How long without food is safe?

[NamedNut]

I have a few "vacations" planned later in the year and am trying to judge when I should have someone either stay at the house or visit while we're away.

I've used the often neglected search feature and have read various posts and in general it seems that people recommend a house or pet sitter when away.

But I'm curious.. What is believed to be an acceptable or safe amount of time to go without feeding a tortoise? I have a RT, I believe sub-adult.

Please let me know if I can offer any additional information.

Thank you in advance for your time!

 

[Tom]

Best to have someone come check them daily. This is the safest route.

Tortoises are grazers and should be able to graze freely every day. Asking how long they can go without food is like asking how long you can go with no food. You'd survive for a week or two, but would it be good for you? I don't mean that to sound snotty. It kind of sounds snotty when I re-read it... Biologically, grazing animals function differently than omnivores or carnivores. And mammals differently than reptiles. Its complicated... No snotty or snooty overtones implied.

You can soak the day before or day that you leave, remove the water dish, drop in an opuntia pad or two, and then soak and replace the water bowl upon your return. This technique should be fine for any adult tortoise for at least 4-5 days. All lights and heat should be set on timers and thermostats. Opuntia pads last a long time and won't rot over the course of a few days. You will have to introduce opuntia to your tortoise and get him eating it before the trip, of course.

 

[Krista S]

Here’s another idea for you with regards to feeding. I did a little experiment a couple years back to see how long “Living Lettuce” could survive in my enclosure before going bad. Living lettuce is the stuff you can buy that still has the root ball attached to it. I rinsed it well and then I dug a hole in the substrate and put a drinking glass in the hole that was just large enough for the root ball and some water. I filled the glass up with water and the living lettuce survive for 4 days before it started to wilt a little and was still pretty good on day 6. I’ve don’t this a couple of times now, even though I haven’t left my tort alone and the other time I got the lettuce to last a week And a half. Mine is an open topped enclosure. Anyhow, it’s an option for you. My tortoise loved sitting under the lettuce and and grabbing a bite or 2 as he wandered around throughout the day. I put it in a spot close to his food dish.



Something else you may find helpful is a wifi camera positioned to view most of your enclosure. Something like a Ring or Wyze camera. I find it brings me a lot of piece of mind to be able to check in on my tortoise from wherever I’m at. I’ve got all of his equipment (heat lamps, UV, LED, wifi thermostat, bedroom humidifier) all running on smart plugs and I have a digital thermometer/hygrometer in the basking zone that faces towards the camera. This allows me to be able to adjust things on the fly from wherever I am, or identify if there’s a problem that needs to be addressed.

 

[jsheffield - In Memoriam]

I generally feed my tortoises every day.

I don't worry about missing a day or two occasionally.

I have left my tortoises for as long as two weeks without being fed, when I'm away on vacation; I have the temperature and humidity and lighting of their enclosures dialed in to a pretty high degree.

Honestly, I worry more about someone I'd ask to feed/water them screwing something up (like leaving the top open, or turning off a light or heater) than the tortoises starving or dying of thirst.

Tortoises can go a month without eating and not be the worse for wear. I feed and water and soak them a bit intensively both before and after these breaks, and they're fine.

I have cameras and sensors on each enclosure, and if something went wrong I have people I can call to come in and help out, but in general I think it's safer to leave them be for up to two weeks.

Jamie

 

[NamedNut]

Best to have someone come check them daily. This is the safest route.

Tortoises are grazers and should be able to graze freely every day. Asking how long they can go without food is like asking how long you can go with no food. You'd survive for a week or two, but would it be good for you? I don't mean that to sound snotty. It kind of sounds snotty when I re-read it... Biologically, grazing animals function differently than omnivores or carnivores. And mammals differently than reptiles. Its complicated... No snotty or snooty overtones implied.

You can soak the day before or day that you leave, remove the water dish, drop in an opuntia pad or two, and then soak and replace the water bowl upon your return. This technique should be fine for any adult tortoise for at least 4-5 days. All lights and heat should be set on timers and thermostats. Opuntia pads last a long time and won't rot over the course of a few days. You will have to introduce opuntia to your tortoise and get him eating it before the trip, of course.

No worries Tom! If I go a few hours without a snack I get grumpy.

Your method sounds reasonable and simple. I'll have to find a source for Opuntia pads.

Thank you.

 

[NamedNut]

Here’s another idea for you with regards to feeding. I did a little experiment a couple years back to see how long “Living Lettuce” could survive in my enclosure before going bad. Living lettuce is the stuff you can buy that still has the root ball attached to it. I rinsed it well and then I dug a hole in the substrate and put a drinking glass in the hole that was just large enough for the root ball and some water. I filled the glass up with water and the living lettuce survive for 4 days before it started to wilt a little and was still pretty good on day 6. I’ve don’t this a couple of times now, even though I haven’t left my tort alone and the other time I got the lettuce to last a week And a half. Mine is an open topped enclosure. Anyhow, it’s an option for you. My tortoise loved sitting under the lettuce and and grabbing a bite or 2 as he wandered around throughout the day. I put it in a spot close to his food dish.

View attachment 356390

Something else you may find helpful is a wifi camera positioned to view most of your enclosure. Something like a Ring or Wyze camera. I find it brings me a lot of piece of mind to be able to check in on my tortoise from wherever I’m at. I’ve got all of his equipment (heat lamps, UV, LED, wifi thermostat, bedroom humidifier) all running on smart plugs and I have a digital thermometer/hygrometer in the basking zone that faces towards the camera. This allows me to be able to adjust things on the fly from wherever I am, or identify if there’s a problem that needs to be addressed.

I'm intrigued by this living lettuce idea. I'll have to try it out.

Cameras are on my list! I actually have a few Arlo cameras I can use in the mean time. Care more about my Tortoise than I do if a racoon is getting into my trash can. Good idea with the displays facing the camera, I like that and will steal it! Smart plugs are awesome, what brand do you prefer?

Thank you Krista!

 

[NamedNut]

I generally feed my tortoises every day.

I don't worry about missing a day or two occasionally.

I have left my tortoises for as long as two weeks without being fed, when I'm away on vacation; I have the temperature and humidity and lighting of their enclosures dialed in to a pretty high degree.

Honestly, I worry more about someone I'd ask to feed/water them screwing something up (like leaving the top open, or turning off a light or heater) than the tortoises starving or dying of thirst.

Tortoises can go a month without eating and not be the worse for wear. I feed and water and soak them a bit intensively both before and after these breaks, and they're fine.

I have cameras and sensors on each enclosure, and if something went wrong I have people I can call to come in and help out, but in general I think it's safer to leave them be for up to two weeks.

Jamie

I 100% understand and feel the same way about asking someone to help... When I leave town I don't have anyone watch my fish for this same reason!

I think the maximum amount of full days we'd be away from home would be about 7. I think that with Tom's method, Krista's camera and smart plug setup and a person or two that I could call in to help the Tortoise in an emergency situation we can make due. It's not ideal but if i had to it could probably work. Our typical trips are 2-4 full days away from home.

I would probably remove anything from his table that has an "elevated risk" of causing harm... like something he could tip over on in an unlikely situation.

Thank you jsheffield!

 

[Krista S]

I'm intrigued by this living lettuce idea. I'll have to try it out.

Cameras are on my list! I actually have a few Arlo cameras I can use in the mean time. Care more about my Tortoise than I do if a racoon is getting into my trash can. Good idea with the displays facing the camera, I like that and will steal it! Smart plugs are awesome, what brand do you prefer?

Thank you Krista!

The ones I use are all Canadian made and I don’t believe are available in the US. Some of our American members may be able to suggest a brand to you. The humidifier is on a single smart plug because it’s in an opposite corner of the room from where the enclosure is. Everything else is split between 2 smart surge protectors. Each has 4 usb plug-ins and 4 regular plug ins and each of these can be named and programmed independently from each other. I have 2 incandescent flood lights, 1 led strip, a T5HO for UVB and a ceramic heat emitter, so I was afraid to plug it all into 1 surge protector and overload it.

 

[NamedNut]

The ones I use are all Canadian made and I don’t believe are available in the US. Some of our American members may be able to suggest a brand to you. The humidifier is on a single smart plug because it’s in an opposite corner of the room from where the enclosure is. Everything else is split between 2 smart surge protectors. Each has 4 usb plug-ins and 4 regular plug ins and each of these can be named and programmed independently from each other. I have 2 incandescent flood lights, 1 led strip, a T5HO for UVB and a ceramic heat emitter, so I was afraid to plug it all into 1 surge protector and overload it.

Sounds like you’re dialed in!

How big is the enclosure?

 

[Krista S]

It’s approx 4’ x 7’

 

[NamedNut]

It’s approx 4’ x 7’

View attachment 356397

Oh wow! That is absolutely stunning!

Nicely done!

 

[TammyJ]

I'm intrigued by this living lettuce idea. I'll have to try it out.

Cameras are on my list! I actually have a few Arlo cameras I can use in the mean time. Care more about my Tortoise than I do if a racoon is getting into my trash can. Good idea with the displays facing the camera, I like that and will steal it! Smart plugs are awesome, what brand do you prefer?

Thank you Krista!

Maybe I am paranoid, but I would not leave a glass in the tortoise enclosure if there was any chance the tortoise may get to it and break or even bite it. Lettuce could be sunk into a safer container like a thick mug, maybe?

 

[NamedNut]

Maybe I am paranoid, but I would not leave a glass in the tortoise enclosure if there was any chance the tortoise may get to it and break or even bite it. Lettuce could be sunk into a safer container like a thick mug, maybe?

Good thinking.

 

[TammyJ]

Maybe I am paranoid, but I would not leave a glass in the tortoise enclosure if there was any chance the tortoise may get to it and break or even bite it. Lettuce could be sunk into a safer container like a thick mug, maybe?

Tammy. That's not being paranoid. That's being ever so very super smart and responsible and annoying.

 

[Krista S]

Tammy. That's not being paranoid. That's being ever so very super smart and responsible and annoying.

Thankfully I’m not as dumb and irresponsible as you think I am. I made sure to use a very thick glass that even I would have trouble breaking. It is completely Sunk into the substrate and not viewable to the tortoise. My tortoise is very strong and loves to dig and get into trouble and with the way I’ve done it, there has never been any issue or concern.

 

[TammyJ]

Thankfully I’m not as dumb and irresponsible as you think I am. I made sure to use a very thick glass that even I would have trouble breaking. It is completely Sunk into the substrate and not viewable to the tortoise. My tortoise is very strong and loves to dig and get into trouble and with the way I’ve done it, there has never been any issue or concern.

Accusing you was certainly not my intention! I only made the comment so as to try to ensure that some new and inexperienced member would perhaps avoid a horrible situation happening with their tortoise. Things can be different from what they may seem at first glance, and jumping up defensively is quite inappropriate in this case. Have a great evening.

 

[Krista S]

You very clearly criticized my suggestion by saying you “would not leave a glass in the tortoise enclosure if there was any chance the tortoise may get to it and break or even bite it.” and then responded to your own comment to pat yourself on the back by saying that your way (using a thick mug) was the smart and responsible way to do it. Your words are self explanatory, there’s no other way for me to take that.

Anyone in the future who reads this and wants to use the living lettuce idea, please use common sense and don’t use an easily breakable container to hold the rootball and water that will keep the lettuce hydrated. If there’s any concern, try it out by doing a test run. I’ve actually never had to rely on this to feed my tortoise yet, but a couple times per year I like to do it anyhow as a form of enrichment and something different for my tortoise.

Sorry for getting off track on your thread @NamedNut. I hope this hasn’t discouraged you from participating on this forum or from trying out the living lettuce idea if you wanted to. I hope that you’ll stick around. It’s been so nice seeing you join the forum and happily absorb all of the information that others have given you. It’s not very often that people welcome the information and pointers with such open arms and have such a willingness to follow the guidance. Your tortoise is as lucky to have you, as you are to have him.

 

[NamedNut]

You very clearly criticized my suggestion by saying you “would not leave a glass in the tortoise enclosure if there was any chance the tortoise may get to it and break or even bite it.” and then responded to your own comment to pat yourself on the back by saying that your way (using a thick mug) was the smart and responsible way to do it. Your words are self explanatory, there’s no other way for me to take that.

Anyone in the future who reads this and wants to use the living lettuce idea, please use common sense and don’t use an easily breakable container to hold the rootball and water that will keep the lettuce hydrated. If there’s any concern, try it out by doing a test run. I’ve actually never had to rely on this to feed my tortoise yet, but a couple times per year I like to do it anyhow as a form of enrichment and something different for my tortoise.

Sorry for getting off track on your thread @NamedNut. I hope this hasn’t discouraged you from participating on this forum or from trying out the living lettuce idea if you wanted to. I hope that you’ll stick around. It’s been so nice seeing you join the forum and happily absorb all of the information that others have given you. It’s not very often that people welcome the information and pointers with such open arms and have such a willingness to follow the guidance. Your tortoise is as lucky to have you, as you are to have him.

Thank you Krista!

No need to apologize, I’m not going anywhere. I’ve enjoyed my time here and value those who have the experience and knowledge that I don’t yet possess. I also appreciate how there appears to be a forward thinking approach on the care of these amazing animals.

I find myself reading old posts throughout the day, some fascinating topics to read.