Best Food BESIDESGRASSES to grow for leopard hatchling?

[Brit G]

I will be getting a hatchling leopard tort at the Dallas Expo in September. Wanted to start growing some food now, though I also have a back up plan if I'm starting too late (aa friend who has Sulcatas said he could lend me some grasses/weeds for a spell).

I plan to purchase seed mixes from a website called tortoisesupply.com to grow indoors.
So I think the grass portion of my future tort'sdiet is covered, which I read is 70% of the diet even for hatchlings.

But, noticed the seed mix does not include Prickly pear, aloe Vera, dandelion - these succulents and weeds have been mentioned in passing in several leopard tortoise articles I've read.

Do you guys have suggestions for the best succulents/weeds to grow or purchase for hatchling tort consumption? What have you had the most success growing, as far as speed of growth, nutrition, and tortoise willingness to eat it?

Why do so many ppl discourage fertilizing the grasses you grow yourself? Plants need nutritients to thrive, and I would imagine any nutrients would be eaten by the tort through the grass, just like "gut loading" crickets before feeding a bearded dragon. Is it true that the fertilizers are just THAT poisonous somehow? Aren't there "safe" ones or methods to deliver it safely if the plant is not planted directly in the enclosure where the tort could accidentally ingest it? Ie; powdered fertilizer mixed with water, then used to water the plant.

 

[Tom]

Good thing you posted this before it was too late.

1. It is very unlikely that you will find someone who starts babies correctly at a reptile expo. Few people anywhere in the country do it right. Almost all of them start babies too dry and don't soak enough. Many also keep them outside all day which is also bad for them. You will be much better off buying one from one of the several members here that start them correctly. This makes all the difference in whether or not it lives or dies. PLease give these a read before you buy anything: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/ And this one: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-incubate-eggs-and-start-hatchlings.124266/ Eggs should be incubated on something other than perlite. Hatchlings should go into a brooder box right after emerging from their egg and stay there until they absorb their yolk sac. Babies should be soaked daily, kept on damp substrate in a warm, humid, indoor enclosure. You are very unlikely to find this at your expo.
2. The tortoisesupply seed mixes are great. I use and love them. regular leopards don't eat that much grass in most cases. Use more broadleaf weeds and succulents. 70% is much too high and tells me you are reading the wrong info from the wrong source. Scroll down for a list of good things to grow for them: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
3. There is some paranoia about fertilizer, but still, caution should be exercised. You'll need to make sure that it is just plain fertilizer with no other additives in it, like pesticides or "weed n feed" concoctions that you usually find at every hardware store. You also need to be sure that your tortoise never has direct access to the fertilizer product. Yes plants need fertilizers, but tortoises should not be able to come into contact with fertilizers in any form. There are many ways to fertilize plants. Many people just prefer to avoid chemical fertilizers on favor of more "natural" ones.

 

[Brit G]

Good thing you posted this before it was too late.

1. It is very unlikely that you will find someone who starts babies correctly at a reptile expo. Few people anywhere in the country do it right. Almost all of them start babies too dry and don't soak enough. Many also keep them outside all day which is also bad for them. You will be much better off buying one from one of the several members here that start them correctly. This makes all the difference in whether or not it lives or dies. PLease give these a read before you buy anything: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/ And this one: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-incubate-eggs-and-start-hatchlings.124266/ Eggs should be incubated on something other than perlite. Hatchlings should go into a brooder box right after emerging from their egg and stay there until they absorb their yolk sac. Babies should be soaked daily, kept on damp substrate in a warm, humid, indoor enclosure. You are very unlikely to find this at your expo.
2. The tortoisesupply seed mixes are great. I use and love them. regular leopards don't eat that much grass in most cases. Use more broadleaf weeds and succulents. 70% is much too high and tells me you are reading the wrong info from the wrong source. Scroll down for a list of good things to grow for them: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
3. There is some paranoia about fertilizer, but still, caution should be exercised. You'll need to make sure that it is just plain fertilizer with no other additives in it, like pesticides or "weed n feed" concoctions that you usually find at every hardware store. You also need to be sure that your tortoise never has direct access to the fertilizer product. Yes plants need fertilizers, but tortoises should not be able to come into contact with fertilizers in any form. There are many ways to fertilize plants. Many people just prefer to avoid chemical fertilizers on favor of more "natural" ones.

You've either answered all my questions or provided links to wonderful sources for deeper leaening - thank you!

I will rethink buying a tort at an expo. I do want the tortoise to thrive.

 

[Tom]

You've either answered all my questions or provided links to wonderful sources for deeper leaening - thank you!

I will rethink buying a tort at an expo. I do want the tortoise to thrive.

You are welcome. Please keep asking questions and feel free to ask for more explanation on any of this. We are all here to talk tortoises.

 

[Robber]

I will be getting a hatchling leopard tort at the Dallas Expo in September. Wanted to start growing some food now, though I also have a back up plan if I'm starting too late (aa friend who has Sulcatas said he could lend me some grasses/weeds for a spell).

I plan to purchase seed mixes from a website called tortoisesupply.com to grow indoors.
So I think the grass portion of my future tort'sdiet is covered, which I read is 70% of the diet even for hatchlings.

But, noticed the seed mix does not include Prickly pear, aloe Vera, dandelion - these succulents and weeds have been mentioned in passing in several leopard tortoise articles I've read.

Do you guys have suggestions for the best succulents/weeds to grow or purchase for hatchling tort consumption? What have you had the most success growing, as far as speed of growth, nutrition, and tortoise willingness to eat it?

Why do so many ppl discourage fertilizing the grasses you grow yourself? Plants need nutritients to thrive, and I would imagine any nutrients would be eaten by the tort through the grass, just like "gut loading" crickets before feeding a bearded dragon. Is it true that the fertilizers are just THAT poisonous somehow? Aren't there "safe" ones or methods to deliver it safely if the plant is not planted directly in the enclosure where the tort could accidentally ingest it? Ie; powdered fertilizer mixed with water, then used to water the plant.

I have always had a hard time growing dandelion in pots/trays...I just make sure to leave some shady areas of my yard unmowed and let it grow naturally there, along with plantain, etc. If it doesn't naturally occur for you, you can buy some seed and spread it on the ground after a good rain. Aloe is easy to grow, and some people say their torts will eat it, but none of mine like it(understandable if you taste it - it's terrible...). Almost all sedum varieties are palatable and safe except for one(I forget the species off hand, you can look it up). You must plant prickly pear - it is a must have It is easy to grow, just takes a little bit to get started - you will have to dice it up pretty small into bite size pieces for small hatchlings at first until they get strong enough to tear it. Other good things that are fairly easy to grow are curly endive, chicory(Italian dandelion), turnips, and clover. Hibiscus shrubs are also a life saver, just get a temperate 'Rose of Sharon' type if you live where winters get cold(you might get away with tropical type in South Texas).

 

[Robber]

Sedum acre is the bad one. spurium, reflexum, sieboldi, spectabile("Autumn Joy"), etc are all good.