Grasses/plant questions

l0velesly

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
2,452
Location (City and/or State)
Lynnwood, WA
Hi everyone,
I’ve been trying to research the best diet for my radiated tortoises.
I read that they primarily eat grasses and succulents.

What kind of succulents would be considered safe? I couldn’t find much information regarding that. I’ve looked on the tortoisetable website too.

Do they have a preference for what type of grass?

Would Rosa rugosa leaves be safe?
 

peridot

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2019
Messages
77
Location (City and/or State)
NC
My radiated loves Opuntia cactus. You can find it online and at a lot of local Hispanic markets. That and aloe vera are all I've tried.

Mine go nuts for wheat grass. Recently I planted the Nature's Seed tortoise blend from Amazon.com. They also really like it.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hi everyone,
I’ve been trying to research the best diet for my radiated tortoises.
I read that they primarily eat grasses and succulents.

What kind of succulents would be considered safe? I couldn’t find much information regarding that. I’ve looked on the tortoisetable website too.

Do they have a preference for what type of grass?

Would Rosa rugosa leaves be safe?
The primary succulent I use is spineless opuntia pads. I grow a dozen different varieties. They can also eat ice plant, jade plant, aloe, red apple (the ground cover stuff), and "elephant bush". There are also many types of sedum, though at least a couple are toxic, so use caution and do your research.

Broadleaf weeds, leaves and flowers are their primary diet. I feed them a lot of mulberry leaves, grape vine leaves, lavatera leaves and flowers, hibiscus leaves and flowers, broadleaf plantain leaves, and any other weeds I can throw in. When our winter rains return, I feed them a plethora of free growing weeds, including mallow, sow thistle, thistle, clovers, dandelions, grasses, and a host of other things.

I also feed them Mazuri about once a week, and when the occasion occurs, I give them leftover store bought greens like cilantro and lettuce, but I mix in a wide variety of dried leaves or flowers, or soaked ZooMed grassland chow on those occasions. In fall I drop chunks of pumpkin in for them once in a while. Babies get grated pumpkin.

There are so many things you can feed them. It shouldn't be a regular item, but a friend gave me a bunch of surplus giant zucchini from his garden recently. I'm letting my wife have first pick, but the leftovers will go to the tortoise horde.

Go to Kapidolofarms.com and check out all the dried mix-ins that Will offers. He has an endless supply of great stuff. Those items are a great way to add variety and make grocery store greens a better diet. Go to tortoisesupply.com and check out the "herbal hay" and all the seed mixes. I participially like, and have success with, the "testudo mix", but all of the grass mixes are great too.
 

l0velesly

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
2,452
Location (City and/or State)
Lynnwood, WA
The primary succulent I use is spineless opuntia pads. I grow a dozen different varieties. They can also eat ice plant, jade plant, aloe, red apple (the ground cover stuff), and "elephant bush". There are also many types of sedum, though at least a couple are toxic, so use caution and do your research.

Broadleaf weeds, leaves and flowers are their primary diet. I feed them a lot of mulberry leaves, grape vine leaves, lavatera leaves and flowers, hibiscus leaves and flowers, broadleaf plantain leaves, and any other weeds I can throw in. When our winter rains return, I feed them a plethora of free growing weeds, including mallow, sow thistle, thistle, clovers, dandelions, grasses, and a host of other things.

I also feed them Mazuri about once a week, and when the occasion occurs, I give them leftover store bought greens like cilantro and lettuce, but I mix in a wide variety of dried leaves or flowers, or soaked ZooMed grassland chow on those occasions. In fall I drop chunks of pumpkin in for them once in a while. Babies get grated pumpkin.

There are so many things you can feed them. It shouldn't be a regular item, but a friend gave me a bunch of surplus giant zucchini from his garden recently. I'm letting my wife have first pick, but the leftovers will go to the tortoise horde.

Go to Kapidolofarms.com and check out all the dried mix-ins that Will offers. He has an endless supply of great stuff. Those items are a great way to add variety and make grocery store greens a better diet. Go to tortoisesupply.com and check out the "herbal hay" and all the seed mixes. I participially like, and have success with, the "testudo mix", but all of the grass mixes are great too.
Thank you for your thorough response! I will keep that in mind and try to follow your suggestions ?
 

enchilada

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 3, 2014
Messages
789
Location (City and/or State)
Newport Beach CA
Go to your local Asian grocery store , the vegetable varieties are enough for your tortoise and yourself .
 

New Posts

Top