tort letting me know he wants protein?

[naturalman91]

so i was just wondering if they've ever noticed there red foot wants animal protein? my red went off food for like 2-3 days and today when i went to soak him i noticed him looking at my thumb as if it were food so i made him a hard boiled egg yolk only he gobbled that right down anyone else have similar experiences?

 

[christinaland128]

If my reds had it their way they'd eat mushrooms, waxworms and fish all day! They love it but of course I only offer as 10% of diet.

It makes me wonder if they crave bugs more when they're young. Because they hide quite a bit (in dark damp places) when they're young, and there are more bugs in these places.

 

[naturalman91]

If my reds had it their way they'd eat mushrooms, waxworms and fish all day! They love it but of course I only offer as 10% of diet.

It makes me wonder if they crave bugs more when they're young. Because they hide quite a bit (in dark damp places) when they're young, and there are more bugs in these places.

I've thought about that to

 

[tinkerbell1189]

My Russian tortoise is supposed to be a herbivore but iv seen him gobble up a worm or woodlice a few times. I think they are opportunists..

 

[kathyth]

My 7 Redfoots love to eat anything at all.
They are hogs!

 

[naturalman91]

My 7 Redfoots love to eat anything at all.
They are hogs!

mine normally will to but he was turning his nose up to greens lol as soon as i put the yolk in they're bam! all over it lol

 

[kathyth]

mine normally will to but he was turning his nose up to greens lol as soon as i put the yolk in they're bam! all over it lol

Your guy was definitely letting you know that the greens were not good enough for him!! Funny!

 

[Turtlepete]

Redfoots will almost never refuse meaty foods. Atleast I've never soon one do it . I doubt it was so much a strategized plan (they are smart, but I'm not sure about they're planning capacity), as it was he just wasn't hungry but then decided some egg would be delicious!

 

[naturalman91]

Redfoots will almost never refuse meaty foods. Atleast I've never soon one do it . I doubt it was so much a strategized plan (they are smart, but I'm not sure about they're planning capacity), as it was he just wasn't hungry but then decided some egg would be delicious!

do you think they have the smarts to correct there body? like if they need animal protein they seek it out or if they need mineral's they try to find them to?

 

[Turtlepete]

do you think they have the smarts to correct there body? like if they need animal protein they seek it out or if they need mineral's they try to find them to?

A lot of people say this and I'd like to believe it. How tortoises and/or animals won't eat plants if they know they are toxic, or other things they know that will harm them. How they will seek out the proper nutrients they need when they need it. The thing is, I've seen both of these cases in all sorts of different species/orders of animals. Hard to say which to believe, really. So again, it's a guess, but I really can't even guess one way or another, because I've seen both happen.

 

[naturalman91]

it makes for a interesting topic tho lol

 

[christinaland128]

I once dumped some ladybugs on a plant in my house (because of aphids) and a few of them made their way into the enclosure. My reds followed them inquisitively but didn't try to eat them at all. And I believe ladybugs are toxic.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My baby grabs earthworms that wiggle into his wading pool. On a more gruesome note, My adults had a more disgusting meal...I had some rats eating hay and leftover food at night, so I placed a trap on top of one of the fence posts on my large tortoise enclosure. The next morning I found the trap upside down in the pen. It looked empty but when I picked it up there was a rat that was eaten right to the edges of the wood on the trap.

 

[naturalman91]

My baby grabs earthworms that wiggle into his wading pool. On a more gruesome note, My adults had a more disgusting meal...I had some rats eating hay and leftover food at night, so I placed a trap on top of one of the fence posts on my large tortoise enclosure. The next morning I found the trap upside down in the pen. It looked empty but when I picked it up there was a rat that was eaten right to the edges of the wood on the trap.

that's gnarly lol