# Grazing.



## Alaskamike (Sep 10, 2014)

I have an observation and idea. Perhaps some of the more experienced can comment. 

I have good sized enclosed lanai -with a pool , about 2 k sq '. And have been taking my young torts out to explore and feed them in the mornings. My lanai is covered in paving brick and I am in South Florida - so plenty of sun and heat. The young leopard torts live in a 10 x 10 planted outside enclosure when not on lanai with me. 

I've noticed that the two leopards will eat at the bowl for awhile , but then they both take off and start their " walkabout" It is amazing how long and far they walk. During this time they inspect every speck of dirt , weed ( yes some finds its way up through the seams between the bricks) and fallen leaf. They even sniff bugs. It seems they are grazing. 
To experiment with this I began taking cutting from the tort grass & broad leafs it grow and sprinkling the around the lanai. This seems to delight them. I swear they would rather eat a bite here and there and keep walking than sit and eat in one spot. 
I'm thinking this is instinctual
Anyway they get a great deal of exercise this way. Lol. 
Do you think there is a built in grazing instinct that's showing itself here?


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## Abdulla6169 (Sep 10, 2014)

I don't know about the instinct, but I found my Greek will eat more with some time placed between feedings... Also, be careful. The paving bricks can get pretty hot. If you cant walk barefoot on it, then so cant your tort


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## ZEROPILOT (Sep 10, 2014)

It's great that your torts have sooo much room. My R/Fs will roam my whole back yard when let out of their pens and even though the whole yard is grass and weeds (It's green!) It's interesting to watch them stop and take just a bite or two of specific shoots that look nice to them and then move along. Do your Leopards roam as nomads in the wild or do they establish territories? Mine make big circles in the yard that always lead back to me.


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## Alaskamike (Sep 10, 2014)

I honestly don't know if they are territorial in the wild. I do know they travel great distances in search of food. Especially in the more arid regions


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## Neal (Sep 10, 2014)

Alaskamike said:


> Do you think there is a built in grazing instinct that's showing itself here?



No doubt about it. I often observe my tortoises walking around and grazing even after eating a big meal that I dumped right in front of them. This is why I always recommend keeping young tortoises in enclosures with growing edible food. Even picky eaters will graze here and there if there is growing food provided.


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## mikeh (Sep 10, 2014)

Grazing is also more beneficial for digestive tract then eating large pile of food at once from a dish. Grazing small amounts thru out much of a day while walking around keeps the digestion moving slowly but steady allowing the food to break down, ferment and digest more complete. The food stays in the system longer. 
When given large pile of food at once it moves thru the system faster, not having enough time to go thru full break down cycle. This large amount of food all at once can also make the tortoise purge their intestine prematurely. 

The poo looks very different (in size and consistency) in a 100% grazing tortoise when compared to bowl fed tortoise.


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## Tom (Sep 10, 2014)

When the winter rains come we have an amazing transformation here. It is all dead, bone dry and desolate here right now. Typical high desert landscape. When the rains come everything goes green. Grasses and weeds sprout up all over my large outdoor tortoise pens. I don't even attempt to feed my tortoises during this time. They just walk past trays of delicious food that they would literally come running to in the summer months. They gaze a bit here and there all day long, never stopping in one spot for very long. This last for about 5 months or so, and by June we are back to the bare dirt, barren and dry routine. On years with good rain, I can go from November to May without ever "feeding" my outdoor tortoises.


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