DT just peed milk looking pee!!!

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thanks again. As far as what I call Prickly Pear cactus (opuntia), no. Which parts do they eat? Pads, fruit or both? I can prob find some of that in lower areas around my high desert... I assunpme I pick of the spines?
You want to find spineless opuntia. They can eat some of the fruit occasionally, but mostly the pads. There are probably many varieties of the spineless version near you in AZ. I see them all over the place there.

Sometimes the spineless versions will have tiny little spines or those little annoying micro spines called glochids. Your tortoise can just eat those whole with no fuss and no muss from you. For some reason those little spines don't bother their mouths at all.
 

Lokkje

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 19, 2019
Messages
1,142
Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix
Well I feel so stupid because I am always removing them for my tortoises and getting them all over in my fingers. I have a prickly pear in my front yard but it is in spineless and I shave off all of the spines when I’m prepping it but it’s much easier to just buy pads at the local Food City
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Well I feel so stupid because I am always removing them for my tortoises and getting them all over in my fingers. I have a prickly pear in my front yard but it is in spineless and I shave off all of the spines when I’m prepping it but it’s much easier to just buy pads at the local Food City
Well then I'm stupid too because I used to remove the spines and glochids for years too. Then I saw video of a wild radiata eating fully spined and obviously non-native opuntia pads, as well as previously viewed video of CA desert tortoises eating fully spined pads, and that convinced me that I didn't need to worry about a few tiny lethal spines of glochids. It has zero effect on the tortoises, but those things drive us crazy. I pulled out at least a dozen of them today.
 

DesertGirl

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
366
Location (City and/or State)
Fabulous Las Vegas, NV
Awww, she’s cute. Hard to tell how big (old) she is by pic. Pretty long front leg. Does she stay year round outdoors? I would assume so in LV.
Looks like she has a really nice setup.?
Well then I'm stupid too because I used to remove the spines and glochids for years too. Then I saw video of a wild radiata eating fully spined and obviously non-native opuntia pads, as well as previously viewed video of CA desert tortoises eating fully spined pads, and that convinced me that I didn't need to worry about a few tiny lethal spines of glochids. It has zero effect on the tortoises, but those things drive us crazy. I pulled out at least a dozen of them today.
I still trim mine real good even though I’ve taken video of wild ones eating them without hesitation or harm. I’m just too protective of my baby. Why take a chance with a spine going down the wrong way round? ?
 

bioteach

Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 11, 2010
Messages
43
Parker, my Sonoran Desert Tortoise just peed about 1/4 cup of what looked like milk. Have only caught him peeing that much a cpl times, he was scared. But, it was clear.

, I had just finished soaking him abt 15 min and moved him to eat. Came to check and it looked like spilled milk! He was eating.
should I be concerned??.

thx, Dee
It was probably a nitrogen dump! Oftentimes it looks more like cottage cheese and it is indeed perfectly normal.
 
Top