Article on tortoise longevity without eating

MenagerieGrl

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WOW ? That is amazing:oops:. Gosh who'd of ever thought a living creature could live that long w/o food. Thank you (Jeff) for posting that. . . give me hope for all them tort's that hold off on eating (as long as all other conditions are right)
 

Gokhlaye

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What is interesting to me as someone who keeps Elongated. There aren't many care guides about this species, but until this article I never read about them brumating. I know they can tolerate colder nights, but never saw anything specifically mention brumation.
 

Tom

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They had it in an outdoor enclosure with other turtles. They soaked it every 15 days for 10 minutes. How do they know it wasn't eating when they weren't looking? Or eating slugs or frogs or bugs in the enclosure? Or eating some part of the leaf litter? If housed with other tortoises, how do they know it wasn't eating some of the food too? How do they know it wasn't pooping regularly in the enclosure?
 

Sterant

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They had it in an outdoor enclosure with other turtles. They soaked it every 15 days for 10 minutes. How do they know it wasn't eating when they weren't looking? Or eating slugs or frogs or bugs in the enclosure? Or eating some part of the leaf litter? If housed with other tortoises, how do they know it wasn't eating some of the food too? How do they know it wasn't pooping regularly in the enclosure?
Cuz Aliens
 

Tom

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Cuz Aliens
Ahh... Well that explains everything!

I had a shy water monitor years ago. I never saw him eat. I had him for more than a year before I ever saw him take food. I'd put food in a bowl and leave it for him. When I'd come back, the food would be all gone. I did not conclude that he wasn't eating for a year even though I never saw him eating.
 
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