feeding only plants that a species would naturally eat

[Josh]

i couldn't think of a better title for this thread...
anyway, does anyone advocate the use of only plants that a tortoise would find in the wild? for instance, in southern california it would be pretty easy to find (and really easy to grow) desert plants that the native desert tortoise would eat in the wild.
since this is their natural diet wouldnt it be the best possible foods for them? i mean, given they might need a little calcium supplement
anyway, i hope this made sense. how does everyone weigh in on the subject?

 

[T-P]

Hey josh!
i use naturally wild plants for my tortoise sincluding weeds.
in the wild a hermanns would find many many weeds...and graze on wild things.

I grow and feed my pair:
dandelion, clover, grass, sowthistle, thistles full stop, and rose petals and leaves mostly...since i found that this is the most common in the wild areas of hermanns.

I also feed field pansy (which is also a wild one).

Weeds, and various edible plants and flowers for most torotises contain all the vitamins, minerals and little calcium that they actually need.
Most tortoises in the wild, would often come across little berrys, or a small apple or strawberries...or some other wild fruit.. they will nibble on it but rare it would be a constant food for them.
That would be their other calcium and so on.

=] Tayy

 

[Jacqui]

I would wonder if the plants would still carry the same food value Josh. I mean yes you and I could both feed them the exact same type of grass, but would it still be the same? The desert one would have less water content and be much dryer then the same plant if I grew it here in Nebraska.

Plus growing seasons are different. Your animal would get for example if you raised a cactus pear plant, the blooms and fruit. I don't think the same plant will bloom nor produce the same amount of fruit because my plant would die each year and I would have to start with a new one the next.

Then would they carry the same trace minerals and things? My soil is different so my plant would be taking in different nutrients and thus carry a different percentage of them then yours.

Then are we really using the same plant, or a just one from the same family? I might find coneflowers in the natural habitat of my boxies, but going to the garden center they have several varieties and I am not sure I would actually get a one actually from their environment. (Actually coneflowers are one I do have in the boxies pens...just because it does happen in their natural environment).

I also think we don't have our torts in a large enough pen to adequately have all the plants they would need to mimic their own naturally balanced wild diets. We might go too heavy on grasses, or blooms, or fruit type plants. Think of the variety of plants you would find within their own personal natural range.

I think it's best to try to mimic the natural foods they get. Not sure we really can, because I think they eat more things then maybe we are even aware of.

 

[Josh]

jacqui, what an interesting take. i hadn't considered soil types but you are right. i guess the plant itself is not the important part. its the nutritional content that matters.
luckily im a big advocate of planting native plants in my yard and so i will probably have plenty of native stuff around for my potential DTs to eat.

 

[T-P]

in my area, i pick weeds (if the one si grow arent ready)... from wastelands and fields...this way everything is wild and not my own-grown weeds.
The same goes for plants.

But i do notice the tortoises do not enjoy the weeds or plants i grow as much as they do the wild ones i pick.

 

[Jacqui]

I like going for the native plants where possible. Once more taking care not to collect the rarer ones or ones illegal to collect. Like I said I try to go naturally accruing plants in with my boxies. Of course a few plants that are not at all natives went in...like hibiscus. I think I have one in every turtle pen I have...or more.

I tell people when they are first making their pens and choosing plants to try to stick with a theme. The most common ones I think are:

1) Native to the animal
2) Eye appealing/ flowers and leaves texture and color being most important
3) Food plants
4) Regional themes like maybe an Asian theme

Within each theme you will end up most likely with a touch of the other ones. Such as many of the food plants also can be native or eye appealing. It is just not the main reason you picked that species, but often helped tipped the scale to picking it.

 

[Jentortmom]

Jacqui,
What plants are you using with your boxies if you don't mind me asking. I just redid thier pens outside and I am in the finishing touches but I have compiled a list for the russians, but wanted to compile one for the boxies. Of course I am going to put Hibiscus in each pen but was trying to come up with some others. Also what type of Hibiscus do you use?
Josh, All the plants I plan on planting in my new pen are going to be turt and tort food. I also have trays I am growing with different grasses, weeds, flowers, and a russian blend.

 

[Crazy1]

oops ! sorry please disregard this

 

[Crazy1]

All those in So CA or visiting,
I just talked with an employee of the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens in Claremont at
1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, California, 91711-3157, (909) 625 - 8767 .
They have a nice list of native plants for DT. The first weekend in Nov. (3,4) they are having a sale of Plants. They will also have horticulturists there to help answer any questions you might have on what plants are native to the DT and how to plant and care for them.
Here is their Web site Nice Info and even classes
http://www.rsabg.org/

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m
1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711
909 625-8767

 

[Josh]

crazy1, thanks for posting that info. looks like a great place to find native plants. UCR (the school i go to) has an annual plant sale as well. im going to check out both.
cant wait to adopt those two DTs and watch them munch on native plants