For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

[Brian Alvarado]

Over and over I type up and answer diet questions and try to get people feeding the right stuff, but I find that the "norm" is grocery store food. Grocery store food is expensive, a hassle to obtain, and very low on the list of what is best for sulcatas.

These tortoises are GRASS eaters. From the moment they hatch, until the day they die, grass should be a large part of their diet. Spring mix, romaine, kale and other greens are okay as a small part of a varied diet, but should not be the bulk of the diet. If someone must feed grocery store foods, the pile should be sprinkled with grass clippings or "Salad Style". For those who like the convenience of pre-packaged, easy to handle stuff, "Salad Style" is basically finely blended up grass hay that can be sprinkled over any other food to add bulk and fiber. I got my "Salad Style" from Tyler at tortoisesupply.com.

For those that have a lawn, or access to one: Get a tub, get some scissors, get down on your knees, and go to work! It is so EASY to cut a few handfuls of fresh, green, tender, young grass, and dramatically improve your baby sulcatas diet. Any kind of grass will work. Finely chop it for little tortoises and sprinkle it all over the other food, or feed it by itself in a pile. Do be careful about lawn chemicals and pesticides. If you have a gardener, or its not your lawn, use extreme caution. Live in a condo or apartment complex? Don't do it. Not worth the risk, no matter what they tell you. Just grow your own grass in pots on your patio or window sills. Friends, family and neighbors might be able to help you out here.

For those who still just love the grocery store: Most stores are now selling little plastic pots of live, freshly sprouted, organic wheat grass. You can find it at many pet stores too. This is a great way to add grass to the diet of a young sulcata. Get your scissors, hold the pot over the food pile and chop away. Water it and keep the pot in a window sill, and in a few days, you'll have more. You might need several pots as your baby grows, or you can buy seed from one of our site sponsors (Thank you Carolina Pet Supply) and sprout even bigger trays of it yourself.

Some of you may find that your "grass eating" tortoise wants nothing to do with eating grass. This should surprise no one, since most breeders and most keepers never even attempt to feed actual grass to their grass eating tortoise babies. So sad! I can tell you from first hand experience with literally HUNDREDS of babies, they WILL eat it. It may take a month or more to slowly introduce it, but PLEASE, slowly introduce it.

Other items that are good for babies and young sulcatas:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food


When sulcatas get a little older and bigger, usually around 10-12" for me, they will start munching on plain, dry grass hay, all on their own. I like orchard grass hay the best for this, but I also used bermuda grass hay for years too. When they hit this stage, life gets MUCH easier. Just make sure you have drinking water readily available when they start eating hay, and consider soaking regularly if you are not 100% sure your tortoise is drinking enough, or if you live in a really dry area, like me.

I live in a desert and yet there is still green stuff all around me. I beg you to take a walk and learn about all the green stuff around you, INSTEAD of driving to the store again. Instead of a trip to the grocery store, take a trip to a local nursery for some weed IDs, and tips on growing your own stuff. What could be better than stepping out into your backyard and collecting all the free, healthy tortoise food you can carry? Think of the gas savings! Anyone who is a tortoise keeper, ought to be somewhat of a gardener too.

I beg of you... PLEASE stop the grocery store MADNESS!!!

Are they able to eat romaine ? And im not surr how to mix their food how many greens should I mix abd how really new to this

 

[Tom]

Are they able to eat romaine ? And im not surr how to mix their food how many greens should I mix abd how really new to this

As it was explained to me many years ago: There are no fields of lettuce where sulcatas occur.

Yes, they can eat romaine, but its lacking in fiber, calcium and the proper nutrition that they need.

To mix in new foods, use the old familiar foods, even if that is romaine, to get them on to the new and better stuff. First, finely chop up some of the old familiar stuff and spray it with some water. You should already have a water spray bottle to be spraying your tortoises shell. Next, finely chop up a very small amount of the new stuff and mix it all up with the old stuff. Keep feeding this mixture in this ratio until your tortoise eats it all up. Don't worry if your tortoise gets picky and skips a day or two. Your not starving your tortoise if there is a big pile of good food right in front of him. Gradually, over time keep doing this with all sorts of new foods and begin upping the ratio of new food to old. In time your tortoise will start eating everything you put in front of it.

 

[DeanS]

As it was explained to me many years ago: There are no fields of lettuce where sulcatas occur.

Yes, they can eat romaine, but its lacking in fiber, calcium and the proper nutrition that they need.

To mix in new foods, use the old familiar foods, even if that is romaine, to get them on to the new and better stuff. First, finely chop up some of the old familiar stuff and spray it with some water. You should already have a water spray bottle to be spraying your tortoises shell. Next, finely chop up a very small amount of the new stuff and mix it all up with the old stuff. Keep feeding this mixture in this ratio until your tortoise eats it all up. Don't worry if your tortoise gets picky and skips a day or two. Your not starving your tortoise if there is a big pile of good food right in front of him. Gradually, over time keep doing this with all sorts of new foods and begin upping the ratio of new food to old. In time your tortoise will start eating everything you put in front of it.

Yeah! But can they be kept FREE RANGE?!?!?

 

[Tom]

Yeah! But can they be kept FREE RANGE?!?!?

Sure. If its in a large well designed enclosure.

 

[DeanS]

Sure. If its in a large well designed enclosure.

but what if I wanna let it crawl up the stairs...or tumble down the stairs...or walk around in 32º F temps...or share my dogs' beds?!?!? HUH? HUH? HUH?

 

[Katsy Lairmore]

Thank you sooo much this is exactly what i need someone to tell me. My sulcata is my baby and i love him. Thank you


My Sulcata Michelangelo[TURTLE]
and my RedFoot Raphael [TURTLE]

---

Now if i could be told what i need for my Redfoot


My Sulcata Michelangelo[TURTLE]
and my RedFoot Raphael [TURTLE]

---

I am a TMNT freak. Im guessing you may be a fan also?

 

[lisa127]

Can the zoo med grassland tortoise food be moistened with some kind of fruit juice to get them to eat it.....even though sulcatas shouldn't eat fruit? @Tom

 

[Tom]

Can the zoo med grassland tortoise food be moistened with some kind of fruit juice to get them to eat it.....even though sulcatas shouldn't eat fruit? @Tom

I would not do it that way because of… well… the fruit juice…

 

[lisa127]

I would not do it that way because of… well… the fruit juice…

Ok! I bought a good size jug of it and he won't touch it. He won't eat hay either usually but I bought orchard today and he showed a it more interest.

 

[Tom]

Ok! I bought a good size jug of it and he won't touch it. He won't eat hay either usually but I bought orchard today and he showed a it more interest.

None of them will eat it by itself. You need to soak a single pellet, or half a pellet, and then mix it in with the days greens. Do this until eat eats it normally. Then gradually add more and repeat. This process can take weeks or months, but its worth it in the end.

They usually won't eat plain dry hay when they are under a foot or so, but hay must also be introduced in a similar way. Get some scissors, chop it up super fine, rehydrate it for a good 40-60 minutes in warm water, and then mix in a very small amount with the days greens. Over time, slowly increase the ratio of hay to greens until you've got it where you want it.

Most tortoises, like most kids, don't take to new and unfamiliar foods that are good for them. They must be introduced slowly and carefully.

 

[lisa127]

None of them will eat it by itself. You need to soak a single pellet, or half a pellet, and then mix it in with the days greens. Do this until eat eats it normally. Then gradually add more and repeat. This process can take weeks or months, but its worth it in the end.

They usually won't eat plain dry hay when they are under a foot or so, but hay must also be introduced in a similar way. Get some scissors, chop it up super fine, rehydrate it for a good 40-60 minutes in warm water, and then mix in a very small amount with the days greens. Over time, slowly increase the ratio of hay to greens until you've got it where you want it.

Most tortoises, like most kids, don't take to new and unfamiliar foods that are good for them. They must be introduced slowly and carefully.

Thanks Tom. That's basically what I was doing with both the pellets and the hay. I guess I was just getting g impatient.

 

[Ann Stonely]

Over and over I type up and answer diet questions and try to get people feeding the right stuff, but I find that the "norm" is grocery store food. Grocery store food is expensive, a hassle to obtain, and very low on the list of what is best for sulcatas.

These tortoises are GRASS eaters. From the moment they hatch, until the day they die, grass should be a large part of their diet. Spring mix, romaine, kale and other greens are okay as a small part of a varied diet, but should not be the bulk of the diet. If someone must feed grocery store foods, the pile should be sprinkled with grass clippings or "Salad Style". For those who like the convenience of pre-packaged, easy to handle stuff, "Salad Style" is basically finely blended up grass hay that can be sprinkled over any other food to add bulk and fiber. I got my "Salad Style" from Tyler at tortoisesupply.com.

For those that have a lawn, or access to one: Get a tub, get some scissors, get down on your knees, and go to work! It is so EASY to cut a few handfuls of fresh, green, tender, young grass, and dramatically improve your baby sulcatas diet. Any kind of grass will work. Finely chop it for little tortoises and sprinkle it all over the other food, or feed it by itself in a pile. Do be careful about lawn chemicals and pesticides. If you have a gardener, or its not your lawn, use extreme caution. Live in a condo or apartment complex? Don't do it. Not worth the risk, no matter what they tell you. Just grow your own grass in pots on your patio or window sills. Friends, family and neighbors might be able to help you out here.

For those who still just love the grocery store: Most stores are now selling little plastic pots of live, freshly sprouted, organic wheat grass. You can find it at many pet stores too. This is a great way to add grass to the diet of a young sulcata. Get your scissors, hold the pot over the food pile and chop away. Water it and keep the pot in a window sill, and in a few days, you'll have more. You might need several pots as your baby grows, or you can buy seed from one of our site sponsors (Thank you Carolina Pet Supply) and sprout even bigger trays of it yourself.

Some of you may find that your "grass eating" tortoise wants nothing to do with eating grass. This should surprise no one, since most breeders and most keepers never even attempt to feed actual grass to their grass eating tortoise babies. So sad! I can tell you from first hand experience with literally HUNDREDS of babies, they WILL eat it. It may take a month or more to slowly introduce it, but PLEASE, slowly introduce it.

Other items that are good for babies and young sulcatas:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food


When sulcatas get a little older and bigger, usually around 10-12" for me, they will start munching on plain, dry grass hay, all on their own. I like orchard grass hay the best for this, but I also used bermuda grass hay for years too. When they hit this stage, life gets MUCH easier. Just make sure you have drinking water readily available when they start eating hay, and consider soaking regularly if you are not 100% sure your tortoise is drinking enough, or if you live in a really dry area, like me.

I live in a desert and yet there is still green stuff all around me. I beg you to take a walk and learn about all the green stuff around you, INSTEAD of driving to the store again. Instead of a trip to the grocery store, take a trip to a local nursery for some weed IDs, and tips on growing your own stuff. What could be better than stepping out into your backyard and collecting all the free, healthy tortoise food you can carry? Think of the gas savings! Anyone who is a tortoise keeper, ought to be somewhat of a gardener too.

I beg of you... PLEASE stop the grocery store MADNESS!!!

I just bought a baby sulcata. He is in a 10 gallon tank with a card board hidy hole a shallow water dish that i make sure the water is not deeper than the bottom of his shell. And a flat ceramic plate for food. He spends most of his time in his hole with his face in the corner. Does he need a light or a heat source? Our home is usually about 70° he is eating dandelion greens from the grocery store right now. I am looking to turn his future 50 gallon tank into a grass pot. He is so small how can i tell if he is happy?

 

[Tom]

I just bought a baby sulcata. He is in a 10 gallon tank with a card board hidy hole a shallow water dish that i make sure the water is not deeper than the bottom of his shell. And a flat ceramic plate for food. He spends most of his time in his hole with his face in the corner. Does he need a light or a heat source? Our home is usually about 70° he is eating dandelion greens from the grocery store right now. I am looking to turn his future 50 gallon tank into a grass pot. He is so small how can i tell if he is happy?

Hello and welcome to the forum. Your baby news to be 80 degrees day and night, and you need heat, light and UV sources right now. Yes they need night heat and 70 is too low.

Please read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Rupertsmom]

What is so bad about getting organic kale and spring mixes from grocery store? Our yard isn't pesticide free yet and they won't eat the pellets we got them.

Over and over I type up and answer diet questions and try to get people feeding the right stuff, but I find that the "norm" is grocery store food. Grocery store food is expensive, a hassle to obtain, and very low on the list of what is best for sulcatas.

These tortoises are GRASS eaters. From the moment they hatch, until the day they die, grass should be a large part of their diet. Spring mix, romaine, kale and other greens are okay as a small part of a varied diet, but should not be the bulk of the diet. If someone must feed grocery store foods, the pile should be sprinkled with grass clippings or "Salad Style". For those who like the convenience of pre-packaged, easy to handle stuff, "Salad Style" is basically finely blended up grass hay that can be sprinkled over any other food to add bulk and fiber. I got my "Salad Style" from Tyler at tortoisesupply.com.

For those that have a lawn, or access to one: Get a tub, get some scissors, get down on your knees, and go to work! It is so EASY to cut a few handfuls of fresh, green, tender, young grass, and dramatically improve your baby sulcatas diet. Any kind of grass will work. Finely chop it for little tortoises and sprinkle it all over the other food, or feed it by itself in a pile. Do be careful about lawn chemicals and pesticides. If you have a gardener, or its not your lawn, use extreme caution. Live in a condo or apartment complex? Don't do it. Not worth the risk, no matter what they tell you. Just grow your own grass in pots on your patio or window sills. Friends, family and neighbors might be able to help you out here.

For those who still just love the grocery store: Most stores are now selling little plastic pots of live, freshly sprouted, organic wheat grass. You can find it at many pet stores too. This is a great way to add grass to the diet of a young sulcata. Get your scissors, hold the pot over the food pile and chop away. Water it and keep the pot in a window sill, and in a few days, you'll have more. You might need several pots as your baby grows, or you can buy seed from one of our site sponsors (Thank you Carolina Pet Supply) and sprout even bigger trays of it yourself.

Some of you may find that your "grass eating" tortoise wants nothing to do with eating grass. This should surprise no one, since most breeders and most keepers never even attempt to feed actual grass to their grass eating tortoise babies. So sad! I can tell you from first hand experience with literally HUNDREDS of babies, they WILL eat it. It may take a month or more to slowly introduce it, but PLEASE, slowly introduce it.

Other items that are good for babies and young sulcatas:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food


When sulcatas get a little older and bigger, usually around 10-12" for me, they will start munching on plain, dry grass hay, all on their own. I like orchard grass hay the best for this, but I also used bermuda grass hay for years too. When they hit this stage, life gets MUCH easier. Just make sure you have drinking water readily available when they start eating hay, and consider soaking regularly if you are not 100% sure your tortoise is drinking enough, or if you live in a really dry area, like me.

I live in a desert and yet there is still green stuff all around me. I beg you to take a walk and learn about all the green stuff around you, INSTEAD of driving to the store again. Instead of a trip to the grocery store, take a trip to a local nursery for some weed IDs, and tips on growing your own stuff. What could be better than stepping out into your backyard and collecting all the free, healthy tortoise food you can carry? Think of the gas savings! Anyone who is a tortoise keeper, ought to be somewhat of a gardener too.

I beg of you... PLEASE stop the grocery store MADNESS!!!

 

[leigti]

What is so bad about getting organic kale and spring mixes from grocery store? Our yard isn't pesticide free yet and they won't eat the pellets we got them.

I don't know where you live, but depending on your climate you may or may not have outdoor plants available year-round. You can still get good stuff at the grocery store. For instants, my grocery store carries cactus pads and dandelion leaves year round. Endive and escarole are good. Collard greens, turnip greens etc. The idea is that you get a variety overtime. Tom's list has a lot of things that are at the store that you can find easily enough. In the meantime you can buy a CD mixes and grow your own indoors or outdoors. That is probably the easiest thing to do. I plant these in the outdoor enclosure. And because they are weeds they grow even before and after the months that my tortoise can be outside. And it does take time to learn the different weeds, I have slowly been learning some of them. And some of them even grow in my yard. You will find yourself being very excited when dandy lion start growing you can also mix the grassland or mazuri with the greens you get at the store. And the herbal hey is great. I also use the TNT powder from Carolina pet supply, it is basically ground up plants that you sprinkle on to greens.
There are lots of options out there and it takes a little time but the grocery store is not an evil place. There are definitely better options than others there once you know what they are.

 

[Tom]

What is so bad about getting organic kale and spring mixes from grocery store? Our yard isn't pesticide free yet and they won't eat the pellets we got them.

What is so bad about kale and spring mix? They don't meet the nutritional needs of the animal you are trying to care for. Typical grocery store greens are lacking in fiber, many don't have the right calcium to phosphorus ratio, and many, like kale, have compounds in them that are actually detrimental if they are fed too much or too often.

Its easiest to go down to McDonalds and buy a cheeseburger and fries for dinner, but its not the best way to go. Likewise, it will take some effort to learn about what plants are best for our tortoises and how to find or grow them, but the end result is much better than taking the easy way out.

Few tortoises will eat pellets or any new food without a proper introduction. What type of pellets are you using? Some pellets, like the ZooMed grassland tortoise pellets, are a good way to introduce more fiber into the grocery store greens that some people must rely on throughout a frozen winter. But it must be introduced slowly. I soak a half pellet and then mix it thoroughly with the days greens. Over time you can up the ratio. Mazuri tortoise chow is another one that can be used as a good supplement. These are the only two that I would recommend.

Thanks for taking the time to ask this question. I'll bet other people wonder the same thing. I hope my answer helps.

 

[Chrissy32Arellano]

Is mazuri tortoise diet good? I feed my tortoise this about 2-3 times a week and let her munch on grass and weeds I have grown.

 

[Tom]

Is mazuri tortoise diet good? I feed my tortoise this about 2-3 times a week and let her munch on grass and weeds I have grown.

Yes it is. Your tortoise's diet sounds great.

 

[vikvigs]

We just got 2 baby spur thighed, born 1/9/15 this is our home for them View attachment 163837View attachment 163838View attachment 163839

 

[Tom]

We just got 2 baby spur thighed, born 1/9/15 this is our home for them View attachment 163837View attachment 163838View attachment 163839

Hello and welcome. You have Testudo graeca. This thread is intended for Centrochelys sulcata. Testudo species don't need all the grass that sulcatas do, but the rest of the list should serve you well.