diet???

[LeaCrystal]

Can you feed leo torts fruit?

 

[Angi]

I don't know. You should be able to look it up under diets. I am glad to see you back and asking questions. How is your little guy doing?

 

[Tom]

A little bit won't kill them, but its not really good for them either. Better to feed other things that ARE good for them.

 

[LeaCrystal]

just curious to what things i can feed them besides spring mix and mazuri?

 

[Tom]

I typed this for sulcatas, but I use it identically for my South African Leopards. Just scroll down to the diet info.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

 

[LeaCrystal]

Thank you Tom

 

[tortoises101]

Tom is correct. Leopards and sulcatas have the same dietary requiremets.

 

[LeaCrystal]

okay well i feed spring mix and told by the vet i have to do rep cal everyday sometimes i alternate with tortoise topper but...

 

[Neal]

You can throw other greens in there somewhat regularly. Escarole, mustard greens, etc... I feed mine romaine a couple times a week as well as cucumbers and carrots.

 

[Tom]

okay well i feed spring mix and told by the vet i have to do rep cal everyday sometimes i alternate with tortoise topper but...

Variety is good. Spring mix all by itself, all the time, is not so good. Kind of like eating a cheeseburger and fries everyday forever. You'd be fine for a while, but eventually nutritional deficiencies will start to show up. Try to use some other stuff too. You can get cactus ads from "ethnic" stores or grow them your self. Weeds and grass work great if you don't live in an area with frozen winters. Rose, hibiscus, rose of sharon, leaves and flowers. Mulberry leaves, when its not winter time. Mazuri a couple of times a week is a good way to make sure a balanced diet is achieved too.

The supplements and how often and how much to use are debatable. Everyone has their own opinion and you will have to figure out what is right for you. Some people use it every day. Others never use any. Both groups produce healthy tortoises. I use calcium 2-3 times a week and vitamins once a week. Plus I use Mazuri once or twice a week. This regime works for me and my torts, but your situation may be different.

 

[lisalove]

Hi
A bit confused about weeds...when you say weeds--does that mean pretty much any weed that grows in the High Desert in a vacant lot without chemical treatments?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi
A bit confused about weeds...when you say weeds--does that mean pretty much any weed that grows in the High Desert in a vacant lot without chemical treatments?

Yup! Fillaree (that's the one that blooms little purple flowers then they turn into cork screws that get stuck in your sox and your dogs long hair), mallow, wild mustard, yarrow, dandelion, prickly lettuce, etc.

 

[lisalove]

Ok...got it! Off to the neighbors vacant untreated yard I go!
THANK YOU Yvonne!

 

[LeaCrystal]

well leo wont eat anything but different kinds of lettuse and i dont know where its possible to buy rose cause store bought is probably bad. i tried mazuri and he wont touch it

 

[coreyc]

well leo wont eat anything but different kinds of lettuse and i dont know where its possible to buy rose cause store bought is probably bad. i tried mazuri and he wont touch it

Did you soften the mazuri ? do you have ant cactus?

 

[Laura]

if you soak the mazuri and then dribble a fruit juice that they like on it.. it will attract them to it. sometime color works too. Strawberry.. but very little..

 

[Tom]

Lea, think of your little leopard like a picky little kid. If he's been eating nothing but Mac-n-cheese and McDonalds for most of his life, he will be reluctant to try the Duck a L'orange with vegetable trimmings that your are now offering.

For the Mazuri, just soak a couple of pellets until they are mushy. Then mush it all in with the chopped up spring mix that he's used to. He'll want to eat his favorite and with the other stuff mixed in there, he can't eat around it. Don't be afraid to let him choose to skip eating for a couple of days. He will come around and he won't starve himself to death. You can use the same technique to introduce any new foods.

Any store bought decorative plant, like roses, will not be safe to feed until they have been in the ground and established for several months, in my opinion. I only feed new growth from these type of plants and only after a few good rains. I prefer to find stuff that has been in the ground and long established to feed to mine. I often ask friends, family and neighbors if I can take trimmings off of their plants. I just try to make SURE that there are no pesticides or fertilizers on them.

Lisalove, just a word of caution: I did find a few toxic or not so good weeds on my place, so do look them up before feeding. We have a great weed ID section here in the forum in the diet section and you can post pics of any that you aren't sure of. In most cases torts won't eat "bad" stuff, but there are exceptions. My torts love all the ones that Yvonne mentioned.

 

[Yvonne G]

We have a great weed ID section here in the forum in the diet section and you can post pics of any that you aren't sure of.

I've kind of dropped the ball on keeping this section updated. If you have pictures of weeds, edible or not, I'll post them in our weed section.

 

[LeaCrystal]

I was told to avoid fruit and we try the tortoise bites and he wont even touch them. I'll have to look into fruits then...

if you soak the mazuri and then dribble a fruit juice that they like on it.. it will attract them to it. sometime color works too. Strawberry.. but very little..

 

[lisalove]

Lisalove, just a word of caution: I did find a few toxic or not so good weeds on my place, so do look them up before feeding. We have a great weed ID section here in the forum in the diet section and you can post pics of any that you aren't sure of. In most cases torts won't eat "bad" stuff, but there are exceptions. My torts love all the ones that Yvonne mentioned.

Thanks Tom-good to know, that's what I'm fearful of.
Also, my baby doesn't like cactus yet. A great eater otherwise!