Help with Tortoise food!

[Tortiouse firl]

Hi everyone! Where can I buy tortoise plants to feed my sulcata other than the grocery store. I’ve bought seeds but where can I get already grown plants like a hibiscus tree and mulberry? Currently I feed dandelion green, occasionally hibiscus flowers from my neighbors yard, escarole, cactus, and mustard greens. What else can I add and what flowers can I feed him?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Personally, we love this product! Admittedly it might get kind of expensive for the species you have, but perhaps it’s something different to try! Especially if he’s still young

it’s such a great way for getting more variety in, especially during the winter months when things are harder to grow, you soak each cube in water(quantities on packet) until it’s a mushy grassy texture, and add it on top of the fresh stuff, any left over can be stored in the fridge. Most tortoises love it, but it could take a while for him to get used to, they’re very stubborn by nature, so don’t worry if it takes weeks/months of attempts for him to eat it.

Have you checked out the tortoise table app? there’s multiple categories to check out, I’d definitely have a look at the ‘wildflower’ section, there’s SO many weed varieties and flower types covered! All the different plants also have rough guidelines for how often to feed

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone! Where can I buy tortoise plants to feed my sulcata other than the grocery store. I’ve bought seeds but where can I get already grown plants like a hibiscus tree and mulberry? Currently I feed dandelion green, occasionally hibiscus flowers from my neighbors yard, escarole, cactus, and mustard greens. What else can I add and what flowers can I feed him?

You scrounge those items from areas all around you. There are mulberry trees all over the place and they will be leafing up again soon. People are usually happy to have you prune some low hanging branches for them. Make sure hibiscus or lavatera isn't sprayed with anything, and feed the leaves too. It's weed season, so go find good weeds everywhere. Mallow, fillaree, sow thistle, thistle, clover, broad or narrow leaf plantain, wild mustard, prickly lettuce, bristly ox tongue, etc... The list is endless. Grape vines will be leafing up again soon, and my opuntia stands are already producing new pads. You can also grow your own grass and either cut and feed or let the tortoise graze. Don't use sod, and don't buy hardware store lawn seed for grass. Use a pasture mix intended for grazing animals. You can buy this from tortoisesupply.com, or you can find it online or at feed stores in larger quantities.

In addition to all of the above, you can buy all sorts of dried leaf items to mix into your greens from Kapidolofarms.com and tortoisesupply.com. Mazuri and ZooMed both make a great pellet, and you can also soak and mix in horse hay pellets for more variety and fiber. Also look for Hikari Mulberrific from Kapidolofarms, and the Arcadia Optimized 52 is great stuff.

Remember that all new food items will require a lengthy introduction process to get the tortoise used to them. Start with small amounts of new foods mixed in with old favorites.