Food expirementing is fun!

Shakudo

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Hi guys,

I am having fun with discovering and experimenting with food for my Russian Tsarina Queen Yoshi :)

Yesterday I went out and bought some dfferent sort of greens.
Then I went out into Nature and got me some Clover, red and white.
People commented I was giving a lot for my tortoise, scouting Nature in the burning heat, and that was so sweet to hear and motivating. Some people I saw actually helped a bit.
(I was at a lake where people recreate) .

I am experimenting with different kinds of food.
Also with members of the Brassica family, but avoiding large quantities.
I read on Russiantortoise.net, and here, that even though Brassica members can contain goitrogens, if you mix these with other greens, and not solely rely on this for a diet, it makes for a good variety, and also makes for a valuable nutritional addition. Avoiding it completely seems like an overstatement. However I would
not go out and by specific ones like Cauliflower, but should it be in a mix then I would offer it anyway.
There is an interesting thread here that shows the diet of steppe torts in the wild, and I was surprised that I actually saw some Brassica members there, so I decided to moderately add it to her diet.


I have presented Queen (Yes Queen because she is spoiled :p) Yoshi with the following a la cart menu:

  • Endive (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum)
  • Mint (Mentha)
  • Watercress (Nasturtium)
  • Thyme (Thymus)
  • Red and White Clover (Trifolium)
  • Cornsalad /Field lettuce (Valerianella locusta)

Her behavior changed:)
She was almost, what I would call, enthusiastic!
Sniffing, crawling all over her repti dish, sampling different things, she looked like she was enjoying herself.

I observed her eating, and I found myself regularly eye to eye with her, I am fascinated by how charismatic she is. I notice she notices me, observes me as I observe her,, and is aware of me standing there, in a way almost like, silent communication. Non verbal communication as you will. I got the impression she was a bit like...
" Do you always stare at someone eating" that was kind of the feeling I got:) LOL

I must be insane.

Back to the food.
I thought maybe it would be fun to show the results of my little experiment.
She ate for almost 20 minutes, then went back to her hide to sleep, we are having very hot days and my apartment can become very warm in the summer so I notice she tends to dig herself in for a few hours more a day.

I will now look at every part of the meal specifically:
  • Endive (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum)
Ths was eaten quite fast in the beginning of the meal, she smelled it and immediately ate some, I saw her specifically go for a piece, so I consider that a + for future menu's.

  • Mint (Mentha)
This was given yesterday in another variety and was eaten, I love to drink fresh mint tea and I can easily acquire fresh mint leaves so I might pop in a few leaves now and again. Also a + for the future.
  • Watercress (Nasturtium)
Yes, I was especially curious to see if she would eat this, I ate it myself and it taste very mustardy, and I was curious to see if she would actually like it. And she did.... she eats it leaf and stem and seems to enjoy this. However, I do not provide this in large quantities in the menu, a few leaved are enough. And I do not let it be a big part of the diner. Nevertheless I give this a + for the future.
  • Thyme (Thymus)
Not very interested, ate some but the second day almost completely ignored it. I saw her smelling it, and even I could smell it because it has a very heavy smell, I personally like it, but apparently she does not, I don't think I will offer her this again, unless there is no other thing available, so this is a - for the future.

  • Red and White Clover (Trifolium)
This was so veyr funny to watch. She has both colors, but ignored the white and went for the red. First only the flowers, went for only the colored parts and not the bud, later I saw her gulp up and entire flower and she really liked it. First she ignored the leaves, even when I offered her some she smelled it and turned away, while most of the time she is very interested in what is in my hand. However, later, I observed her eating the leaved anyway. The funny thing to see was so adorable, there was a little piece of flower stuck to her nose and she was trying to get in so she was kind of biting the air. I just loved her so much doing that, watching that was touching. So yeah, there is a bit of food left, also the white clover, I am leaving it in there to watch if she goes for the white as well. This was a + for the future.
  • Cornsalad /Field lettuce (Valerianella locusta)
Well...I decided when I go to buy lettuce, to try the more nutritional variants, so after some reading and comparing, I went and got this field lettuce. I learned it has more nutritional value that the lettuces I normally got for her and myself, and I was very curious to see how she would respond to it, it was said it tastes a bit nut like. I am giving this a while now and with great succes. It is not a member of the lettuce family but actually a member of the Valerianella genus.

Wikipedia:
Like other formerly foraged greens, corn salad has many nutrients, including three times as much vitamin C as lettuce, beta-carotene, B6, iron, and potassium. It is best if gathered before flowers appear.[12]

She almost always beelines for this and eats it with enthusiasm, and I dare say of all things I have presented this is the most successful until now. So that is a definite + for the future, and as I can get this very easily I can give this regularly.


Currently, I am gathering as much information about edible plants and trying to find out where to get them, and trying to find out which greens I find in Nature are ok, I have a lot of info on that, and I am trying to learn as fast as I can, but due to the complex variety in herbs and greens available, I find it quite a challenge to learn to recognize them in the field, so many look alike, but for now I am getting the things I do know.

Today I am going to scout for some dandelion leaves.



I hope this food analyses was helpful/informative for anybody who is interested.
I got so much out of this forum already I decided to share this to give something back to the community.

Take care,

Joey
 

wellington

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That is fantastic, very lucky tort you have and it's nice too see you doing so much for her. Enjoy and keep up the good work.
 

StarSapphire22

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I would just double check that the mint is safe....if I recall correctly, some kinds are toxic.
 

Shakudo

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Thanks!!

I didn't know that, so I guess I was lucky!! She ate some leaves and the kind that I got was from the supermarket to make tea etc.
I did some research and would probably be Mentha Spicata. The website http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/ was my source.


Safe:

Garden Mint (Mentha sachalinensis)

Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Applemint (Mentha suaveolens)

NOT safe:

Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) or Purple Mint (Perilla)

Regarding possible toxicity the website says:

Peppermint contains the natural organic compound pulegone (also found in Pennyroyal), which has been found to cause liver damage and to be toxic to rats if consumed in large quantities. The levels differ from plant to plant in Peppermint so we would prefer to err on the side of caution and say not to offer this one to your tortoise.


Source:
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/
 

Yellow Turtle01

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Wow, the queen is spoiled :p! You're lucky, my tort wouldn't eat HALF those foods, even is they grew on clouds and and absorbed starlight all day long!
 

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