Fruits & Veggies for my Sulcatas (see list)

[frankandramsley]

-Cucumbers
-Watermelon
-Peaches
-Strawberries
-Yellow Squash
-Bell Peppers
-Carrots
-Mushrooms
-Cherry Tomatoes
-Tomatoes
-Bananas
-Zucchini

Yes/No for each please? I'm trying to expand their diet and experiments with new things, thank you.

Also, what other fruits/vegetables are OK for them to eat? Thank you so much in advance!!!

 

[Kristina]

With the exception of the yellow squash and the zucchini, everything on your list should only be fed occasionally.

My favorite fruits to feed Sulcatas and other grazing tortoises are mangos, papaya, chermoya, and cactus friuts.

Some better ideas would be -

Kale
Collard greens
Mustard greens
Turnip greens
Spinach
Endive
Escarole
Chicory
Spring mix
Grated sweet potato
Bermuda and Timothy grass
Cactus pads
Dandelions
Broad Leaf plantain
Mallow
Clover - white, red, purple (not oxalis)
Mulberry leaves
Grape leaves

 

[DeanS]

I wholeheartedly agree with EVERYTHING on Kristina's list! For a sulcata, fruit needs to be kept to an absolute minimum...like one piece a season! During the summer, it's all right to offer a watermelon rind here and there. During the fall, offer them pumpkin (and NOT out of a can)...the seeds are a great wormer. Strawberries are OK during the Spring...but again...not too many and not too often!

 

[frankandramsley]

Okay thank you! And as for regular diet, what should I offer them? They typically have romaine lettuce, some shredded carrots, kale, collard greens etc. I know they should have majority grasses, but I can't get them to eat it! Any suggestions?

 

[Kristina]

I would suggest feeding as many DARK leafy greens (the kale, collards, and add a few others) along with any weeds and grape and mulberry leaves that you can get them to eat. Romaine is better nutritionally than iceberg, but it is still mainly a filler and should be fed at a minimum. You can chop the grasses up very fine, wet the other greens and kind of coat them with the the finely chopped grasses. That way they are getting the benfit of the fiber and also will get more of a taste for the grasses.

 

[DeanS]

Here's the thing! When push comes to shove (my favorite Van Halen song, btw), as long as you have a lawn with a decent variety of weeds growing in it...that's all you really need! Get ahold of a nice large cactus pad and plant it out of reach of your tortoise and let it grow. In the meantime, purchase pads from a trusted source and feed those until your pad blooms into a tree or medium-to-large bush! If you have access to flowers, then roses, hibiscus, poppies and daisies are great...and much better for them than fruit! Remember, it's really about fiber and calcium with these guys...so cactus, mulberry leaves and collard greens are your best supplements!