Best Fruits for Adult Redfoots

[RubyandSquirt]

Hi! Our Squirt is 10 years old. We got her about 1 month ago and she is doing great! We have been sticking to the diet she came to us with and it is vet approved. We are looking to add some different fruits to her fruit days. Currently she eats strawberries, blueberries, apples and tomatoes on occasion. All of the fruits are mixed in with her greens: spring mix, kale, and romaine. Can she have peaches, plums or grapes? Which tropical fruits are best? We live in the mid-west and a lot of fruits will not be as available in the fall or winter- is it a good idea to give her frozen fruits that have been thawed? Thanks!

 

[tortadise]

Welcome. Unfortunately most of those should be fed very very sparingly. Redfoots consume primarily fruits fallen from tress in the wild. However, those fruits are entirely different than the fruits we consume, and have available. The fruits being fed are extremely high in glucosamine/sugars, nitrites, nitrates, and have little calcium, phosphorus ratios. Do you have any Mexican grocery stores? Lots of times you can find central/South American fruits there. Guanabana, limon(like an orange but more like a tasteless lemon) jack fruits, banana trees(leaves sometimes they won't eat these unless extremely fresh). Redfoots do have a large diet in captivity, and can and will consume almost anything. I'd stick to the broad leaf greens and weeds like mallow, thistle, mustard greens, dandelion(most nutritious green of them all). Kale is ok on occasions but not as a staple though. Don't forget these guys do so come protein as well. Earth worms, snails, boiled chicken, and boiled eggs they love.

 

[RubyandSquirt]

We do have a Mexican grocery near by, great idea! We will put your suggestions to use. We love Squirt so much and want her to be as healthy as possible. Thank you!

 

[tortadise]

Your very welcome. Can get lots of cactus there too for squirt. They will be called nopales, and the fruit are called tunas. They kinda look like a pear that's small and green. Super healthy full of calcium and minerals.

 

[voodoochild]

Mango and papaya! I believe papaya is high in calcium and low in phosphorus and they love it! Spineless cactus pads and mulberry leaves are good too and I think these grow anywhere. Don't they?

 

[RubyandSquirt]

Never even thought about cactus! How often should a hard boiled egg be given? I will look for Mulberry leaves. I 'm not sure where to find them but worth investigating! Thank you!

 

[voodoochild]

A mulberry tree grows quicker than anything I have ever seen! I had a twig turn into a tree in about a year. You can order baby mulberry trees on eBay. I'm bad about offering protein but they are outside year round and are free to eat what they find but I do offer egg about once a month.

 

[mike thornton]

I do mango papaya apples no seeds strawberries spring mix romaine lettuce blueberries hibiscus leaves and flowers he has a bush in his enclosure he lives outside in his pen so what ever slugs and worms he finds plus I give an egg once a month don't for get a water container he can drink and soak in mine always drinks after he has fruits

 

[ZEROPILOT]

They're especially nuts about fruit that is almost (BUT NOT QUITE) rotten.
Right now in Florida, its strawberry, avacado, mango, sapadillo and cactus pears. (for free)
Purslane is also growing like crazy. Not a fruit and not fed very often.
I mostly feed what I can grow, or from other neighbors that also have gardens, so it changes from month to month.

 

[Michael in MO]

Hi Ruby.. is this your first tort?? What grocers do you have local, I am Midwest too.. maybe you could post a pic of the tort?? If it's 10 y/o and looks completely healthy perhaps you should post the entire diet

 

[RubyandSquirt]

She is our first adult tort. (We had a baby redfoot who was fine, then suddenly wasn't and despite the vet's and our best efforts, he passed. The family was heartbroken, especially our 7 yo who loves turtles and tortoises more than anything. That's why I am now on here so that I can make sure that I have the knowledge from experienced tort parents and support, aside from that of the vet. And also why we decided on an adult tort.) Squirt is very healthy! She got a clean bill of health from the vet. Her size and weight are great. She was very well taken care of and loved by her former family. They got her when she was 2. We made the transition as easy on her as possible. Her entire habitat came with her and we continue to keep the set up the same as she had it so her space is always familiar. She is very alert /active and has settled in with our family extremely well. She is an indoor tortoise (always has been) but we do take her outside everyday, temperature permitting. She is very dog-like in many ways! She loves to be with us and walk around. Loves to be rubbed under her chin and on her neck. She knows and responds to her name and communicates with noises (something she has always done according to prior owners). We have typical supermarkets plus Trader Joe's and Lucky's close by. But we have an international grocer not too far and will now go there for a larger variety of foods for her based on all the great information I have gotten from everyone!

 

[voodoochild]

Don't tell me that! I just ordered a hatchling. I have only kept adults. Hopefully this baby does as well as they have.

 

[RubyandSquirt]

You played it smart by having tortoise experience before hatchling experience. You'll be fine. Plus you have support! We delved into the tortoise world because of our daughter, who is actually Ruby. I'm Jen. She has wanted to be a turtle biologist since the age of 3. She has a connection with torts and turtles that we finally understand! We made a mistake by taking on a hatchling without any tortoise experience. We thought we had researched enough and maybe we did, but even with all of that, it just didn't work out for us. We were lucky that the opportunity to have Squirt came along. Now we feel confident and can't imagine life without her!

 

[Anyfoot]

Welcome. Unfortunately most of those should be fed very very sparingly. Redfoots consume primarily fruits fallen from tress in the wild. However, those fruits are entirely different than the fruits we consume, and have available. The fruits being fed are extremely high in glucosamine/sugars, nitrites, nitrates, and have little calcium, phosphorus ratios. Do you have any Mexican grocery stores? Lots of times you can find central/South American fruits there. Guanabana, limon(like an orange but more like a tasteless lemon) jack fruits, banana trees(leaves sometimes they won't eat these unless extremely fresh). Redfoots do have a large diet in captivity, and can and will consume almost anything. I'd stick to the broad leaf greens and weeds like mallow, thistle, mustard greens, dandelion(most nutritious green of them all). Kale is ok on occasions but not as a staple though. Don't forget these guys do so come protein as well. Earth worms, snails, boiled chicken, and boiled eggs they love.

Are figs and dates OK to feed. Never have but often wondered.

 

[tortadise]

Are figs and dates OK to feed. Never have but often wondered.

Yep

 

[Michael in MO]

sounds like a sweet pet.. I'd look at the diets posted only (% of fruit, greens, vegetables) and see how yours compares.. I wouldn't change it if it's not broken and that looks like an extremely healthy pet.. greens are readily available at all stores and fruit can be frozen or bought frozen and thawed I cook raw shrimp with no seasoning and let it cool to room temp for protein..