A New Diet For My Greek Tortoise.

[Gillian M]

I've been trying to stop feeding my Greek tort Roman lettuce for quite long but have not managed to. I was adviced to 'allow hunger' till it eats what is good and not what it likes and is of no good, healthwise.

Today I bought a mixture of vegetables: baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and.....what a surprise, my tort ate! However, I have a feeling it didn't like it as much as lettuce, as it didn't eat that much. A bit of a silly question: shall I feed my tort the above-mentioned food, raw as it is? Aren't carrots a bit too hard?

Your help/tips/advice would be very highly appreciated. Thanks everyone.

 

[Gillian M]

I've been trying to stop feeding my Greek tort Roman lettuce for quite long but have not managed to. I was adviced to 'allow hunger' till it eats what is good and not what it likes and is of no good, healthwise.

Today I bought a mixture of vegetables: baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and.....what a surprise, my tort ate! However, I have a feeling it didn't like it as much as lettuce, as it didn't eat that much. A bit of a silly question: shall I feed my tort the above-mentioned food, raw as it is? Aren't carrots a bit too hard?

Your help/tips/advice would be very highly appreciated. Thanks everyone.

I posted the above alert earlier during the day, however I regret to say that I got NO answer. This is NOT the first time I wait endlessly when in need of help: I am not 'chatting' I need help so as to take care of my tort. Would someone PLEASE, PLEASE be kind enough to answer??
Thanks.

 

[Tom]

I didn't see your earlier thread GIllian.

Eating anything new is a plus. However none of those items are good for them. You can offer a little bit of any of those three once in a while, but I would offer those very often. I use a cheese grater for carrots or squash on the rare occasion that I feed some to my tortoises. I really don't feed broccoli or cauliflower, but I suppose a cheese grater would work on them to.

I don't agree with the advice of not feeding the tortoise anything but the new stuff. "Cold Turkey" is not the right approach for this dilemma in my opinion. I think slow desensitization and familiarization with new food items is the way to go.

I'm happy your tortoise tried something new. Here is a list of other better items you could try:
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

 

[WilliamC]

Mine went right for the Young spineless opuntia cactus pads, dandelion, mulberry leaves and clover.

 

[Gillian M]

Mine went right for the Young spineless opuntia cactus pads, dandelion, mulberry leaves and clover.

Thanks so much your answer and your help! I do not know if what you mentioned would apply on my tort or not. Thanks anyway.

And by the way... a very warm welcome to the forum!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Carrots can be fed raw. They should not be fed often, maybe once a month.

 

[leigti]

I feed my adult Russian tortoise s small but hole ^ every three months or so. She does fine with it. If she was a baby I would give her a few shreds of a ^ every three months or so.
If your tortoise likes carrots then add some finely grated carrots to some healthier foods. Spritz down the food you want your tortoise to eat then add a few shreds of parent and mix it all together. It sticks together really well when it's wet. If your tortoise still only eats the ^ then make the pieces even smaller. I guess if nothing else worked, and if this is not a good idea I'm sure people will respond, throw it all in a food chopper or even a food processor and blend it really well.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have found the easiest way to encourage a picky eater is to chop the accepted food up into very small pieces. Chop up a small portion of the good food and mix it all up. Feed this way for a week or so. The following week, add a bit more of the good food and a bit less of the accepted food. Don't try to do it too quickly because if the tortoise feels you've incorporated too much of the stuff he doesn't like, he'll stop eating. If it takes a year, that's not too long a time. Just do it in small increments and be happy he's accepting the change, not matter how long it takes.

 

[Gillian M]

Carrots can be fed raw. They should not be fed often, maybe once a month.

Thanks your answer.

I tried to feed my tort RAW carrots before I received your above post. However it would not eat. I cooked them and it ate very well.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Still, carrots are not a staple. Too much sugar. Now that he's eaten it cooked, maybe he'll try it raw next time. If you must cook it next time, cook it lightly just to soften it a bit.

 

[Gillian M]

Still, carrots are not a staple. Too much sugar. Now that he's eaten it cooked, maybe he'll try it raw next time. If you must cook it next time, cook it lightly just to soften it a bit.

Alright. And thanks very much your help. My tort wouldn't eat them raw, so I cooked the carrtos, thinking: 'Aren't they a bit too hard?' Am I to do the same with the broccoli? See, the thing is I am trying to stop feeding it lettuce with is 99% or so water.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Don't feed broccoli at all.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

There does seem to be some 'thing' about broccoli that many tortoises like, for that matter aquatics including marine turtles. The good news is that the smallest amount of broccoli stinks up a great deal of other things that are more appropriate.

I have found the most universally accepted green is mulberry leaves. Don't be shy about offering them, put several dozen leaves in the enclosure, and let them stay in there until they dry out. Some torts like different levels of dried out-ness. Use many different age leaves too, determined by those closest to a growing tip versus old ones well shaded by the new one. They all actually taste a little different. (yes, I've tried them myself).

Grape leaves are pretty much the same for acceptability, but mulberry is so much more available to me.

 

[Gillian M]

Don't feed broccoli at all.

Fair enough and thanks your tips.

 

[WillTort2]

My Russians will eat dandelions even if they are tempted by nothing else. The yellow flow of the dandelion is a good starter for their appetites after a stressful situation like car travel. The leaves and stems of the dandelions are also a healthy favorite.

If you do not have access to weeds, then try adding radicchio and endive to their diets. Available at most better grocery stores.

Good luck.

 

[JoesMum]

Hi Gillian

I am sorry that I didn't see this, but I have been very busy for the last few days. As you know, I have a Greek too.

Your Greek tortoise cannot digest sugars properly. Too much sweet food like fruit, including bell pepper and tomato, and carrot will make him sick. You must only feed a small amount of sweet food very occasionally. It's a shame they love it so much, but it's not good for them... it's like a human living on a diet of candy.

Kale, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli are all high in oxakates and should only be fed in moderation again to keep your tort healthy.

Romaine is fine in moderation. It has a very high amount of water and low fiber so isn't great... however, it is very hot where you live, so it will help with hydration for you tort.

You must find a variety of leafy greens. Please check the greens that you can buy on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability and make sure that you keep changing what you buy each time so that your tort's diet becomes varied
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp?v=desktop

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I shave my carrots with a peeling tool into very thin slices. paper thin. I don't feed carrots more than a few times a year. Just whenever there are some in the house for human food.