Food question.

[electricbluebird]

I am just making a list of all of the things that we should be feeding Malcolm. I just read bananas are a no-no, tomatoes a rare treat.

M really seems to love yellow squash and cukes, not too fond of green beans. I am reading that fruits should be limited to no more than 10% of their diet. He has access to lots of weeds and grass outside.

Another other veg that is positively off limits?

 

[chadk]

Avoid cucumbers. Squash is good here and there as a treat in limitted amounts.

To keep it simple, i'd just stick with leafy greens, and grasses and weeds and hay. Then squash and pumpkin here and there for a treat. Don't overthink it.

Part of the appeal of treats if enjoying watching your tort come to you like a puppy looking for a treat. Mine does that to me and is quite happy when all I have is a handful of dandilion weeds I just picked from his yard. For some reason, they taste better coming from me then if he got them himself My goats are that way too... Won't touch it if it's on the ground, but if I pick it up, suddenly it is a must have item

 

[Yvonne G]

Here's a link to where we've already listed all the foods for you:

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-5823.html

Yvonne

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I don't know where you are reading that says they can have fruit. They can't, or shouldn't. Even 10% is bad. Their kidneys and liver can't process suger like ours do, so fruit is really a no no. But I will confess to treating Bob with a strawberry once in a while.
Here's a quick story about food and Sulcata. I am kinda limited on how much cooking I can do so I am on the Meals on Wheels program. And I swear if anything is going to bring me closer to death it's this food. It's just terrible. But I know I am a finicky eater anyway. So I get my meal today and it's so nice outside, (rare for Oregon) so I take my tray outside. I think it's some sort of a meat patty with a kind of red liquid over it, and something that looks like hot potato salad. I'm pretty sure these used to be carrots. And a small styrofoam container with something I think is orange jello with shaved rind in it and what looks like chopped up iceberg lettuce. The jello I think is orange, might be yellow. I feed the slices of carrot to Bob. Yes, I know I always tell newbies not to feed carrots to Sulcata but I am a big believer in do as I say, not as I do. So I'm sitting there holding the tray and trying not to be too disgusted and as I raise my fork to my mouth with the warm soggy potato stuff my hand brushes the styrofoam cup and it falls to the ground. You may remember I only have one working hand so before I can put the tray on the brick wall Bob rushes over and takes a big bite of the styrofoam.YIKES! I try to grab it out of his mouth (yeah right) and the jello product falls out and onto the ground, I am trying to move the cup out of his reach as he takes another bite of styrofoam. Crap! So I am moving the cup away from him and pointing at the jello and try to get him to eat it...he's on my legs pinning me to the ground and grabs another and last bite of the chintzy cup as it falls apart. Yep, I swear on my beloved old grandmother's grave, Bob fought me for the styrofoam cup and flat refused to eat the jello...he did however, eat most of the cup.

 

[chadk]

Ouch Maggie - I'll remember never to get between a big tort and his styrofoam cup!!

 

[tortoisenerd]

I am a believer that if a tort is raised on good foods and never treats, then they will have favorite foods that are their treats, and at the same time have a nutritious upbringing. I am very opinionated and have only one tort, so form your own opinion on what you think is right. I would never feed a Sulcata (or my Russian) fruit. Squash and the very very occasional carrot sliver are his treats, which others would say are healthy. I would also never feed green beans.

Maggie-Funny story!

 

[dmmj]

I believe it I have heard all kind of horror stories about sulc eating styrofoam, plastic bags and the like.

 

[reptylefreek]

Yea my little tort loves hair... and I freak out every time he eats some

 

[Yvonne G]

Just F.Y.I. : most lists of tortoise diets say that you can give your tortoise fruit as long as it doesn't exceed 10% of his diet.

Yvonne

 

[Isa]

Very funny story Maggie I never thought a tortoise would want a styrofoam cup that much!

 

[electricbluebird]

Right now, its just been kale and squash. Its very confusing because another site said green beans were ok. I am just want to take good care of him.

I will check out that care sheet Yvonne. Thanks.

 

[tortoisenerd]

And I've also read care sheets which way they can't digest sugar/fruit, and it can lead to parasite blooms. At this point not enough is known about torts to have cold hard facts about everything. I tend to err on the side of caution, and think it's great for each owner to make their own opinion from the firsthand information here, and other reputable sources.

---

"Right now, its just been kale and squash." Do you mean that's all you've fed him so far, or did I mis-understand? I wouldn't think of either of those as dietary staples (such as greens, hays, grasses, etc).

 

[electricbluebird]

He also has full run of a HUGE fenced backyard that is not mowed so he eats lots of grasses, some hay, and lots of dandelion leaves. We just wish he'd mow a little faster.

Actually I think that care sheet mentioned above did list a small amt of fruit. I am limiting that.

He also has had some bok choy, which he liked.

 

[Livingstone]

I feed Livingstone dandelion and clover, almost exclusively, he loves dandelion and its high in vit A, low in protein and a good source of fibre.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I feed Livingstone dandelion and clover, almost exclusively, he loves dandelion and its high in vit A, low in protein and a good source of fibre.

You shouldn't feed him anything "almost exclusively", a diet that has a lot of variety is what's most healthy. And while I DO feed Bob clover it's high in oxalates and that's not good, so if you are feeding mostly clover thats not good. Tortoises need variety and MOST of their diet should be grasses and weeds...

 

[tortoisenerd]

Both clover and dandelion are also high in oxalic acid; I wouldn't feed primarily foods high in oxalic acid. Variety is the key to life! That said, clover and dandelion are great as part of a varied diet. Agree they are nutritious for torts.