Anna Westphal
Member
I have a newly acquired 5 year old sulcada female. Stella is a magnificent creature. She was living in a bathtub previously, and I couldn't bear the thought of her spending one more day in a tub, so now she's mine and I want to do everything I can to make her life good.
I have previously had box turtles, but I know their requirements are different than Stella's are. I have made two really big outdoor enclosures for her, and she has free range of the backyard during the day to graze. She's a good eater, and I am confident that the diet I am providing her so far is a good one.
However, I live in high desert and know that she will need to be inside over the winter months. I intend to set her up in a roomy enclosure with proper heating and lighting, but my main concern is about her diet over the winter months without her being able to access fresh grass. We have 5 acres and lots of prickly pear cactus, so my question is can I freeze the cactus for winter use to add to her diet? Also is grass any good for her when it is dried or does it need to be fresh for her to benefit from it? I have timothy hay for her, but so far she has not eaten any. What do I need to do to prepare for a winter diet for my girl when her grazing time is over? Thanks for any advise.
I have previously had box turtles, but I know their requirements are different than Stella's are. I have made two really big outdoor enclosures for her, and she has free range of the backyard during the day to graze. She's a good eater, and I am confident that the diet I am providing her so far is a good one.
However, I live in high desert and know that she will need to be inside over the winter months. I intend to set her up in a roomy enclosure with proper heating and lighting, but my main concern is about her diet over the winter months without her being able to access fresh grass. We have 5 acres and lots of prickly pear cactus, so my question is can I freeze the cactus for winter use to add to her diet? Also is grass any good for her when it is dried or does it need to be fresh for her to benefit from it? I have timothy hay for her, but so far she has not eaten any. What do I need to do to prepare for a winter diet for my girl when her grazing time is over? Thanks for any advise.