I got a food question

Sulcatafriend

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I adopted a sulcata tortoise 13 inches
His recent owner let him graze the yard he told me he only ate grass and grasses from his yard...

He also told me I should only give him grass grasses grass hay and sometimes some opuntia cactus

But I'm wondering if he gets enough vitamins and minerals from gras ?

Should I start feeding salad and some fruit for vitamins and minerals I'm worried he doesn't gets enough to live of from only grass

Ur opinions?
 

xMario

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I adopted a sulcata tortoise 13 inches
His recent owner let him graze the yard he told me he only ate grass and grasses from his yard...

He also told me I should only give him grass grasses grass hay and sometimes some opuntia cactus

But I'm wondering if he gets enough vitamins and minerals from gras ?

Should I start feeding salad and some fruit for vitamins and minerals I'm worried he doesn't gets enough to live of from only grass

Ur opinions?
The old owner did a good job
They are grass eaters pls no fruit
Grass and grasses are perfect
U can toss him some cuttlebone

Read here [emoji1]

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
 

Sulcatafriend

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I think they can get bored like me and you he was only eating sleeping and pooping but since I put a small ball inside his enclosure he plays with it so I think he was bored and I think same goes for food
 

Tim Carlisle

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Tho more grasses / weeds the better. That should compose the bulk of its diet. If you want to feed him some treats, try introducing other plants such as hostas, rose of sharon, prickly pear cactus (in moderation) just to name a few. No sugary fruits or veggies. Might be worth your time to study some of the good/bad plants you can off it. One good resource is https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/ .
 

xMario

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I think they can get bored like me and you he was only eating sleeping and pooping but since I put a small ball inside his enclosure he plays with it so I think he was bored and I think same goes for food
I don't want to offend u in any way but what u think is amusement for him (playing with a ball) is most likely just aggression... hes trying to force the ball out of his territory.

Tortoises are not like dogs or cats who enjoy toys they enjoy basking and eating fresh grass, they enjoy having there own territory without disturbance, they enjoy a quiet world without change and danger and a secure place to sleep

[emoji1]

Again I dont want to offend u just giving u my thoughts
 

Sulcatafriend

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I don't want to offend u in any way but what u think is amusement for him (playing with a ball) is most likely just aggression... hes trying to force the ball out of his territory.

Tortoises are not like dogs or cats who enjoy toys they enjoy basking and eating fresh grass, they enjoy having there own territory without disturbance, they enjoy a quiet world without change and danger and a secure place to sleep

[emoji1]

Again I dont want to offend u just giving u my thoughts
I'm not offended by your answers

But I don't think he's aggressive towards the ball he's just having fun and I'm sure they enjoy toys and a little bit of change and action

I don't want the same things same enclosure without change my whole live so why would a tortoise enjoy that?
 

Maro2Bear

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Just think about farmers that have herds of sheep and cows.... out to pasture day after day after day. Grass, hay fields of pasture.

Same for a Sully, greens, weeds, dandelions, cactus and more.

Seems like as long as they have a good balanced diet, they are good.
 

Miscally

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Also, my cat eats the same food day in and day out and is perfectly healthy and happy
 

Tom

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A sulcatas diet should be mostly grass and/or grass hay. Fruit is bad for them. The sugars wreak havoc on their GI tract.

If you want to offer some variety and add some other food items, that is great!

Mine have different food items seasonally. In "winter" we get our rains and the grasses and weeds pop up. During this time of year, other food items are ignored. They will literally walk over a tray of "food" and go eat the grasses and weeds. Spring brings the return of my grape vine leaves, mulberry leaves, and spineless opuntia cactus pads. I also get lavatera flowers most of the year, and those are thrown on top of whatever else I'm offering. In summer and fall, when all the weeds are dried up and dead, I feed them Mazuri about once a week. This ensures good balanced nutrition should there be any deficiencies with the rest of what they are eating. All summer long I feed them bucket loads of spineless opuntia on top of their grass hay. Grape vines (Just the leaves. No grapes) or mulberry branches (Again, just leaves, no fruit.) are offered about once a week on average.

Its hard to put numbers on it because it varies so much annually and seasonally, but I'd say that mine get about 70-80% grass and grass hay, 15% spineless opuntia, and 10-15% is all the other stuff I mentioned here as well as clover, alfalfa, many weed species like mallow and broadleaf plantain, Italian dandelion, radish and turnip greens, spring mix, Mazuri, dandelions, sow thistle, thistle, and so many other things added in small amounts.

Having said all of that. If you fed them nothing but grass and grass hay, they'd thrive and be just fine. Their digestive systems and their dietary needs are not like ours.
 

Lizastarr

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My baby sulcata, Neo, eats grass and dandelions. He absolutely LOVES a bite of cucumber and green pepper from the garden!
 

Sulcatafriend

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So. many of u wrote that variety is nice so I assume a strawberry and some tomatoes or lettuce isn't going to harm him if fed only like once a week?

But mainly grass and grasses?
 

Lizastarr

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I'm probably going to get jumped on for saying this, but I have given Neo chopped up blueberries, strawberries, cooked sugar snap peas, raw cucumber etc...he has his favs for sure! I only do it maybe once a week.
 

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