Grape leaves no longer eaten?

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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About 12 years ago I brought home a type of Muscadine from my property in South Carolina as food for me.
The genus is Carlos. Larger in flavor and smaller grapes than the type for sale in stores.
Then one day, I Began giving the leaves to my Redfoot tortoises. Every day they ate them almost and every season the vines grew even more gigantic.
Eventually the tortoises only wanted the small, pale green leaves. This went on for a few years.
I even sent seeds to several members to grow their own since I'd had such success.....
This year I'd pruned back the vines while they were dormant. They returned with thousands (thousands) of small grapes but not one of my tortoises will even bite a single leaf.
Any thoughts?
I'm at a loss.
BTW I've never used pesticides or any fertilizers, etc.
Never needed to.
 

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dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
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the only thing that really comes to mind is the taste of them must have changed somehow I've been feeding grape leaves for 15 plus years and they scarf them down every chance they get
 

wellington

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Wow, weird. Maybe the taste is more pronounced or like David said has changed. Wait and see what happens with a new batch of leaves next year.
 

Anyfoot

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About 12 years ago I brought home a type of Muscadine from my property in South Carolina as food for me.
The genus is Carlos. Larger in flavor and smaller grapes than the type for sale in stores.
Then one day, I Began giving the leaves to my Redfoot tortoises. Every day they ate them almost and every season the vines grew even more gigantic.
Eventually the tortoises only wanted the small, pale green leaves. This went on for a few years.
I even sent seeds to several members to grow their own since I'd had such success.....
This year I'd pruned back the vines while they were dormant. They returned with thousands (thousands) of small grapes but not one of my tortoises will even bite a single leaf.
Any thoughts?
I'm at a loss.
BTW I've never used pesticides or any fertilizers, etc.
Never needed to.
Are they the same redfoot torts that were eating them years back?
 

Anyfoot

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Yes. Minus the three that I found new homes for.
Maybe because the vine is so mature now the foliage tastes different(bitter). Just a guess.
Or maybe your soil is making the vines taste different(if that's possible).
Or maybe your torts taste has changed, I've noticed none of my hatchlings or juveniles will eat narrow leaf plantain(broad leaf yes), all my adults love it.
 
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