Color preference for food?

[Madortoise]

It seems that it is a common knowledge that the DTs love bright colors. Are you all experiencing this w/yours? My Penelope would run for red hibiscus but won't even lick at the yellow one. She goes for red/magenta rose petals but could care less about white and yellow ones. Even with spring mix, she always seem to go for Magenta color veges first before she goes for greens. However, she does love yellow dandelions; she has not found one in red yet.
I don't know if it's my imagination but she follows me more when I wear bright reddish colors...i can see her thinking then I feel like I'm being mistaken for a big thing for her to chomp on. Is this a phase? LOL. She's anywhere btwn 3-4 yo now.

 

[tortoisenerd]

They love bright colors! Mine can smell or see the squash on top of the greens and pick it out.

 

[Isa]

My Hermann loves red. He is going to eat everything that is red first. He loves cactus pear, red petal flower and radichio.

 

[Crazy1]

Torts do see color and it seems most have a preference for red (mine do). Now I've tried eating different colored rose petals white is bitter, yellow a little less, but red well they are the sweetest of them all. Seems the darker the shade of red the sweeter. I don't know if this is with all flowers, but perhaps. And it is said they have excellent smell. And when we smell sugar or something sweet we are drawn to it. Perhaps this is true of torts.

So perhaps Mado when you wear bright reddish colors you do look and smell sweet like breakfast.

 

[Madkins007]

Not only do they see colors, they may also see at least some into the infrared or ultraviolet, which means some plants would glow like a beacon to them, and they might be able to see the best basking sites.

I am not really 'up' on all of this, but as I undertand it, our eyes have two kinds of structures- rods and cones. Turtles and many other animals have three, and I seem to recall that some other have even more kinds of structures.

 

[Isa]

Not only do they see colors, they may also see at least some into the infrared or ultraviolet, which means some plants would glow like a beacon to them, and they might be able to see the best basking sites.

I am not really 'up' on all of this, but as I undertand it, our eyes have two kinds of structures- rods and cones. Turtles and many other animals have three, and I seem to recall that some other have even more kinds of structures.

Really interesting Madkins.
Thanks for the info

 

[Madortoise]

Wow, you guys are great. It's very educational. I'd love to see through tort's eyes...lovely...flaming food!!

Hats off to you, Robyn, for trying out different color rose petals. I'm nearly there with you. I want to taste everything Penelope tastes...though I remember Aloe being pretty bitter last time I tried it straight.

 

[tortoisenerd]

That's cool! I love learning new things. Thanks.

 

[Flametorch]

lol mine loves green, but if sees anything like calcium powder on it he won't touch it

 

[Madortoise]

Oh yeah...mine doesn't like sprinkles of calci-max mineral mix so I'll have to mix it up w/chopped up aloe that sticks to powder. I wonder if the minerals are sparkling w/ultraviolet or what?? However, she goes for other white things...she will nearly break her jaw going for some broken up concrete-type pieces. When I find her do that, I take it away b/c those spic mix and things supposedly have chemicals that cause birth defect to humans but I wonder if there's something in it that she thinks she needs? I'm still very curious about how tors see....

 

[dmmj]

I can't comment on whether my DT sees colors or not he eats all of them with same gusto.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I got Trevor ping pong balls and red nail polish today. Waiting for the first one to de fume so I can see if he likes it! He's ignored the white one in his enclosure for a couple hours. I put it right in his path to see if he'd move it around. For some reason I am getting a huge kick out of this...buying the tortoise a toy!

 

[Stazz]

Wow thats very interesting !! Thanks for the info Tallula eats anything, she's never refused any food, ever! hahaha Kate, I'm the same, laughed so much at myself for buying Tallula a ball. Its a hard plastic one with a bell in it....think it drives her bonkers that she can't catch it or eat it But she seems to like it!

 

[tortoisenerd]

I'm trying to keep him entertained because he's been scratching at the walls and trying to climb him. He has 8 sq ft all to himself with all sorts of cage furnishings, yet he's trying to get out? I guess it's true they may never be able to be truly happy in captivity. He seems to calm down when I hold him and walk with him around the house, lol.

Still no action with the ball. He's given it strange looks all day.

 

[Isa]

Hermy has a pink ball, and the first time I put it in his enclosure, he started running and tried to eat it haha He has been ignoring the ball ever since he saw that it was not for eat.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I had a white one in there and he tried to take a bite out of it, and it moved. That was it. Hoping he'll do something with it. Poor little guy hasn't been doing much lately besides eating, drinking, basking, and napping. That, and scratching at the walls! Drives me crazy. The noise of it, and knowing he wants out (sometimes though he is just digging and doesn't realize there is a wall or the bottom of the enclosure).

 

[Stazz]

Actually you're right, Tallula is so not interested in the ball now either. Hmph.
Tallula has always been a climber, wanting to climb everything. She too tries to scale the walls Kate, I wish I knew how I could keep her entertained. I even built a little mountain (looks more like a mole hill) smack bang right in the middle of her enclosure, so she has to walk over it. lol

 

[tortoisenerd]

Haha I have a mountain right now too! Trevor naps away most of his days. I wish I could entertain him more.