Fig Trees?

[Tortoisefanatic88]

I'm am always looking to add/improve Tank's diet with different things I haven't tried or are hard to get. So I'm online searching for some different leaves I can order and I come across a website saying fig leaves and fruit are okay for tortoises. I begin to search on this forum and find a few threads but not a definite answer. So are fig leaves and fruit good for sulcatas? Reason I ask is because I have had big fig tree growing in my back yard for many years now. Hoping to put some clarity on this topic for me and anyone else interested.

 

[theguy67]

Sulcatas are primarily a grazing tortoise, from my understanding, so fruit is to be kept at a minimum. This type of tortoise isn't my focus, but I do own 1 sulcata, and he isn't too fond of fig leaves. I do have 1 planted in his section, which provides great shade, and fruit for about 3-4 months out of the year. The redfoots get most of it, but considering the sulcata's diet is mainly grass I let him have one here and there.

 

[dmmj]

leaves and fruit are safe fruit fed sparingly of course individual tortoises taste may vary

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

Sulcatas are primarily a grazing tortoise, from my understanding, so fruit is to be kept at a minimum. This type of tortoise isn't my focus, but I do own 1 sulcata, and he isn't too fond of fig leaves. I do have 1 planted in his section, which provides great shade, and fruit for about 3-4 months out of the year. The redfoots get most of it, but considering the sulcata's diet is mainly grass I let him have one here and there.

leaves and fruit are safe fruit fed sparingly of course individual tortoises taste may vary

I understand and I am aware the fruit should be kept to a minimum. Tank has had a strawberry twice and a piece of watermelon just once and he is almost 2. So fruit isnt a part of his diet. I just wanted to be sure the leaves and the fruit(sparingly) were safe to feed and not harmful. Thank you both

 

[theguy67]

I understand and I am aware the fruit should be kept to a minimum. Tank has had a strawberry twice and a piece of watermelon just once and he is almost 2. So fruit isnt a part of his diet. I just wanted to be sure the leaves and the fruit(sparingly) were safe to feed and not harmful. Thank you both

Yeah figs should be fine. I don't worry about mine so much since he gets a lot of grass and weeds- even the amount of figs he does eat (those I give him and those that fall) doesn't measure up to the rest of his diet. The thing I like about fig trees is that they don't ripen all at once so you should have a steady supply for a few months, although Tank is small, so it won't take much to feed him.

I like to plant fruiting plants that people will enjoy too, although I guess that's the advantage of having redfoots.

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

Here is the website if anyone is interested. It states that fig leaves and fruit are high in calcium. The whole reason I started this thread was because I never heard really anyone mention fig leaves or fruit.

https://tortoise.org/general/tttplant.html

 

[Dizisdalife]

My sulcata doesn't seem to care much for fig leaves, but he sure loves the fruit.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings. In addition to our passion for torts, my wife and I also have about 40 fig trees that we grow, some in ground and some in containers. Older fig leaves get quite rough and when still green have a very caustic white gooey sap. This sap even causes rashes in some folks that are sensitive. Given torts are grass grazers, can't imagine there is much value to feeding fig leaves. Safe - yes, but probably not worth it. The "fruit" is really packed with sugar, and we all know that sugary items arent the best to feed.

I do know that our sully shows no interest whatsoever in fig leaves.

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

It seems there's no real benefit or need to feeding him fig leaves. That's a shame since I have a pretty big tree in my yard.

 

[DutchieAmanda]

The Tortoise Table recommends not to feed fig leaves:
http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp?st=true&mode=main&catID=180