# starve day?



## natalienbk (Feb 23, 2020)

I was told when i got my tortoise (nessie) three weeks ago that she should have a strave day, so once a week i shouldnt feed her is this right? 
she is fussy and doesnt eat every day even tho the food is there if she wants, so should she have strave day or just leave her to choise? help please  thank you


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## Tom (Feb 23, 2020)

What is "strave"? You mean starve? No. Tortoises are grazers. They should be able to graze freely on the right foods all day, every day.


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## natalienbk (Feb 23, 2020)

Thank you and yes I ment starve.


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## Sa Ga (Feb 23, 2020)

I was told that too. I tried it a few times with Morla, though she eats every day when offered.

I don't think it did her any favors though. She seemed very sluggish and though sometimes it did seem to "clear out" her system (ie-huge poo that following day), just as often, she would not, and then she'd sometimes get irregular (less or no poo for the next day).


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## Cathie G (Feb 24, 2020)

I've always used "full feed" on all my animals. Even rabbits that are notorious for overeating. I do make sure they have fresh and clean, food and water everyday. But I also make sure it's the right food and the same time everyday. It's funny because I can feel in my bones when my tortoise is going to eat good but I still put out breakfast. If he eats all of that I put out more. I don't want him to want a snack and waltz up to an empty food tile.


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## RosemaryDW (Feb 24, 2020)

There isn’t any proven benefit to a starve day. Tortoises can go a long time without food in the wild but that doesn’t mean they should.


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## Maro2Bear (Feb 24, 2020)

I would say, in the wild torts don’t take a day off from grazing. That‘s pretty much what they do from sun up to sun down, graze sleep snooze eat graze sleep eat roam hide. Wake up rinse & repeat. I’m pretty sure no tort sleeps in & takes the day off & ”starves” itself. They move graze hide & move on.


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## Sa Ga (Feb 24, 2020)

RosemaryDW said:


> There isn’t any proven benefit to a starve day. Tortoises can go a long time without food in the wild but that doesn’t mean they should.


Exactly....just bc they can survive it doesn't mean they should HAVE to. And corollary to that: just bc they DON'T get it in the wild doesn't mean they SHOULDN'T once in a domestic setting if it provides benefit or further comfort to them. (I don't think Morla gets too much coconut coir in Afghanistan...but even grabbing dirt from outdoors (nature) can pose pathogenic and parasite risks I can circumvent by using that.)


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## Sa Ga (Feb 24, 2020)

Maro2Bear said:


> I would say, in the wild torts don’t take a day off from grazing. That‘s pretty much what they do from sun up to sun down, graze sleep snooze eat graze sleep eat roam hide. Wake up rinse & repeat. I’m pretty sure no tort sleeps in & takes the day off & ”starves” itself. They move graze hide & move on.


Although the trendy torts may fast to keep up their girlish figures... ?


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## Beasty_Artemis (Feb 25, 2020)

My health has taken a hit this last year. So sometimes I can usually forgive myself when I forget to feed Arty for one day. Because I never stick to the "starving day" schedule even though I too was told something similar when I first received her! Her feeding schedule is on a little poster I made for my tortoise room wall. But I still never do the " no food day" suggestion.


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## Cathie G (Feb 25, 2020)

Sa Ga said:


> Exactly....just bc they can survive it doesn't mean they should HAVE to. And corollary to that: just bc they DON'T get it in the wild doesn't mean they SHOULDN'T once in a domestic setting if it provides benefit or further comfort to them. (I don't think Morla gets too much coconut coir in Afghanistan...but even grabbing dirt from outdoors (nature) can pose pathogenic and parasite risks I can circumvent by using that.)


Yes! If they are able to get everything they need in the wild, WHY are so many going extinct? They need us to improve their lives.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 25, 2020)

They are going extinct because of deforestation, loss of habitat, capture for the pet trade. In the wild they are opportunistic eaters, graze, eat a dead lizard, eat poop. It's for that reason that I didn't feed my box turtles or Sulcata daily. Bob was the easiest going tortoise but he would get very aggressive and sleep more when I didn't feed him daily. My box turtles got fed about 3 times a weak and they were unhealthy and thin so I started feeding everyday and I simply don't have feeding problems. I don't care whether they eat or not, I still offer it daily...I was in my backyard in California watching my 3 legged female desert tortoise, Mildred. She very casually walked across her space and grabbed a blue belly lizard off the fence about 8 inches long and ate it all....


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## natalienbk (Feb 25, 2020)

Thank you all for your help


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## ZEROPILOT (Feb 27, 2020)

maggie18fan said:


> They are going extinct because of deforestation, loss of habitat, capture for the pet trade. In the wild they are opportunistic eaters, graze, eat a dead lizard, eat poop. It's for that reason that I didn't feed my box turtles or Sulcata daily. Bob was the easiest going tortoise but he would get very aggressive and sleep more when I didn't feed him daily. My box turtles got fed about 3 times a weak and they were unhealthy and thin so I started feeding everyday and I simply don't have feeding problems. I don't care whether they eat or not, I still offer it daily...I was in my backyard in California watching my 3 legged female desert tortoise, Mildred. She very casually walked across her space and grabbed a blue belly lizard off the fence about 8 inches long and ate it all....


True.
Tortoises that have outdoors enclosures don't go without eating if they aren't fed for a day of two.


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## jsheffield (Feb 27, 2020)

My torts miss a day eating every once in a while... not planned but it doesn't seem to hurt them at all.

Jamie


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## Sa Ga (Feb 27, 2020)

Maro2Bear said:


> I would say, in the wild torts don’t take a day off from grazing. That‘s pretty much what they do from sun up to sun down, graze sleep snooze eat graze sleep eat roam hide. Wake up rinse & repeat. I’m pretty sure no tort sleeps in & takes the day off & ”starves” itself. They move graze hide & move on.





Cathie G said:


> Yes! If they are able to get everything they need in the wild, WHY are so many going extinct? They need us to improve their lives.


Well, humans are a paradox... We are causing the damage that directly endangers their numbers. Yet, with correct care, we can prevent the pitfalls that claim their lives in the wild and extend the survival of those individuals we have in our homes as pets.

I do wonder though... ? Given the hoardes of well-meaning but misinformed owners out there--let alone the...uninspired (ie: lazy or willfully negligent), careless (unprepared or unwilling to do the right thing in the face of what they'd prefer), or whimsy (want it today, bored w/ it tomorrow) of the masses....how many torts truly benefit from human presence or even involvement? Given that they've lived fine over all for millions of years without problems bf us, and now considering how briefly humans have been here and how many are now dwindling....I don't think the data supports humans as tortie (or any animal!) heroes. ?


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 28, 2020)

Sa Ga said:


> Well, humans are a paradox... We are causing the damage that directly endangers their numbers. Yet, with correct care, we can prevent the pitfalls that claim their lives in the wild and extend the survival of those individuals we have in our homes as pets.
> 
> I do wonder though... ? Given the hoardes of well-meaning but misinformed owners out there--let alone the...uninspired (ie: lazy or willfully negligent), careless (unprepared or unwilling to do the right thing in the face of what they'd prefer), or whimsy (want it today, bored w/ it tomorrow) of the masses....how many torts truly benefit from human presence or even involvement? Given that they've lived fine over all for millions of years without problems bf us, and now considering how briefly humans have been here and how many are now dwindling....I don't think the data supports humans as tortie (or any animal!) heroes. ?


Damn that's sad...


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## Cathie G (Feb 28, 2020)

Sa Ga said:


> Well, humans are a paradox... We are causing the damage that directly endangers their numbers. Yet, with correct care, we can prevent the pitfalls that claim their lives in the wild and extend the survival of those individuals we have in our homes as pets.
> 
> I do wonder though... ? Given the hoardes of well-meaning but misinformed owners out there--let alone the...uninspired (ie: lazy or willfully negligent), careless (unprepared or unwilling to do the right thing in the face of what they'd prefer), or whimsy (want it today, bored w/ it tomorrow) of the masses....how many torts truly benefit from human presence or even involvement? Given that they've lived fine over all for millions of years without problems bf us, and now considering how briefly humans have been here and how many are now dwindling....I don't think the data supports humans as tortie (or any animal!) heroes. ?


I think there is a lot of dedicated people trying to help animals but they are so outnumbered. And really animals haven't had the problems surviving that they are facing today until the past 100+ years. The only thing that will help is to keep trying to raise awareness one person at a time.


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## Sa Ga (Feb 28, 2020)

Cathie G said:


> I think there is a lot of dedicated people trying to help animals but they are so outnumbered. And really animals haven't had the problems surviving that they are facing today until the past 100+ years. The only thing that will help is to keep trying to raise awareness one person at a time.


So true! You nay not reach 'em all, but each one you do save is of immense worth!

Of course there are plenty of dedicated, devoted, and responsible pet owners, and they really really make me ? because they are a rare gem! I was just saying that we (humans) generally are a paradox because many of our heroic measures taken for animals are to try to undo the results of our actions, whether it be at a macro level (environment, pet trade, etc.) or more individualistic (taking on one for our own fancy and for whatever reason, cause it more harm than good.


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## RosemaryDW (Feb 29, 2020)

Our tortoise is a great joy in our life but I’ll never feel okay with the fact that she was “harvested” from her home, the single place her body has adopted to. I would never have intentionally purchased her and if we hadn’t had proper housing for her I would have given her up. But here she is and we do the best we can.

I still think about other tortoises facing extinction due to the actions of man. There is a small way I can help and that is through donation. There are plenty of tortoise organizations you can support, both near and far. We look for organizations that focus on protected endangered species. It’s not much but it allows me to feel we’re actively helping tortoises. For sure tortoises have starve days if they don’t have land to graze on.


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## Juan20669 (Mar 9, 2020)

ZEROPILOT said:


> True.
> Tortoises that have outdoors enclosures don't go without eating if they aren't fed for a day of two.


aha I was wondering because i was told to only feed my tortoise two to three times a a week, i've been feeding her on a every other day schedule her whole life she is 8, and she is doing great never had to visit a vet, sometimes i would go a full week or even more with no food at all, and she does great with whatever she finds in my garden.


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## ZEROPILOT (Mar 9, 2020)

Juan20669 said:


> aha I was wondering because i was told to only feed my tortoise two to three times a a week, i've been feeding her on a every other day schedule her whole life she is 8, and she is doing great never had to visit a vet, sometimes i would go a full week or even more with no food at all, and she does great with whatever she finds in my garden.


I feed mine almost every day.
If I can't or don't get around to it, there's still plenty to eat.
Their enclosure is all weeds and plants.


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## Juan20669 (Mar 9, 2020)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I feed mine almost every day.
> If I can't or don't get around to it, there's still plenty to eat.
> Their enclosure is all weeds and plants.


yeah its surprising how easy it is to keep these animals when you have them outdoors


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