# behaviour change - Desert Tortoises



## CASheffer (Jun 24, 2015)

Our 16 yr old tortoise just stopped eating this week. It's been high 90s every day (Sacramento area) and I am so worried about dehydration! She has a grass area to feed from but just won't go to her meal plate. Any suggestions!?


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## Tom (Jun 24, 2015)

CASheffer said:


> Our 16 yr old tortoise just stopped eating this week. It's been high 90s every day (Sacramento area) and I am so worried about dehydration! She has a grass area to feed from but just won't go to her meal plate. Any suggestions!?



Daily soaks.

What else are you offering besides the grass area?


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## CASheffer (Jun 24, 2015)

Hi Tom, thanks for the prompt reply.
She gets a head of romaine with sliced zuchinni, corn, broccoli, wet dog food. She was very active three days ago and now lethargic! Maybe she's too hot?


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Jun 24, 2015)

Try to give your tort sting mix and stop the dog food . Torts are vegatertions dog food has way to much protein and oil in it !


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## CASheffer (Jun 24, 2015)

Oh Grandpa, you wouldn't believe all the advice recommending wet dog food, mice, hard boiled eggs, and even sardine bones per Richard W. Slevin DVM (1998). I just started the wet dog food option this year. She's always had veggies.
So what is sting mix?


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Jun 24, 2015)

CASheffer said:


> Oh Grandpa, you wouldn't believe all the advice recommending wet dog food, mice, hard boiled eggs, and even sardine bones per Richard W. Slevin DVM (1998). I just started the wet dog food option this year. She's always had veggies.
> So what is sting mix?


Spell check's way of spelling spring mix ( sorry )


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## Yvonne G (Jun 25, 2015)

Hi, CASheffer, and welcome to the Forum!

Dr. Slevin's advice is totally bogus. Sure, a wild desert tortoise might sample a bite of coyote dung, or a piece of a dead rabbit should he happen upon it, but it's not a normal part of their diet. Plants and weeds - that's what a desert tortoise should be eating.

In my opinion, your tortoise is hot. I live in Clovis, a couple hours south of you, and my desert tortoises are acting the same way. Once it cools down a bit, their appetites will come back. In the meantime, sprinkle the tortoise's yard and make sure he has water at all times.


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## Tom (Jun 25, 2015)

CASheffer said:


> Hi Tom, thanks for the prompt reply.
> She gets a head of romaine with sliced zuchinni, corn, broccoli, wet dog food. She was very active three days ago and now lethargic! Maybe she's too hot?



How long has your tortoise been eating this diet? It is probably suffering from the effects of long term malnutrition.

Does your tortoise have access to water? How about an underground burrow to escape the summer heat?

I'm sorry but you have been given terrible diet advice. Not one item that your are offering is a good tortoise food. I'm not saying this to be mean or hurtful, I'm saying it so you can start feeding your tortoise better foods. It may take a while to get your tortoise to be interested in better stuff, since its been eating the tortoise equivalent of delicious junk food, but you need to begin the process of switching over ASAP. Your tortoise should be eating broadleaf weeds, leaves and succulents. Start by adding small amounts of these items to the romaine and zucchini you are already offering. Stop the corn, dog food and broccoli immediately. Those are bad for tortoises. Form the grocery store you can try endive, escarole, spring mix, collard, turnip and mustard greens, cilantro, carrot tops and some grocery store sell "Nopales". These are cactus pads with no spines. You can also order "spineless opuntia" pads online and feed some and plant the rest. Here is a list of other good foods to feed:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds: 
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food


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## Maggie Cummings (Jun 25, 2015)

Tom, why did you say Rose of Sharon leaves, and not blooms? Am I wrong in feeding more blooms than leaves?


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## Maggie Cummings (Jun 25, 2015)

CASeffer... Gopherus agassizii or desert tortoises are herbivores. Should eat nothing but grasses and weeds, leaves and blooms. Tom has a great list for you, in fact, I printed it out for myself.


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## Tom (Jun 25, 2015)

maggie3fan said:


> Tom, why did you say Rose of Sharon leaves, and not blooms? Am I wrong in feeding more blooms than leaves?



Everything I've read says to not feed too many flowers. In other words, flowers should only make up a reasonably small percentage of the tortoises diet. I feed the blooms too, I just don't feed them a lot of blooms in comparison to leaves and other things.

Many types of flowers are a good food, but should be fed in moderation, to phrase it another way.


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## Maggie Cummings (Jun 25, 2015)

Tom said:


> Everything I've read says to not feed too many flowers. In other words, flowers should only make up a reasonably small percentage of the tortoises diet. I feed the blooms too, I just don't feed them a lot of blooms in comparison to leaves and other things.
> 
> Many types of flowers are a good food, but should be fed in moderation, to phrase it another way.


Thanks


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