Pumpkin

[LudusPlus]

Hello

I just bought a "munchkin pumpkin" from tesco. It appears to be a small pumpkin literally the size of a Russian tortoise lol.

I believe my russian can eat some pumpkin? Is there any reference to how much, and can he eat all parts ie guts, skin, flesh and seeds?

That is assuming it is just a regular small pumpkin, I'll be chopping it up soon.

 

[wellington]

Yes, but the small ones that are called pie pumpkins are not the best ones to feed as they are sweeter than the ones used for jackolateerns.
So I would not feed a lot of it. Maybe a small amount once a week.you can freeze it, I do this all the time. Cut into chunks and freeze in freezer bags.
They can eat all of it, but be sure the seeds are not bigger than what he can swallow. If you have concerns, grind them up.

 

[LudusPlus]

Yes, but the small ones that are called pie pumpkins are not the best ones to feed as they are sweeter than the ones used for jackolateerns.
So I would not feed a lot of it. Maybe a small amount once a week.you can freeze it, I do this all the time. Cut into chunks and freeze in freezer bags.
They can eat all of it, but be sure the seeds are not bigger than what he can swallow. If you have concerns, grind them up.

Thankyou! I think this might be one of those smaller ones just under a funny name, so I won't give him much.

 

[Tom]

Thankyou! I think this might be one of those smaller ones just under a funny name, so I won't give him much.

IMPORTANT: Give him giant slices that are way too big to swallow and let him get his own "bite size" pieces off of it, OR grate it up finely and mix the tiny grated particles of pumpkin, seeds, skin, guts, etc..., in with the day's greens.

DO NOT dice it up and feed him chunks. Many tortoises choke this way.

Public Service Announcement - Tortoise Food Chunks

I was reminded today that not everyone knows that "hard" foods like opuntia, cucumber, carrots, or this time of year, pumpkin should not be cut up and fed in chunks. Chunks of these types of food will be swallowed whole by tortoises and can cause them to choke to death. It doesn't happen every...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[LudusPlus]

IMPORTANT: Give him giant slices that are way too big to swallow and let him get his own "bite size" pieces off of it, OR grate it up finely and mix the tiny grated particles of pumpkin, seeds, skin, guts, etc..., in with the day's greens.

DO NOT dice it up and feed him chunks. Many tortoises choke this way.

Public Service Announcement - Tortoise Food Chunks

I was reminded today that not everyone knows that "hard" foods like opuntia, cucumber, carrots, or this time of year, pumpkin should not be cut up and fed in chunks. Chunks of these types of food will be swallowed whole by tortoises and can cause them to choke to death. It doesn't happen every...

tortoiseforum.org

It is quite worrying but also amazing that I debated even posting a question so silly as "can my tortoise eat a pumpkin" but if I hadn't I probably would've killed him.

He usually eats when I'm at work, so thankyou. I've taken his prepped food out the fridge and grated it very finely.

It didn't have much guts and the seeds where super tiny. I tried to puree them with some greens but it turned into slush so I just binned it lol.

Put the rest in the freezer (he's only got a 2 human bite sized bits finely grated and mixed in)

 

[Tom]

It is quite worrying but also amazing that I debated even posting a question so silly as "can my tortoise eat a pumpkin" but if I hadn't I probably would've killed him.

He usually eats when I'm at work, so thankyou. I've taken his prepped food out the fridge and grated it very finely.

It didn't have much guts and the seeds where super tiny. I tried to puree them with some greens but it turned into slush so I just binned it lol.

Put the rest in the freezer (he's only got a 2 human bite sized bits finely grated and mixed in)

Crisis averted! Hopefully other people reading will learn this lesson too.

I wrote that thread because a well known and experienced member here lost a beloved and wonderful tortoise this way not too long ago. Sometimes we just go on our merry way thinking everyone knows everything, and that incident served as a reminder to me to speak up once in a while about this sort of thing.

I think we are both glad YOU decided to speak up and ask your question. Hopefully other people reading will be too.

 

[LudusPlus]

This morning is the first time Duncans recognised me and ran towards me, I like to think he was saying hello but he was definitely hungry.

He did eat some of the pumpkin and its absolutely allover him and the enclosure lol. I wonder if he will come back to finish it. (Other stuff he's left behind is some lettuce mix and a bit of basil. Surprisingly he loves mint, basil and coriander)

If anyone sees this can they confirm if tortoises need bedding in their hide? I've been using this edible dried grass pictured above and flower tortoise bedding but I'm not sure if it's completely irrelevant or perhaps harmful.

 

[wellington]

First, there is never a dumb question when it comes to tortoises or any animal care. If you are thinking it or wondering about it, it's worth asking.
Hay, grass, etc should not be used as bedding. It molds easily
Coconut coir or orchid/fir bark should be used as the substrate and even in the hide.
In the fall, I will give mine some fallen dried edible leaves. They just crumble into dust almost. Sometimes they eat some.

 

[LudusPlus]

First, there is never a dumb question when it comes to tortoises or any animal care. If you are thinking it or wondering about it, it's worth asking.
Hay, grass, etc should not be used as bedding. It molds easily
Coconut coir or orchid/fir bark should be used as the substrate and even in the hide.
In the fall, I will give mine some fallen dried edible leaves. They just crumble into dust almost. Sometimes they eat some.

Thankyou! I've been changing the bedding everytime he has a bath to avoid mould/poop and this is the last of it anyways so I'll just put more substrate in there next time.

Thanke for the advice

 

[Tom]

View attachment 362153

This morning is the first time Duncans recognised me and ran towards me, I like to think he was saying hello but he was definitely hungry.

He did eat some of the pumpkin and its absolutely allover him and the enclosure lol. I wonder if he will come back to finish it. (Other stuff he's left behind is some lettuce mix and a bit of basil. Surprisingly he loves mint, basil and coriander)

If anyone sees this can they confirm if tortoises need bedding in their hide? I've been using this edible dried grass pictured above and flower tortoise bedding but I'm not sure if it's completely irrelevant or perhaps harmful.

The hay needs to go ASAP. Its not a good substrate anyway you look at it. Feed to rest of it to a large sulcata, a goat, or someone's horse.

You also have coco fiber on the other side. That is no good either because it can cause impaction. Orchid bark works best, but damp hand packed coco coir can also work. The coir has sort of a dirt-like consistency and very little of the fiber that can be seen in your picture.

The flat feeding rocks that are so frequently recommended have never made sense to me and I've never used them. My tortoises don't rub their beaks on the surface of whatever their food sits on, so the recommendation that a flat rock keeps the beak trimmed doesn't add up. I've never had any beak troubles and I don't use flat rocks. For small tortoises indoors, I recommend a terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate for the food. This helps contain the food and keeps it out of the substrate and keeps the substrate out of it. In your pic you have shredded pumpkin that has been pushed over onto the coco fiber. That is a recipe for disaster as your tortoise is going to eat some of the fiber when it tries to eat the yummy pumpkin.

For larger tortoise housed outdoors, I use plastic trays to keep their food off of the ground and out of the dirt.

 

[LudusPlus]

The hay needs to go ASAP. Its not a good substrate anyway you look at it. Feed to rest of it to a large sulcata, a goat, or someone's horse.

You also have coco fiber on the other side. That is no good either because it can cause impaction. Orchid bark works best, but damp hand packed coco coir can also work. The coir has sort of a dirt-like consistency and very little of the fiber that can be seen in your picture.

The flat feeding rocks that are so frequently recommended have never made sense to me and I've never used them. My tortoises don't rub their beaks on the surface of whatever their food sits on, so the recommendation that a flat rock keeps the beak trimmed doesn't add up. I've never had any beak troubles and I don't use flat rocks. For small tortoises indoors, I recommend a terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate for the food. This helps contain the food and keeps it out of the substrate and keeps the substrate out of it. In your pic you have shredded pumpkin that has been pushed over onto the coco fiber. That is a recipe for disaster as your tortoise is going to eat some of the fiber when it tries to eat the yummy pumpkin.

For larger tortoise housed outdoors, I use plastic trays to keep their food off of the ground and out of the dirt.

Hi Tom thanks for this.

That fiber you can see is a lining that's poking up to block the glass front but I'm going to swap it out for a basic plastic lining. It's just to protect the wood. (This came up as a search for "reptile lining" that I panick bought before doing research).

I can see where this is is becoming an issue with food being on it. I'll be getting rid of this and redoing the whole substrate situation.

The dried grass will be going ASAP too. I don't have any left because I was changing it so often to avoid moulding etc.

I'm trying to find some terracotta saucers! I need one for his water dish too. I can only find 20 packs on amazon so I'm going to try a garden center ASAP for a couple of single ones.

 

[LudusPlus]

i like this saying that's thrown around my hardware store quite a lot; buy expensive buy once, buy cheap buy twice.

I should've applied this life advice here lol. Price hasnt mattered so much but I just HAD to change everything in the enclosure ASAP and ended up with a bunch of garbage I've already had to replace.

I've bought wrong substrates, lights, food, hell I bought a carry case to take him to the vet and panicked so much I bought one for a tiny hamster!

I'm glad I still have doubts because I thought I'd nailed it but still have work to do- why TF do people sell these products for tortoises that are not suitable for tortoises.

 

[wellington]

i like this saying that's thrown around my hardware store quite a lot; buy expensive buy once, buy cheap buy twice.

I should've applied this life advice here lol. Price hasnt mattered so much but I just HAD to change everything in the enclosure ASAP and ended up with a bunch of garbage I've already had to replace.

I've bought wrong substrates, lights, food, hell I bought a carry case to take him to the vet and panicked so much I bought one for a tiny hamster!

I'm glad I still have doubts because I thought I'd nailed it but still have work to do- why TF do people sell these products for tortoises that are not suitable for tortoises.

A lot of the stuff pet stores sells for all the animals is junk.
Reptile stuff is the biggest junk in the stores, but there is junk for dogs, cats, birds, you name it, they sell junk for it.

 

[Tom]

why TF do people sell these products for tortoises that are not suitable for tortoises.

Because they can, and because people buy it. They wouldn't be able to keep their doors open if they told you to go buy better stuff at Home Depot for half the money.