# What I Fed My Tortoise Today...



## Tom (Jul 17, 2020)

I thought it would be fun to have a thread where people can post what their tortoise(s) get fed each day. So many members ask for feeding advice and ideas that I thought we could link this thread as an example of what to feed. I've gotten new ideas and inspiration from so many other tortoise keepers, so I'd like to share what I've learned over the years and also get some new ideas for myself.

Most days I just feed one item, like mulberry leaves or opuntia pads. Today I mixed up all kinds of different stuff. I use a 5 gallon bucket, pile everything in there and mix it all up. I started with a head of endive and two bunches of cilantro. Then I mixed in some freshly sprouted grass collected from my pots. Got some hollyhock leaves, thistle, marigold leaves and flowers, a couple of handfuls of dried moringa leaves from @Kapidolo Farms , some soaked Timothy hay horse pellets, some fresh cut Bermuda grass, and then I topped it all off with a garnish of lavatera and hollyhock flowers.



This food was fed to my stars, radiata, chersina and all the babies in the reptile room:



It would take 3 full buckets like that to feed the sulcatas and leopards, so they got three buckets of opuntia pads instead. Here is the pile next to one of the sulcata houses. The big sulcatas and SA leopards always have grass hay available too.

.


Here is Gargantua looking huge and eating from his pile:




The leopards are on the other side of the ranch. I didn't get a picture of their cactus pad pile, but you get the idea.

What did YOU feed your tortoise(s) today?


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## Skip K (Jul 17, 2020)

Redfoots and leopard....spring mix, collard and mashed Zoomed mixed together with hibiscus flowers on top...with the leopard grazing on grass as well.
Baby Sulcatas...pretty much the same.
I rarely feed only one item


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## KarenSoCal (Jul 18, 2020)

I always mix at least 5 or 6 items together for Sulafat, my Burmese Star. Today he got his staples, endive/escarole, and radicchio, which he gets every day. Added in was dandelion, cilantro, mulberry leaves, opuntia, and a mushy Mazuri pellet.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jul 18, 2020)

This morning I fed hibiscus flowers and leaves, mushrooms, dried mulberry, moringa, raspberry, and mashed Mazuri.


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## turtlesteve (Jul 18, 2020)

Wild lettuce, romaine lettuce from the garden, hibiscus, zucchini leaves, grass, and mulberry (not shown).


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## Chubbs the tegu (Jul 18, 2020)

Grass, plantain, wild violets, dandelion greens and flowers and a lil kale today


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## Chubbs the tegu (Jul 18, 2020)

Then he just nibbles around outside all day


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## Lokkje (Jul 18, 2020)

I do a mix of various dried plants and shove a few hibiscus flowers in it once a week. I get the plants from Will and the desert tortoises love it. It looks like a big pile of mud that they’re eating and I’ve had people who’ve come over ask me why I’m feeding them piles of mud. My little leopard gets it daily but the deserts only get it on Saturday. Usually Tiny Tim the male hangs out only with 5 1/2 or zigzag my females and they don’t usually eat together which is why I only feed them this once a week. Otherwise, there’s plenty outside for them to eat that I grow and the two females are very competitive with one another and zigzag pushes 5 1/2 off.


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## wellington (Jul 18, 2020)

All mine eat whatever they find to graze on. Weeds, grass and any flowers they find coming up. A few times a week I feed mazuri and some romaine or spring mix just too mix it up a bit. Mostly grazing in the summer.


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## Tom (Jul 18, 2020)

Today was a little simpler. I finished up the remainder of my cilantro and endive, mixed in some soaked ZooMed Gourmet Tortoise pellets, and a couple of handfuls of herbal tortoise hay from Tortoisesupply.com.


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## Blackdog1714 (Jul 18, 2020)

I was bad-left the house in a fog on the way to work. The Kapidola food chunks with vitamin supplement were soaking on the counter in the kitchen. Wife texted me later that I also left my lunch on the counter. ??! THe wife couldn't help me with my luch,but the tortoises got fed!


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## Maro2Bear (Jul 18, 2020)

Sooooo, wifey went shopping to our local International Market this morning. I had my order in early & our Sully gets extra treats on marker day.

I cleaned up Sullys “feeding tray” and topped it up with freshly mown weeds & grass. Then a few cactus pads & some cactus fruit (aka tuna). We normally get a few bundles of cheap dandelion greens from the Market, but prices are now sky high. Instead, we bought a few bundles of “Yu Choy” (A) Tossed in a few Yu Choy leaves. Also picked up half of a Calabasa pumpkin (B). (Pix). A few slices of pumpkin out for Sully along with the pumpkin innards & seeds. A few hibiscus flowers, some cubes of zucchini, freshly picked grape leaves. And, a few fresh corn husks. All topped with a sprinkle or three of freshly mown Maryland grass/weeds/plantains/dandelions/clover.


*Notes*
(A) Chinese Greens, or *Yu Choy*, looks a lot like the Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan), except that the *Yu Choy* stalks are skinnier and the flowers are yellow (Gai Lan has white flowers). This vegetable is tender, the taste of the leaves are very much like spinach leaves, even though it is part of the mustard family.

(B) *Calabaza* is one of the generic names in Spanish for hard squashes (Cucurbita spp.). These represent multiple species of cucurbita; however, the most common species is C. moschata, which is the *same* genus and species as *butternut squash* and many other hard squashes grown in New England.


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## MichaelL (Jul 18, 2020)

Tom said:


> I thought it would be fun to have a thread where people can post what their tortoise(s) get fed each day. So many members ask for feeding advice and ideas that I thought we could link this thread as an example of what to feed. I've gotten new ideas and inspiration from so many other tortoise keepers, so I'd like to share what I've learned over the years and also get some new ideas for myself.
> 
> Most days I just feed one item, like mulberry leaves or opuntia pads. Today I mixed up all kinds of different stuff. I use a 5 gallon bucket, pile everything in there and mix it all up. I started with a head of endive and two bunches of cilantro. Then I mixed in some freshly sprouted grass collected from my pots. Got some hollyhock leaves, thistle, marigold leaves and flowers, a couple of handfuls of dried moringa leaves from @Kapidolo Farms , some soaked Timothy hay horse pellets, some fresh cut Bermuda grass, and then I topped it all off with a garnish of lavatera and hollyhock flowers.
> View attachment 300303
> ...


Love it! There's something satisfying about making a tortoise's lunch and watching it fill up on healthy greens? I'm sure you've heard my list of foods in another thread, but I'll say it again just for others too Also, you're tortoises look great, love the non pyramided shells.

So I have fed clover, hibiscus, narrowleaf plantain, sowthistle, rose, hawksbit, dandelion, mulberry leaves, collards, romaine, boston fern, mimosa, horseherb, and probably others I can't think of off the top of my head. I feed most of those in one meal every once in a while when I feel like making it fancy. Usually though I just give one or two at once. Usually it is mulberry leaves, rose leaves, hawksbit, mimosa, or collards because those are the most abundant. (I grow collards, and the others are right near the tortoise pen) But yeah, they are growing great with the variety of foods and outdoor, sunny environment. Large variety of healthy foods + Sun = Healthy tortoise.

Enjoy some pics of the torts eating.?


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## ComeNT8kIt (Jul 19, 2020)

Well apparently we’re not that exciting. My Hermann’s got a little mazuri topped with hibiscus leaves, prickly pear cactus pad and a little bell pepper


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## deedle (Jul 19, 2020)

This was very interesting and helpful! Thanks!


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## Cozmo88 (Jul 19, 2020)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> This morning I fed hibiscus flowers and leaves, mushrooms, dried mulberry, moringa, raspberry, and mashed Mazuri.
> View attachment 300317


I’ve been hearing about this Mazuri. Where can one get some? I have a Russian tortoise. Is it good for them?


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## Cozmo88 (Jul 19, 2020)

This is from yesterday, as I didn’t take a picture this morning. He got some endive, green dandelions, some spring mix, And I went outside to pick some plantain leaves from my yard as well as a few clovers, sprinkled with some dried mulberry and dried rose flowers on top. (The dried mulberry and rose flowers are from Kapidolo Farms)


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## Maggie3fan (Jul 19, 2020)

This morning my 2 Sulcata got Rose of Sharon flowers and leafs, grape leafs, carrots, zucchini, and sweet potatoes, they also have free feed hay in the tort shed. It's gonna be 90 today. That is so rare.
Knobby and grape leafs


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## Tom (Jul 19, 2020)

Everybody got opuntia today:


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## Maro2Bear (Jul 19, 2020)

Cozmo88 said:


> I’ve been hearing about this Mazuri. Where can one get some? I have a Russian tortoise. Is it good for them?



Depends how much you want to purchase, smaller amounts are easily located. But here’s the main web sute






Mazuri | Mazuri® Exotic Animal Nutrition


Mazuri



www.mazuri.com





Regular  https://www.mazuri.com/mazuri/reptile/tortoise/tortoise-diet-25lb

Some torts don’t like the new & improved, some do. New stuff  http://www.chewy.com/mazuri-tortoise-diet-ls-food/dp/124765


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## Nash (Jul 19, 2020)




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## Sleppo (Jul 19, 2020)

The ladies had broadleafs, spring mix, dandelion, and cucumber soaked zoo med pellets. I threw them roses petals while gardening too. Oh and a leftover sweet potato, it was fridge cleaning day.


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## ColumbiaJane (Jul 19, 2020)

Son, the desert tortoise, got green beans (favorite!), broccoli, mulberry leaves, spring mix, grape leaves. Juliet, the Russian, got green beans, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale and spring mix.


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## Maro2Bear (Jul 19, 2020)

Nash said:


> View attachment 300512



Thats a good looking Sully.


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## Nash (Jul 19, 2020)

Maro2Bear said:


> Thats a good looking Sully.


Thank you Maro2Bear. 

Nash just finished his Mazuri and is getting a treat of pumpkin, he's got honeysuckle to his left, behind him grass, clover, and weeds. Other desserts when I'm in his garden are grape, mulberry, pumpkin, and butternut squash leaves around the corner, as well as chard with roses, nasturtiums, marigold, mums, hollyhock and geraniums on the side. Up the hill a spineless opuntia cactus. He pretty much just forages and follows me around waiting for me to drop something. I guess you can tell I made my front yard into HIS habitat.


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## Nash (Jul 19, 2020)

He wouldn't have looked as good as he does if it wasn't for all of you through out the years, giving your good advice!


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## Adam_89 (Jul 19, 2020)

Fresh greens, some dandelions from the garden and some of my home grown weeds (which have shot up in a matter of days - pic below)
And some small chunks of cucumber!


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## Idahorosie1 (Jul 19, 2020)

I give my box turtles live meal worms and he/she comes over to me as soon as I open the top of the enclosure. They love to hunt down the worms. I also gave flower topper from ZooMed and rose petals, chamamile buds, along with the turtle chow. 
I offer fresh veggies but have difficulty getting them to eat it.
I give the red slider turtles dried meal worms and turtle chow. 
I give the baby red slider cooked shrimp along with floating aquatic chow. I show the baby turtle the food can through the aquarium glass before I put the food in the water. It starts rapidly waving its front legs and swims to the surface to get the food. I think it recognizes the food can and knows I am going to feed it. Our way of communicating.


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## C. Nelson (Jul 19, 2020)

Here are the *before and after* pictures of a typical daily spread: aloe vera, soaked Mazuri, Italian parsley and other mixed greens from backyard, hibiscus flowers, hollyhock leaves, sunflower leaf (moderation only), Russian sage, Blue sage, rose petals, And for snacking...the grass.


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## Viola B (Jul 19, 2020)

Today my Russian, Merlina had squash flower, hawksbit, mallow, dandelions, and grape leaf.


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## queen koopa (Jul 19, 2020)

Yesterday I gave Koopa ( 6 1/2 yr old Sulcata) a 4 ft pumpkin vine with huge leaves and a bucket of fresh cut Bermuda. Today I opened up (first time
She’s seen it) her new lawn extension in her enclosure that is all lovely Bermuda. After 20 mins in the new area, she did her “run” back to her shed. Never came out again today. She didn’t visit her water today.. new area stressed her our and she decided to hide all day.


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## solidsounds17 (Jul 19, 2020)

Tom said:


> Everybody got opuntia today:
> View attachment 300481


You feed the spines to your tortoises?


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## Maro2Bear (Jul 20, 2020)

Our hardy hibiscus is finally pushing out nice large flowers. I picked a handful of these blossoms already this morning & fed.


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## JenC (Jul 20, 2020)

Nash said:


> View attachment 300512


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## JenC (Jul 20, 2020)

Nash said:


> Thank you Maro2Bear.
> 
> Nash just finished his Mazuri and is getting a treat of pumpkin, he's got honeysuckle to his left, behind him grass, clover, and weeds. Other desserts when I'm in his garden are grape, mulberry, pumpkin, and butternut squash leaves around the corner, as well as chard with roses, nasturtiums, marigold, mums, hollyhock and geraniums on the side. Up the hill a spineless opuntia cactus. He pretty much just forages and follows me around waiting for me to drop something. I guess you can tell I made my front yard into HIS habitat.


Damn.....these guys eat healthier than me ?


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## queen koopa (Jul 20, 2020)

solidsounds17 said:


> You feed the spines to your tortoises?


Its spineless opuntia. Theres many species. Life saver, almost the easiest thing to grow once you’ve got a pad!


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## Tom (Jul 20, 2020)

solidsounds17 said:


> You feed the spines to your tortoises?


All 12 of my varieties are "spineless". Some of them do produce a few tiny little spines on some of the pads, but the tortoises can just eat them with no problem. For several years now I've been feeding buckets of cactus pads to all species and all ages, including hatchlings.

All of them do produce those little micro glochids, but again, the tortoises just eat them with no issues whatsoever.


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## EllieMay (Jul 20, 2020)

Free graze grass and weeds with a side of Alfafa / Timothy grass pellets, mazuri, rose of Sharon, hardy hibiscus all topped with Moringa powder..


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## Srmcclure (Jul 20, 2020)

Today my kiddos were fed endive, escarole, radicchio, cilantro, wild lettuce, mushrooms and OG mazuri, a whole assortment of Kapidolo 'sprinkles' as i call it lol, calcium powder and some cantaloupe added to chi chi's and grass added to Ghidos. They get a pellet or 2 a day of mazuri instead of one big day with it.


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## Turtulas-Len (Jul 20, 2020)

I feed different items separately all day. These are some of today's offerings.

Grape, mulberry, dandelion, and violet leaves. Purslane, wild wandering jew, cactus fruit, yesterdays ROS blooms, thistle, wild lettuce and later today will pick some clover, cactus pads raspberry leaves and offer some mazuri as a last item before they settle in for the night.


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## Turtulas-Len (Jul 20, 2020)

queen koopa said:


> Yesterday I gave Koopa ( 6 1/2 yr old Sulcata) a 4 ft pumpkin vine with huge leaves and a bucket of fresh cut Bermuda. Today I opened up (first time
> She’s seen it) her new lawn extension in her enclosure that is all lovely Bermuda. After 20 mins in the new area, she did her “run” back to her shed. Never came out again today. She didn’t visit her water today.. new area stressed her our and she decided to hide all day.


Sulcatas really don't like change, but they get over it rather quick most times. It took a couple weeks for mine to get used to his new outdoor enclosure though.


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## Kapidolo Farms (Jul 20, 2020)

The Tortoise Chef


This is a thread about what you actually feed out. @Yvonne G , my 'tortoise wife', posted this scrumptious fare with a description here http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/live-naked-people.126107/page-19#post-1472245 Other wonderful meals by other members are @Anyfoot here...




www.tortoiseforum.org





Cool, if not original, idea.


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## Cozmo88 (Jul 20, 2020)

Tom said:


> Today was a little simpler. I finished up the remainder of my cilantro and endive, mixed in some soaked ZooMed Gourmet Tortoise pellets, and a couple of handfuls of herbal tortoise hay from Tortoisesupply.com.
> View attachment 300361


Are those tortoise pellets good for Russian torts??


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## Viola B (Jul 20, 2020)

This post has been a fun read with everyone giving what they feed. Very nice change from all going around us.
Today my Russian had snapdragon flowers and leaves, mallow, dandelions, ralish seed heads and flowers, prickly sow thistle and cactus, with miner-all. 
She then peed on all, then hid under weeds and off for a nice nap. Can you find her?


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## queen koopa (Jul 20, 2020)

Viola B said:


> This post has been a fun read with everyone giving what they feed. Very nice change from all going around us.
> Today my Russian had snapdragon flowers and leaves, mallow, dandelions, ralish seed heads and flowers, prickly sow thistle and cactus, with miner-all.
> She then peed on all, then hid under weeds and off for a nice nap. Can you find her?
> View attachment 300653


Peed on all ????


?here maybe.... ?


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## Tom (Jul 20, 2020)

Cozmo88 said:


> Are those tortoise pellets good for Russian torts??


Yes. Any of the ZooMed Pellets, Grassland, Forest or Gourmet, are good as part of a varied diet for any species. Its a great way to add variety and fiber to grocery store greens.


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## Viola B (Jul 20, 2020)

queen koopa said:


> Peed on all ????
> 
> View attachment 300654
> ?here maybe.... ?


Nope, a little more to the right.


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## Rogue097 (Jul 21, 2020)

Today I fed my Russian a mix of escarole, radicchio, and collard greens. Mixed with some mashed pellets and a sprinkling of herbal hay, both from Tortoise Supply.
Although what he actually ate was the escarole, because he keeps picking through everything else...?‍


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2020)

Rogue097 said:


> Today I fed my Russian a mix of escarole, radicchio, and collard greens. Mixed with some mashed pellets and a sprinkling of herbal hay, both from Tortoise Supply.
> Although what he actually ate was the escarole, because he keeps picking through everything else...?‍


It takes weeks or months for them to get used to the mix-ins. He'll eventually start to like them.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jul 21, 2020)

I didn't take photos. But today was red and pink hibiscus flowers, blueberries and grape tomatoes for my Redfoot torts.
I like to watch them search and find the berries in the grass, etc.
I feed hibiscus leaves and flowers as part of the diet almost every day this time of year because there are dozens of new flowers every day.


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## iAmCentrochelys sulcata (Jul 21, 2020)

Nash said:


> View attachment 300512


WOW! I’ve never seen a adult Sulcata with such coloring! It looks like a BIG baby sulcata. Maybe because of then Rain?


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## RosemaryDW (Jul 21, 2020)

Kapidolo Farms said:


> The Tortoise Chef
> 
> 
> This is a thread about what you actually feed out. @Yvonne G , my 'tortoise wife', posted this scrumptious fare with a description here http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/live-naked-people.126107/page-19#post-1472245 Other wonderful meals by other members are @Anyfoot here...
> ...


Yes; perhaps we can get them merged.


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## turtlebean (Jul 21, 2020)

this is absolutely my new favorite thread!! seeing what all of you feed your little ones gives me tons of ideas and inspiration for tortillini!! 

today he had his favorite (escarole), mixed with a pinch of calcium powder, a couple of dried flowers, some mulberry leaves, an inch or two of a cactus pad (he’s sitting on it LOL) and some broadleaf weeds!



Plate presentation was a solid 9/10 but Tortillini prefers his food laid on and trampled before it can be eaten


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## Peggy Sue (Jul 23, 2020)

Today was radicchio, fresh weeds, grass, chopped up banana leaves, squash blossoms, rose of Sharon and petunia flowers


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## Tom (Jul 24, 2020)

Yesterday we did a spring mix base, green beans, some soaked Timothy hay horse pellets, some of Will's dried echinacea from @Kapidolo Farms , some grated cucumber, and a whole tub of my wife's roses and rose leaves.


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## Tom (Jul 24, 2020)

Today we did mulberry branches for everyone.


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## Quick (Jul 25, 2020)

What a great thread. I’ve really enjoyed reading what everybody is feeding their tortoises - it’s given me lots of new things to try!

Every Saturday morning I take myself off foraging and see what I can find. On the menu this week is dandelion, sowthistle, ribwort (plantain), kidney weed, cilantro and knapweed. I also add a little soaked Zoo Med each morning (she’s fussy and won’t eat it unless it’s freshly soaked ?)


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## Tom (Jul 25, 2020)

Today the outside tortoises got Mazuri on a bed of chopped Bermuda grass, and the indoor babies got African Hibiscus leaves.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jul 25, 2020)

Today the Redfoots got Mustard greens, Blueberries, Kiwi, Mushrooms, Mazuri, dried Moringa, dried Mulberry, and dried Raspberry.


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## KarenSoCal (Jul 25, 2020)

This week Sulafat will be served endive & radicchio (50% of meal), with any combo of the following sides: dandelion, mustard, collards, arugula, bok choy, mulberry leaves, a Mazuri pellet every other day or so, calcium & vitamin supplements, and all topped with fresh snips of young wheatgrass.


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## Tom (Jul 26, 2020)

Today was a plain old grape vine leaf day:


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## Turtulas-Len (Jul 26, 2020)

Today I offered Donald 2 items that I don't remember giving to him before. Honeysuckle leaves. He ate some and then walked around with leaf hanging out his mouth.

and sedum.

The last few days he has really taken a liken to new growth cactus pads. I didn't get a pic before he started eating but you can get an idea of the 2 pads size he ate today.


And today was cuttle bone day

He and all the others had the mix of weeds, leaves, and blooms that I mentioned before that grow here.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Aug 1, 2020)

The Redfoots breakfast today. Mazuri, blueberries, mushrooms, dried mulberry, hibiscus, and ground egg shells for calcium.


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## turtlesteve (Aug 3, 2020)

So this seems like a good thread to highlight lesser known food items.

On today’s menu: Pindo palm (Butia odorata) fruit


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## SPILL (Aug 4, 2020)

I started with a base of gongura, narrow leaf plantain, broadleaf plantain, begonias, hibiscus, pumpkin and sweet potato leaves with dried moringa and stinging nettles. Okra, couch grass, and oat grass were added for the pancakes and stars. Ground up raw papaya, white mushrooms, okra and yam along with blackberry and green mango slices were added for the spiders.


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## Maggie3fan (Aug 4, 2020)

It's a sad sad state of affairs when the tortoises eat better than I do. My son is gonna come work on my computer and he's gonna bring me a double cheeseburger.


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## Ribena (Aug 4, 2020)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> The Redfoots breakfast today. Mazuri, blueberries, mushrooms, dried mulberry, hibiscus, and ground egg shells for calcium.
> View attachment 301894


Oh not heard of egg shells as calcium before I might try that thanks


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## Toddrickfl1 (Aug 4, 2020)

Ribena said:


> Oh not heard of egg shells as calcium before I might try that thanks


You don't even have to crush them either. You can just crack and egg and throw the whole shell in there.


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## Ribena (Aug 4, 2020)

Normal chicken eggshell ? I been struggling for calcium if I’m honest the dude won’t eat his food if the powders on it and don’t touch his cuttlefish , he’s a naughty boy ? thanks for this ?


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## Ribena (Aug 4, 2020)

I keep it all in the fridge as a mixture in cool kitchen roll x


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## tortoiseforum1 (Aug 5, 2020)

Where do you get the opuntia cactus? Also, amazon sells Mazuri, that's where I bought it.


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## queen koopa (Aug 5, 2020)

tortoiseforum1 said:


> Where do you get the opuntia cactus? Also, amazon sells Mazuri, that's where I bought it.


It depends on where you live. I’ve seen many members say they can get them from Asian markets or farmers markets locally. One member here said they found some at the grocery store. I ordered them from Amazon previously with positive results.


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## Tom (Aug 5, 2020)

tortoiseforum1 said:


> Where do you get the opuntia cactus? Also, amazon sells Mazuri, that's where I bought it.


I grow the opuntia. I have about 40 stands of it. I have about 12 different types. I feed buckets of it out every day in the warmer months. It goes dormant in late fall/winter.

There are spineless opuntia every where in LA. You can grow hibiscus and lavatera too.


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## Peggy Sue (Aug 6, 2020)

Today Sheldon gets squash, pumpkins, cucumber, and watermelon vines, leaves and flowers. With rose of Sharon leave and flowers mixed with some grass and dandelion greens


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## Tom (Aug 6, 2020)

Peggy Sue said:


> Today Sheldon gets squash, pumpkins, cucumber, and watermelon vines, leaves and flowers. With rose of Sharon leave and flowers mixed with some grass and dandelion greens


Looks like you also have some mallow mixed in there toward the bottom of the photo. The little round leaves?


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## Peggy Sue (Aug 6, 2020)

Tom said:


> Looks like you also have some mallow mixed in there toward the bottom of the photo. The little round leaves?


Yes, great eye almost forgot they where in there. I am lucky enough to have a lot of them growing in the backyard ?


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## Tom (Aug 6, 2020)

Peggy Sue said:


> Yes, great eye almost forgot they where in there. I am lucky enough to have a lot of them growing in the backyard ?


That IS lucky. Mallow is great tortoise food. It makes up a large percentage of what my babies eat in winter when we get our rains and cooler weather. From about December through March or April, I get a ton of mallow up here. Up here it all dries out and dies in spring when the heat comes back.


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## SPILL (Aug 8, 2020)

Today's base was sedum, gongura, narrow leaf plantain, broadleaf plantain, dandelion greens, rose of sharon leaves and flowers, petunias, and white clover topped with Tortoise Supply's herbal hay. Fescue and African variegated grasses were added for stars and pancakes. Red pear, prickly pear, cucumber, and blueberries were added to the spiders.


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## tortoiseforum1 (Aug 9, 2020)

Are figs okay for leopard tortoises? Or fig leaves?


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## Tom (Aug 9, 2020)

tortoiseforum1 said:


> Are figs okay for leopard tortoises? Or fig leaves?


I want to know this too. I keep finding huge fig trees around me with these big giant luscious looking leaves. I looked it up, but my search was inconclusive.


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## Peggy Sue (Aug 10, 2020)

Today’s offerings is Belgian endive, radicchio, romaine, weeds mallow dandelion and leaves and vines from the garden flowers, hibiscus, rose of Sharon and petunias. This evening he will also get a dish of mazuri


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## jaizei (Aug 10, 2020)

tortoiseforum1 said:


> Are figs okay for leopard tortoises? Or fig leaves?



Figs are okay occasionally as a treat, good source of calcium. 

Fig leaves are also fine. The sap map be an irritant, tho I think that's more to human skin than to reptiles.


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## Tom (Aug 10, 2020)

jaizei said:


> Figs are okay occasionally as a treat, good source of calcium.
> 
> Fig leaves are also fine. The sap map be an irritant, tho I think that's more to human skin than to reptiles.


Are their multiple types of "fig trees" common in the US, and are all of them safe?


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## Maro2Bear (Aug 10, 2020)

Tom said:


> Are their multiple types of "fig trees" common in the US, and are all of them safe?



There are many varieties of figs. At one point I had close to maybe 30 different types growing here in pots & in ground in Maryland. But, the leaves & sap are all pretty much the same. The white “sap” in fresh leaves & stems is caustic, and the sap is an irritant to some folks. I have many fig trees, but don’t feed any leaves to our Sully. 

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6340245/


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## Pastel Tortie (Aug 10, 2020)

Tom said:


> Are their multiple types of "fig trees" common in the US, and are all of them safe?


Part of that depends on how you define "fig tree." _Ficus_ species include a number of ornamental plants like weeping fig (_Ficus benjamina_) and rubber plant (_Ficus elastica_), as well as the kinds of figs with edible fruits. I've seen and dealt with the sap that comes out of the ornamental varieties, and I agree with @Maro2Bear about not feeding those.


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## Zoeclare (Aug 10, 2020)

This could be an old wives tale but I was under the assumption if you get the sap on your skin and then expose the skin to sunlight it causes irritation and burning, but that's only from pruning etc not handling the fruits


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## Toddrickfl1 (Nov 21, 2020)

Mushrooms, Cactus Fruit, dried Mulberry leaf, Mazuri, and Arugula


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## Maggie3fan (Nov 21, 2020)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> Mushrooms, Cactus Fruit, dried Mulberry leaf, Mazuri, and Arugula
> View attachment 311501


wow your tort eats better than I do!!!


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## Maggie3fan (Nov 21, 2020)

maggie3fan said:


> wow your tort eats better than I do!!!


AND...looks like we have the same silverware...


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## Toddrickfl1 (Nov 21, 2020)

maggie3fan said:


> wow your tort eats better than I do!!!


Haha, me too.


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## KarenSoCal (Dec 13, 2020)

A simple yet crunchy dinner tonight, consisting of endive, dandelion, and cilantro garnished with dried rose flowers. And this is calcium and vitamin day. Yum!


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## PA2019 (Dec 13, 2020)

Chicory, dandelion, broad and narrow leaf plantain, clover, green leaf lettuce, soursop, cactus flour, rose petals, stinging nettle, marshmallow and some other dried herbs I can’t think of at the moment. Smells great but tastes terrible ?


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## Salspi (Dec 13, 2020)

Nash said:


> View attachment 300512


BEAST


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## SPILL (Jan 16, 2021)

Today was endive, escarole, radicchio, yam leaf, moringa drumsticks, ong choy, and tong ho with dried echinacea and alfalfa.


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## Mons (Jan 30, 2021)

Today I fed Shelly dandelion greens, endives, watercress, dried mulberry leaves, dried hibiscus, dried rose petals, timothy hay, red romaine lettuce, and cactus, with a teeny tiny sprinkle of Miner-All cuz I think I saw him nibbling at slate and substrate earlier this week. I added some Mazuri-esque crumbly topping a little later that came with my order from Kapidolo Farms.


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