Opinion on aldabra diet.

[Holycow]

So I've put this out there before, my juv. aldabra has approx 15' X 35' enclosed outdoor area. This area is loaded with weeds grasses and a variety of plants. This tortoise spends it's time grazing and sitting in the sun/ shade... EXCEPT- this animal refuses to eat grass of any kind. Some is consumed incidentally while it munches other items, but it has the luxury of nibbling it's favorite weeds and searching out tidbits all day long without ever getting to the point where it is forced by hunger or lack of option... to eat grass.
Should I pen off a smaller area with only grass in it and confine the animal here... the tough love concept, essentially forcing it to eat grass?
I do expect as the animal grows it will eventually eat more weeds daily than the yard can regrow so it will have to eat more of something in order to satisfy its hunger... but my concern is for it's nutrition now.
Suggestions?

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Suggestions?

* Can you post a current picture or your aldabra and the entire habitat?

outdoor area. This area is loaded with weeds grasses and a variety of plants. This tortoise spends it's time grazing and sitting in the sun/ shade...

* You have a great advantage already, South Florida!

 

[Holycow]

Hmmm... having problems getting the photos to upload... it may take a while. I can link you to the recent pics of this tortoise in it's habitat, but they are mostly close ups. You will be able to see the deeper weeds and grass as well. I'm getting the larger pics of the enclosure uploaded as you are reading this. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-75645-page-2.html

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Well, for whatever reason the site seems to choke on the images. Both are just 2.8 or so megs so I don't really know whats happening. I'll keep trying.

 

[StarSapphire22]

Try uploading to photobucket and then using the IMG codes to insert them into your thread.

 

[Holycow]

Hmmm... having problems getting the photos to upload... it may take a while. I can link you to the recent pics of this tortoise in it's habitat, but they are mostly close ups. You will be able to see the deeper weeds and grass as well. I'm getting the larger pics of the enclosure uploaded as you are reading this. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-75645-page-2.html

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Well, for whatever reason the site seems to choke on the images. Both are just 2.8 or so megs so I don't really know whats happening. I'll keep trying.

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No super recent photo, but here is the area, the plants and grass are about halfway between these two pics.

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Hmmm... having problems getting the photos to upload... it may take a while. I can link you to the recent pics of this tortoise in it's habitat, but they are mostly close ups. You will be able to see the deeper weeds and grass as well. I'm getting the larger pics of the enclosure uploaded as you are reading this. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-75645-page-2.html

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Well, for whatever reason the site seems to choke on the images. Both are just 2.8 or so megs so I don't really know whats happening. I'll keep trying.

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No super recent photo, but here is the area, the plants and grass are about halfway between these two pics.

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I use the smaller wooden fence with steel screen lid for when no one is around to supervise.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Should I pen off a smaller area with only grass in it and confine the animal here...

* Your overall habitat looks like a decent size. Ample space is vital for allowing exercise. Ours browse and eat such a variety of vegetation, he is probably eating grass.

* Has he grown any since being at your place? Can you see growth lines? and are they thin and consistent or thick?

 

[Holycow]

Should I pen off a smaller area with only grass in it and confine the animal here...

* Your overall habitat looks like a decent size. Ample space is vital for allowing exercise. Ours browse and eat such a variety of vegetation, he is probably eating grass.

* Has he grown any since being at your place? Can you see growth lines? and are they thin and consistent or thick?

I took this pic today. If you look at the gap in the letter R on the back of the shell it was painted on just before I got this tortoise, so you can see how much growth since the beginning of June this year. What do you folks think?

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[Laura]

im thinking young one prefer short grass... ??

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

im thinking young one prefer short grass... ?

* We find that to be true at any age. They seem to prefer freshly grown new tender grass!

 

[Yvonne G]

That was going to be my suggestion too. You'll need to mow the pen. Most grass doesn't taste good when it gets tall.

 

[Holycow]

Ok, I'll mow it and see if that makes a difference. I've been toying with the idea of attempting to do some mixing and create my own "tortoise turf" in a section of the yard to see if I can get it to work- stay tuned on that. Today I also planted some more grass seed mix from sulcatafood, those should be sprouting in the next few days so it will be interesting to see if the tortoise shows interest in the fresh growth.
Thanks.
Jeff

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Lol I have the same opinion as others. I see mine only start eating after I trim the old grasses.