axmna
Member
Can I feed my mediterranean tortoise raspberries? And which type of grean leafs
mediterranean tortoise
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Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Hello!
No, unfortunately, any kind of fruit and berries should not be fed. They cannot digest them properly, because of sugar content. Even as a treat.
There is a lot of green leaves to feed: mulberry and hibiscus leaves, grape leaves, opuntia cactus pads, malva (mallow), endive, escarole, radicchio, dandelions and alike plants (thistles), arugula (rocket salad), okra and so on. It's always the best to offer variety and rotate foods.
You can check https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/ and look for something, which grows in your climate or is sold in the grocery stores. You can also tell us, what plants do you have growing around you (pecticide free, of course) or what you can find in the grocery stores and we will try to help.
No, unfortunately, any kind of fruit and berries should not be fed. They cannot digest them properly, because of sugar content. Even as a treat.
There is a lot of green leaves to feed: mulberry and hibiscus leaves, grape leaves, opuntia cactus pads, malva (mallow), endive, escarole, radicchio, dandelions and alike plants (thistles), arugula (rocket salad), okra and so on. It's always the best to offer variety and rotate foods.
You can check https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/ and look for something, which grows in your climate or is sold in the grocery stores. You can also tell us, what plants do you have growing around you (pecticide free, of course) or what you can find in the grocery stores and we will try to help.
No fruit.
If leaf greens you are asking about grocery store greens look for arugula, endive, ridicchio, water cress, dandelion, escarole, bok choy, spring mix remove most of the spinach, romaine. Try to buy supplements of dried flowers and weeds to add to it.
If leaf greens you are asking about grocery store greens look for arugula, endive, ridicchio, water cress, dandelion, escarole, bok choy, spring mix remove most of the spinach, romaine. Try to buy supplements of dried flowers and weeds to add to it.
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It is OK in small amounts if you keep the tortoise warm enough to digest them. If the tortoise is not warm enough after eating sugary fruits, the fruit can ferment in the gut and cause problems.
Though some on here will disagree with me saying fruit is OK, I never had any trouble feeding my tortoises any and all kinds of fruits, but I kept them very warm so that there was no chance the fruits could ferment in their guts. I did this for 50+ years and no trouble befell any of the tortoises. I fed my tortoises apples, peaches, grapes, cherries, raspberries, nectarines, tomatoes, and papayas plus other fruits as available several times a week. One of my sulcatas liked kumquats.
For greens, you can use romaine lettuce, bok choy, kale, chicory, dandelion greens, mustard greens, endive, curly endive, butter lettuce, and more. Try not to feed too much of any one of them constantly. Vary the diet as much as you can, plus let the tortoise graze on grasses and/or weeds outdoors in a pen if possible.
axmna
Member
Mo
Mostly I give it green head lettuce and red capsicum and sometimes stawberry or rasberry in moderation not too much
I've always erred on the side of caution as far as fruit goes. Hard to miss or crave what he never had.
That is a very poor diet.
No fruit! And you really need to improve the food selection asap Head lettuce is mainly water and very little if any nutrition.
axmna
Member
Okay
axmna
Member
Is butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce and cucumber okay .. also for vitamin A what should I feed the tortoise
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Most lettuces and cucumbers are about 90% water. They have little food value.
Here are some items with good Vitamin A content:
- Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli), orange and yellow vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and other winter squash, summer squash)
- Tomatoes.
- Red bell pepper
- Cantaloupe, mango.
No. The items I mentioned you need to find. If you can't find any of them, then list what you can get where you are and we will let you know if it's good or not.
axmna
Member
I cant get any type of flower but vegetables and fruits I can get and seeds also
As for fruit it's a big no! Vegetables you can feed squashes and squash flowers. Cactus pads.
Except fruit should not be fed.
Spinach, kale, sweet potato sparingly and tomatoes not at all.
axmna
Member
Even Kale ?!
Sparingly yes!
axmna
Member
Its not that easy to find squashes and cactus where I live
In the second post above the member posted a link. It's in green. Click on it and look up on that web site what you can get and see if it's safe, not safe or can be fed often or sparingly.
axmna
Member
Okayy thank you !
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Not wanting to be argumentative on this point, but in case you haven't noticed this previously, I am one who is not in agreement with the "no fruit faction" of the hobby. I fed my tortoises lots of many kinds of fruits for 60+ years and had no problems, plus was very successful in breeding about 7 or 8 species, many of them for the first time in captivity, and bred multiple CB generations of 3 of them.
