Marginated Tortoise care and Hello.

[Kate Studholme]

Hello, Im new to this forum as of today. My son has 2 young Marginated tortoises. They are about 1.5 years old. They are growing well but we want to introduce some different food to them. Up till now they have had Mixed lettuce (the pre bagged ones from the supermarket) rocket, spring greens and the occasional hand full of dandelions. We were wanting to try them with carrot or parsnip but dont know how to serve it. Any ideas. TIA

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome to TFO.

Photographs of the enclosure and lighting will help us to help you.

Unfortunately, this species should not be kept as a pair regardless of gender or relationship. They are territorial and see another tortoise as a rival for food and space. They don’t get lonely and don’t want company. They need to be kept entirely separately.

Their diet should be a variety of weedy and leafy greens and getting soaks of at least 20 minutes in warm water.

They will benefit from a tiny sprinkle of calcium powder on food three times a week - no more as you can overdo it.

They can’t digest sugars properly - they cause digestive and kidney problems - so sweet foods like fruit, tomato, carrot and bell pepper should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.

Cucumber and lettuce contain little fibre and and few nutrients so should also be fed sparingly.

Parsnip should not be fed at all. See: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=834&c=8#.XCym0bqnyEc

Write a list of things that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed. If you can’t identify a plant, post a photo in our Plant ID section and someone will help.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/

I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Baby Testudo Tortoise Care (written about Russians but applies to yours too)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

 

[Kate Studholme]

Thank you for your advice, I will follow those links.
I was sold them together as babies 1.5 years ago, by a breeder In Hull and the company was called the tortoise table?
They are happy together now how long before they might need separating
I will take a photo of the set up as soon as I can.

 

[JoesMum]

Thank you for your advice, I will follow those links.
I was sold them together as babies 1.5 years ago, by a breeder In Hull and the company was called the tortoise table?
They are happy together now how long before they might need separating
I will take a photo of the set up as soon as I can.

Bullying is often mental before it becomes physical. One will follow the other. One will sleep alongside the other, probably with its head into the side of the other... hinting that the other is not sleep there. One will become dominant with food and possibly even sit on top of the food. One will grow bigger and faster than the other. They should be separated sooner rather than later.

If one fails to leave, because it can't, the mounting starts... one climbing on the other. Next stage gets more physical with ramming and/or biting. They have to be separated at this stage.

 

[TammyJ]

Welcome to you and those beautiful tortoises!

You came to an excellent place for the best possible help and advice. This site is loaded with experienced people and is current and up to date with information! I am glad I discovered it two years ago when I got my first tortoises. They are thriving because of it.