Leopard tortoise diet

Janka

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Hi everyone, :)
My name is Janka and my torts name is skilly. We live in the beautiful country, Namibia. My boyfriend saved Skilly from a bumch of dags and brought her home to me a week ago. She is not even the size of my palm.
I did alot of research and everyone seems to agree, that she should not eat too many tomatoes, but that is all she likes. I have tried salad, grasses from the veld, scrubs and succulents. She nibbles a bit on those and then stops. While with tomatoes she really eats a lot. Should I stop feeding her tomatoes?
Otherwise everything seems good. I take her out into the big yard, into the sun 4x a day for about 20 minutes or more. And she sleeps inside, where it is not too cold an not to warm. Her shell is hard and healthy, except for the holes the dogs left behind.
I appreciate all types of advice for caring for my baby. Thank you !14891282639821743576278.jpg
 
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jobroyo

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That is an amazing story!! I am so glad she is safe and being taken care of by you. Personally, I think it would be best to stop feeding her tomatoes. She won't starve herself- offer her food, and if she doesn't eat it, oh well. Eventually she will eat due to hunger. THAT IS JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION THOUGH.
 

SarahChelonoidis

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That is a beautiful leopard tortoise. Tomatoes aren't good for it so you need to stop providing them. You can try squeezing the tomato juice onto the greens at first to make them more appealing. Members who are more familiar with your area can perhaps offer suggestions of local, tastier items to try too.

Welcome to the forum.
 

Janka

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Thank you very much.
I appreciate your feedback and will definately take it to heart.
I will stop giving her tomatoes and see how it goes.
 

Yvonne G

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Welcome to the Forum!

I've used Sarahchelonoid's method of changing diet and it works pretty good. I grind up the food item they will eat (in my case it's usually cucumbers, but tomatoes works) so it's mushy and juicy,then I mix it in with the chopped greens until all the greens are covered with the juicy mixture. Over time, I reduce the amount of tomatoes until eventually you're not using them at all. This may take a very long time, even a year, so don't try to rush it.
 

Janka

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Welcome to the Forum!

I've used Sarahchelonoid's method of changing diet and it works pretty good. I grind up the food item they will eat (in my case it's usually cucumbers, but tomatoes works) so it's mushy and juicy,then I mix it in with the chopped greens until all the greens are covered with the juicy mixture. Over time, I reduce the amount of tomatoes until eventually you're not using them at all. This may take a very long time, even a year, so don't try to rush it.


That's good to hear.
I took her to my uncle's salad garden this morning and she is walking around thereat the moment. I am hoping she has a few bites there.
 

Terry51563

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Welcome. Yes this is a great forum and a lot of great people to help you with anything.
 

Tom

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Hello and welcome!

Please read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

If you are going to keep her indoors most of the time, she needs a properly set up large enclosure with the right heating and lighting. You should be soaking her daily at that size in warm shallow water in a tall sided opaque tub.

I would make here a proper outdoor enclosure with access to sun and shade, and use it for an hour or two a day during favorable weather. Taking the tortoise in and out for 20 minutes at a time all day is not a good way to go.

Skip all the text in this one and scroll down to the food list. All sorts of ideas there:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/In the wild they also eat a lot of succulents, but none of us are sure which of your thousands of species of succulents are the correct ones for her to eat.
 

Janka

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[QUOTE="Tom, post: 1463261, member: 3441"
If you are going to keep her indoors most of the time, she needs a properly set up large enclosure with the right heating and lighting. You should be soaking her daily at that size in warm shallow water in a tall sided opaque tub.

I would make here a proper outdoor enclosure with access to sun and shade, and use it for an hour or two a day during favorable weather. Taking the tortoise in and out for 20 minutes at a time all day is not a good way to go.."[/QUOTE]



Hello Tom
Thank you for making such great effort with the links. I really appreciate that :)
She stays in an outdoor enclosure, about 1x1.5m in size. I just take her out of that so that she can get more "exercise" and that she can nibble on greens naturally growing in the garden. I only take her inside if it is raining heavily (we are currently in raining season in Namibia) or if it is cold.

I bath her three times a week, which she seems to enjoy, would you reccomend that I increase that to once every day?
 

Janka

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Hello and welcome!

Please read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

If you are going to keep her indoors most of the time, she needs a properly set up large enclosure with the right heating and lighting. You should be soaking her daily at that size in warm shallow water in a tall sided opaque tub.

I would make here a proper outdoor enclosure with access to sun and shade, and use it for an hour or two a day during favorable weather. Taking the tortoise in and out for 20 minutes at a time all day is not a good way to go.

Skip all the text in this one and scroll down to the food list. All sorts of ideas there:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/In the wild they also eat a lot of succulents, but none of us are sure which of your thousands of species of succulents are the correct ones for her to eat.

Also, this is only for the next 9 months, then we are moving to a small plot, where she will get plenty of space and the natural resources will be just ouside our yard. So she will just have to live in this environment till beginning of December.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum from the other end of the continent. :)
I nearly moved to live in Namibia.
One day, maybe.............
 

Janka

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Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum from the other end of the continent. :)
I nearly moved to live in Namibia.
One day, maybe.............

Thank you. :)
That's a shame. I hope it become's a reality for you. We have a beautiful country!
 

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