Thank you so muchThey won't eat the horse weed (first few pictures), but the prickly lettuce in the last picture is edible.
Here is a list of good items that are easy to find in our climate here in SoCal:Being self employed we have now been shut down with no income for going on 6 weeks. Things are starting to thin out so we are going to the yard for food for our 2 redfoots. Can someone please tell me what in these pics is safe food for them.
Thank you
Thanks on the hibiscus can that be a staple or limited food item?Here is a list of good items that are easy to find in our climate here in SoCal:
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
Hibiscus leaves and flowers are great tortoise food. As long as you are using lots of variety and adding in the needed fruit and protein for your species, hibiscus can be a staple.Thanks on the hibiscus can that be a staple or limited food item?
They will require separate enclosures.we give them bell peppers, zucchini, apples, bananas, grapes, blueberries for their fruit randomly every few days.
We give hard boiled eggs for their protein once a month.
For their daily eats it is normally organic red lettuce.
Any advise on their diet.
Currently the 2 of them are about 6" x 4" live in a reptile habitat box 24" x 36", ceramic heat disk set to 92 at day 85 at night. 1 18" uv fluorescent tube.
We are in the now postponed process of moving them to a 30" x 72" new enclosure that will have a misting area for humidity and more roome for them.
They will require separate enclosures.
And those are both signs of aggression in a tortoise.They get along great they sleep next to each other at times and eat well togeather
They get along great they sleep next to each other at times and eat well togeather
And those are both signs of aggression in a tortoise.
I know it looks like affection to us mammals. But they're not like us.
It's hard to think like a tortoise.I have to agree with ZP, the photo in your avatar is not evidence of snuggling.
A dominant/bullying tortoise will jam its face into the subordinate individual. This is incredibly stressful for the bullied tort and can lead to all sorts of physical and mental health problems.
It is silent, but deadly.
The sad thing is this is contrary to advice I got from other forums hence #2 being bought. What if we add a 3rd tort? The new enclosure will be big enough to separate if need be or being it is 6" long 36" wide ok?@matheny00
I know it is not convenient, and its not what you want to hear, but you have a problem. You need to separate them before it evolves into a much bigger problem. Tortoises should never be housed in pairs.
We had a member here a few years back who ignored this advice with her two RFs. Six weeks later she came back asking for advice about what to do. One tortoise had bitten off and eaten the tail and most of the back leg of the other.
Other members have come home to find one tortoise eating the head of the other. We've seen several cases of missing or damaged eyes, but the most common thing is for one or the other to just slowly decline over time. The chronic stress is not good for either of them.
RFs are generally a peaceable species, but there are always exceptions. You could try a third one, or more, and it might work, but if it doesn't work, then you'd need THREE separate enclosures.The sad thing is this is contrary to advice I got from other forums hence #2 being bought. What if we add a 3rd tort? The new enclosure will be big enough to separate if need be or being it is 6" long 36" wide ok?
Here is a list of good items that are easy to find in our climate here in SoCal:
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
Yes. All these are good for any tortoise species. For some species, add some grass. For other species, add fruit and a protein source.Would this list be ok for a Hermanns also?
Hey Tom what type of protein and how often for the redfoots we do eggs now.Yes. All these are good for any tortoise species. For some species, add some grass. For other species, add fruit and a protein source.
I don't keep RFs because my climate is wrong for them, but we have lots of people here who do. @ZEROPILOT ?Hey Tom what type of protein and how often for the redfoots we do eggs now.