult desert tortoise from the tortoise club. I have versed myself in WHAT they can/ should eat, but nobody has ever really told me HOW MUCH one should eat in a day.
Our back yard has already been visited and approved. It is not huge and the lawn is neither overgrown or super manicured, but the adoption liaison seemed to feel it was sufficient to be a good tortoise home. We do have roses, hibiscus, lavender, and geraniums in the front yard that I plan to clip and offer as needed.
I have also ordered a desert tortoise mix of native wildflower seeds, but obviously that will take some time to cultivate.
So how much will a grown adult desert tortoise eat each day? Are we talking a cup worth of greenery? 2 cups? More? Will he eat everyday or wait a day or two between, like my geckos do? Just trying to plan how much supplementing I'll need to do from front yard plants and/ or grocery store. If they are true eating machines I don't know that my lawn alone can keep up!
Our back yard has already been visited and approved. It is not huge and the lawn is neither overgrown or super manicured, but the adoption liaison seemed to feel it was sufficient to be a good tortoise home. We do have roses, hibiscus, lavender, and geraniums in the front yard that I plan to clip and offer as needed.
I have also ordered a desert tortoise mix of native wildflower seeds, but obviously that will take some time to cultivate.
So how much will a grown adult desert tortoise eat each day? Are we talking a cup worth of greenery? 2 cups? More? Will he eat everyday or wait a day or two between, like my geckos do? Just trying to plan how much supplementing I'll need to do from front yard plants and/ or grocery store. If they are true eating machines I don't know that my lawn alone can keep up!
