My leopard tortoise refuses to eat grass

[Camo]

I've read that grass should be a big part of leopard tortoise diet. However, he/she refuses to eat them. I also give him/her some lettuce. Once, I gave some kale and carrots too for a few days. And everyday, I mix the grass with the lettuce (and other vegetables, depends on what vegetables are available that day). Usually I put the vegetables under the pile of grass, so that he/she eats some grass while trying to eat the lettuce. This sometimes kinda works, but he/she still ate only a few grasses, and finished the lettuce, then ignores the other grasses and just walk away and continue doing other tortoise stuffs.

I'm guessing that it might be because:
1. The types of grass I give. Does this even matter? By the way, I live in Malaysia. Most, if not all, videos/websites I came across recommend grass species that usually grow in America/Europe.
2. The tortoise is too young to eat grass? I'm not sure his/her actual age, but his/her shell is around 7cm long. I've read somewhere that young tortoises don't eat much grass. Is this true?

Should I be worried? Also, what other foods do you recommend I give to my tortoise?

 

[wellington]

Yes it's TRUE that it is hard to get a young leopard to eat grass.
More important is what type of vegetables are you feeding? If he is eating mostly just lettuce than he will not thrive.
He needs a wide variety of weeds, flowers, cactus, leaves, greens.
Please read thru this
Thread 'The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181503/

And this
Thread 'Check out this great list' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/check-out-this-great-list.86291/

 

[Tom]

I've read that grass should be a big part of leopard tortoise diet. However, he/she refuses to eat them. I also give him/her some lettuce. Once, I gave some kale and carrots too for a few days. And everyday, I mix the grass with the lettuce (and other vegetables, depends on what vegetables are available that day). Usually I put the vegetables under the pile of grass, so that he/she eats some grass while trying to eat the lettuce. This sometimes kinda works, but he/she still ate only a few grasses, and finished the lettuce, then ignores the other grasses and just walk away and continue doing other tortoise stuffs.

I'm guessing that it might be because:
1. The types of grass I give. Does this even matter? By the way, I live in Malaysia. Most, if not all, videos/websites I came across recommend grass species that usually grow in America/Europe.
2. The tortoise is too young to eat grass? I'm not sure his/her actual age, but his/her shell is around 7cm long. I've read somewhere that young tortoises don't eat much grass. Is this true?

Should I be worried? Also, what other foods do you recommend I give to my tortoise?

The info you/ve found is incorrect. Regular leopards do not eat a lot of grass. South African varieties do, but not so much for the other types. They can be taught to eat it through a lengthy introduction to it, and its a good way to add fiber to grocery store greens, but they'd prefer weeds, leaves, succulents and flowers.

 

[Camo]

Yes it's TRUE that it is hard to get a young leopard to eat grass.
More important is what type of vegetables are you feeding? If he is eating mostly just lettuce than he will not thrive.
He needs a wide variety of weeds, flowers, cactus, leaves, greens.
Please read thru this
Thread 'The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181503/

And this
Thread 'Check out this great list' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/check-out-this-great-list.86291/

Thanks a lot. Just found out quite a lot of plants around my house can be fed to the tortoise thanks to the list you gave. In the last few days, I've been feeding my tortoise some banana leaves, hibiscus leaves, yucca and weeds. I have also just bought some cactus pads (I can't find cactus in the list, but many people say they're great).

 

[Camo]

The info you/ve found is incorrect. Regular leopards do not eat a lot of grass. South African varieties do, but not so much for the other types. They can be taught to eat it through a lengthy introduction to it, and its a good way to add fiber to grocery store greens, but they'd prefer weeds, leaves, succulents and flowers.

Thank you! Now I don't have to waste time every morning picking grasses just for them to be ignored by my tortoise

 

[Lyn W]

My leopard loves weeds like, clover, dandelions, ribwort and broadleaf plantain (not banana) sowthistle and other weeds but I've never seen him graze on grass.
The caresheet will help you with diet and www.thetortoisetable.org.uk may also help you find tort safe plants. It's based on UK plants but there may be some you have in KL
However, when he has to have shop bought greens - salad mixes - I grind dried or fresh grass up in a blender and mix that in so that it sticks to the wet leaves to add fibre to his diet.

 

[Camo]

My leopard loves weeds like, clover, dandelions, ribwort and broadleaf plantain (not banana) sowthistle and other weeds but I've never seen him graze on grass.
The caresheet will help you with diet and www.thetortoisetable.org.uk may also help you find tort safe plants. It's based on UK plants but there may be some you have in KL
However, when he has to have shop bought greens - salad mixes - I grind dried or fresh grass up in a blender and mix that in so that it sticks to the wet leaves to add fibre to his diet.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[wellington]

Yes, optunia cactus pads are good for them