Marley is not eating the orchard grass or timothy I put in there for him. I have fed him turnip greens, a small amount of kale. I know his diet should consist of grass and weeds but he just ignores it. What should we do to get him to eat what he should? Is there something else to try? Where to I get the cactus pad or dandelion greens I have read about? Also how do I tell the humidity? Is there something to buy to gage it? I don't think we are getting him what he needs. I need to change his substrate as well and am reading different things that almost go against eachother.... I am a little confused!

vegetable is ok, but pick some has more fibre

I do not own a Leo, but you could grind the hay or grass in a coffee grinder and sprinkle it on his dampened greens that way he is getting his fiber. There is always going to be (I think) conflicting information on torts. We have some people on this forum who have worked with Leos for some time and been breeding them, I'm sure they will respond and help.
As far as humidity they have gages that monitor humidity you can pick up at Petsmart or Petco or most pet stores. There are digital and analog.If you do a search for humidity gauge a lot pop up.
I personally use the one on this site; http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/rept...ity-guage/

Here is some info on leos and their care
http://www.africantortoise.com/
http://forums.shelledwarriors.co.uk/view...eded49912e
http://www.turtlecafe.com/sulcata_and_le...e_care.htm

some edible plants: Make sure they have no pestisides or fertilizers
http://russiantortoise.org/plant_photos.htm
Dandilions can be bought at some Grosery stores as well as Cactus (nopales) fresh not pickled.

Organic plants
http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/

Organically grown tortoise food
http://www.reptigreens.com/
http://www.reptileeats.com/

Thankyou again, Robyn! you have been a big help since I have been on the forum.

try to cut the grass into little bits! grass are hard to eat than greens thats why they ignore it. I was in the same situation with you before.

I have been chopping the hay and grass real tiny ( also recomended by the vet ) for the passed two weeks, still ignoring it!! LOL. I know it is important for him to eat the hay I have even tried to wet it and mix it in with the greens....guess he is too smart for that too!!

I feed my leopards lettuces (romaine, green leaf or red leaf), dandelion, and kale, lightly sprinkled with calcium powders once a week. While they're free in my backyard they like to eat certain weeds. They seem to like certain type of weeds and ignore the others; I can't tell you which one that they like as I'm not a weed expert so I don't know their names/what they're called. When they were babies they like lettuces and dandelion only. I read somewhere that not after leopards are much older would they start to eat grass/hay. Mine still won't and they are about 5 yrs old now, even though there are lots of them in my backyard.

Some articles mentioned that variety of greens would be the best. I tend to agree but yet I know someone who lives in San Diego area who feeds her leopards only romaine, and she's been very successful and her leopards, more than 30 yrs old now, have produced lots of healthy babies.

Depending on where you live, you could buy dandelion greens at certain grocery stores or farmers markets. Here in San Jose/San Francsico bay area they're available at Cosentino's, Lunardi's, or certain Lucky stores (not all, depending on location).

I would buy the inexpensive coffee grinder, and grind the hay up with that. Ive done that for hatchlings then mist the greens with water and mix with the hay dust. They cant avoid it then

Thanks Anja, that is what I have been doing now. I am alternating greens for some variety the vet said Carrot sometimes is good to get him some v A. He loves that treat !! I cut up the hay and grasses real real fine and mix it in with the greens a little moist. You are right, now he has no choice!! LOl.

Neither my yearling or my 6 month old would eat grass. But I moved last week and didn't have time to run to the store for more greens so I didn't feed them for four days...(bad mommy I know). Finally on day five I was confronted by the two of them when I turned on the lights. They were both crammed into the food bowl staring me down lol. So I threw in some grass and clover from the yard. A couple hours later when I went back to the house to get them and their table to bring them to the new house (they were the last to move, had to set up extension cords -.-) all of the grass was gone! I guess they were just that hungry to try it. Now they actually graze when I take them outside. I would not recommend starving your baby (not that mine starved, the yearling is a whopping 630 grams) but a little tough love works sometimes i guess.