Leopard Tortoise, 1 year old, doesn't like eating grass. Tips?

Garrett M

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My one year old leopard tortoise Kade doesn't want to eat grass. Outside he will eat little weeds like found growing between sidewalk, but not often and doesn't really seem interested in grass except to hide. I tried cutting up the Pet Greens Cat Grass Original Wheatgrass from Petco mixed in with the other foods, so that he will get the nourishment, but if its just the cat grass then he doesn't seem interested. I have read it will take time, but is there a mix that you think he'd be interested in or any ideas how to get him to eat more grasses?

Thank you
 

Lyn W

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Hi and welcome,
This is the caresheet you need that will help you with diet, and living conditions etc
My leopard doesn't usually graze on grass - he will eat it but only usually because he wants the clover growing in it and can't avoid it.
When weeds are scarce in our winters and I have to rely on shop bought leaves, I use a product called Readigrass (which is a sack of dried grass so I'm sure you'll have similar products US members can recommend). I grind it finely up in a blender then I mix large pinches of it into wet leaves. That way I'm adding fibre to his winter diet.
 

Tom

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My one year old leopard tortoise Kade doesn't want to eat grass. Outside he will eat little weeds like found growing between sidewalk, but not often and doesn't really seem interested in grass except to hide. I tried cutting up the Pet Greens Cat Grass Original Wheatgrass from Petco mixed in with the other foods, so that he will get the nourishment, but if its just the cat grass then he doesn't seem interested. I have read it will take time, but is there a mix that you think he'd be interested in or any ideas how to get him to eat more grasses?

Thank you
There is all sorts of bad info floating around out there. Sounds like you might have found some of it. I've observed the same thing as Lyn and Yvonne that regular leopards are not usually fond of eating grass.

Here is the correct care and feeding info for you:
 

wellington

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My leopards wouldn't eat grass until they were the size one would consider and adult. Around 4 or 5 years.
 

biochemnerd808

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There is all sorts of bad info floating around out there. Sounds like you might have found some of it. I've observed the same thing as Lyn and Yvonne that regular leopards are not usually fond of eating grass.

Here is the correct care and feeding info for you:
So Tom, have I been doing it wrong, snipping little bits of fresh green grass over the weeds and greens of the baby tortoise? I assumed getting a taste of the grass in with the other weeds might predispose the little ones to being more open to eating it later.
 

Tom

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So Tom, have I been doing it wrong, snipping little bits of fresh green grass over the weeds and greens of the baby tortoise? I assumed getting a taste of the grass in with the other weeds might predispose the little ones to being more open to eating it later.
Not wrong at all. I have two points:

1. Almost all of the "regular" leopards in this country are a mixture of genetics from different populations of wild leopards that were all imported years ago. Some of these populations, like the South African leopards we have here, are full-on grass eaters rivaling any sulcata or Galapagos tortoise. True "regular" leopards in the wild tend to not eat much grass, showing a preference for broadleaf weeds, succulents, browsable leaves they can reach, flowers, many succulents, and mammal feces. I would presume this is mostly ungulate feces, but there was mention of eating hyena feces which would likely be very high in calcium since hyenas are known for eating bones. In our captive environments, this translates to them showing a preference for things other than grass sometimes. If a person's leopard tortoise had some percentage of the SA type leopards mixed in, which I would guess that most do, a regular leopard might show a preference FOR grass, which makes this issue quite confusing at times.
2. Grass can be used to add much needed fiber to ANY tortoise's diet. Even non-grass eating species like Russians. I see no harm in introducing grass to any and every species when they are youngsters. Its a practice which may help people who are stuck on grocery store produce during a long snowy winter. The ability to to easily sprout and then sprinkle in some grass to add fiber to grocery store greens is very advantageous.
 

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