tortoise unwilling to try new foods

[ceci3692]

Troubles usually eats an organic spring mix or herb mix. Ill sometimes mix in kale, brocolli, or zuchini. He has tried tomato and mango once or twice but doesnt really seem to want to eat usually.

I thought it would b nice to change things up but he doesnt seem to want to try anything new?
Any advice? Or foods i should try?

 

[turtleluv88]

My box turtles are very much the same way (very picky and choosy) Sometimes they like it and sometimes they don't. Often unwilling to try something different, I've even tried mixing small amounts of something new into their other food but some how they still seem to know and pick through it or spit it out. I wish there was something u could do. Once I tried rolling lettuce around a mealworm and offering it with tweezers (it worked but it didn't change his feelings about lettuce at that time)

I've noticed that they can really hold out on eating until they get what they want and someone once told me that you have to use tough love.

Good luck!

 

[Redstrike]

Just keep presenting different options and they'll eventually warm up to a more varied diet.

 

[wellington]

You can also chop all the food up very small, the old and the new. Mix it all together and mist with water. The water makes it all stick together better and harder for them to pick through

 

[turtleluv88]

You can also chop all the food up very small, the old and the new. Mix it all together and mist with water. The water makes it all stick together better and harder for them to pick through

I tried that that too. But they just decided it wasn't worth it. I keep offering it.

 

[kingskettle]

Don't give up. My two new Testudo g.g. were loathe to eat anything different having been used to lettuce only but within 2 weeks were sampling and then enjoying a wide variety of weeds and garden flowers and leaves. Keep offering!:

 

[ceci3692]

ive tried mixing them in with other food, and i have tried wrapping food up in something that's already familiar.
Nothing seems to work really.

But the other day. I cut a small slice of mango, and put it in his dish before I left for work. when I got home he was asleep, face first in a mango peel. hahaa

I will keep trying out things with him

 

[dmmj]

What type of tortoise are we talking about?

 

[ceci3692]

A russian tortoise

 

[Spn785]

A russian tortoise

If I'm not mistaken you really shouldn't be giving Russian Tortoises fruit, maybe some tomato every once in a while, but not really a mango, but I might be wrong about that.

 

[pemry3]

I had the same problem with my hermanns. All he wanted was romaine. I started by using the "slap chop" to cut different greens into really tiny pieces and offered it to him. It took just over four weeks but I finally got him eating a mixture, without romaine. Just keep offering him different food and eventually he will warm up to it.

Also, It worked for my guy, but I feed him outside of his enclosure, and he seems to eat more when he is not in his indoor enclosure.

And one more thought, mine likes consistency, I bath and feed him at the same time each day. They are creatures of habit.

That is just my experience with my picky eater, hope it helps.

 

[leonardo the tmnt]

You can also chop all the food up very small, the old and the new. Mix it all together and mist with water. The water makes it all stick together better and harder for them to pick through

Agreed