Calcium in the wild

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Laura

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Besides bones from Dead animals.. where do tortoise get calcium in the wild? Especially the ones who are only vegetarians.
Just a thought...
 

Coldliz

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Some plants such as the Prickly Pear cactus are high in calcium.
 

Lil' Tortie

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Do aloes have high calcium content like prickley pear cactus?
 

Itort

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I could not find anything on the calcium content in aloe besides the fact there is some. Keep in mind aloe is not a cactus but related to lilies and onions. In the wild I think torts may visit mineral licks such as limestone outcroppings and the associated water pools and sand/gravel like other herbivores. Has this behaviour been observed in any field studies is good question.
 

Crazy1

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My understanding is that they get most of their calcium requirements by their grazing and the plants they select in the wild. I would think if they have the opportunity to visit mineral licks such as limestone outcroppings and the associated water pools and sand/gravel like other herbivores they would take the opportunity. I have read that some are opportunistic and occasionally even a herbivore will eat carrion. But I personally know of no study regarding this.
Great Question Laura. Love things that make me think.
 

Lil' Tortie

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Coldliz said:
Some plants such as the Prickly Pear cactus are high in calcium.

Which is more concentrated, the plant or the fruits?
 

SIXTY_TOO

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Grand Pappy ate an egg shell that a bird tossed out of her nest. Maybe that happens more often than not, I would think it would be a great natural resource for them.
 

Lil' Tortie

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My torts would rather chew on the white paper towel that I use for their enclosure floor than the cuttlebone I placed with their food... :(
 

Itort

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Lil' Tortie said:
Coldliz said:
Some plants such as the Prickly Pear cactus are high in calcium.

Which is more concentrated, the plant or the fruits?
The pads are higher in calcium but the fruit is sweeter, so if your won't eat pads give the fruit with pads. Both pads and fruit are very high in calcium.
 

Crazy1

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Lil' tortie try shaving the cuttle bone over its food to add calcium. Could be that your tort already is getting enough and that is why they are not using the cuttlebone.
 

Lil' Tortie

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Itort said:
Lil' Tortie said:
Coldliz said:
Some plants such as the Prickly Pear cactus are high in calcium.

Which is more concentrated, the plant or the fruits?
The pads are higher in calcium but the fruit is sweeter, so if your won't eat pads give the fruit with pads. Both pads and fruit are very high in calcium.

Okay, I got them some prickley pear fruits all sliced up and mixed with lettuce today. They only ate the lettuce. Does that mean they really don't need calcium or is it something they are not yet use to?

LT
 

Itort

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Try giving fruit alone. Torts seem to get "addicted" to lettuce. Place the fruit with red showing as torts seem attracted to red in many cases.
 

Lil' Tortie

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Itort said:
Try giving fruit alone. Torts seem to get "addicted" to lettuce. Place the fruit with red showing as torts seem attracted to red in many cases.

Actually the ones I got are green. Thanks. I hope they'll eat it so I don't need to use the powder.

LT
 
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timothymac

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The pads of the prickly pear, I've always heard have more calcium. My tort's all love prickly pear (opuntia) pads.Living in New Mexico I'm lucky to have a supply of spineless Opuntia so I break off a few and let let dry out a week or so, then rub them with a towel to remove the few tiny spines they do have. You can feed them whole which will keep your tort busy, or cut up. BE CAREFUL in the amount you feed unless you want a nasty fecal mess to clean up. The longer you dry them out the better in that regard, but the tort's really don't like them too dried out.
 

Crazy1

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You can also burn the spines off over an open flame or the BBQ. The spineless are the better ones they don't have many spines. My Greeks don't seem to care for the Green Fruit of the cactus. They love it red sweet and ripe. And yep a mess if fed too much. Some stores in the West sell the pads some even come already cut up. Growing your own is easy and better, no pestisides etc.
 

Lil' Tortie

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Ok, they ate some but mostly the Sulcatas, leopards sniffed and ignored. I might have saw some growing in the wild at a wildlife park somewhere. I'll see if I can pick some there, hope it's not a violation or something.
 

sorciere

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Hi you guys,
I'm brand new member from Vietnam.
In our country, we often supply cancium for our tortoise by green salad, small fish, tiny shrimps, boiled egg of Quail birds and cuttle bone.
Esp. for the cuttle bone, it does not taste good but I just leave it in the enclosure and my tortoise will eat when it needs cancium.
FL003360.jpg

Quail eggs.

shopping_cuttlebone.jpg

Cuttlebone
 
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