Picky eater

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Well that's good. I can't get mine to eat grass

 

[Myroli]

Well that's good. I can't get mine to eat grass

And mine won't eat Mazuri so....we need to mix our torts eating habits together and they'd be perfect lol

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Amen to that! Torts are so funny with their big personalities and quirky face expressions

 

[Myroli]

Amen to that! Torts are so funny with their big personalities and quirky face expressions

Yes!! My mom doesn't believe me when I say that Ki gives me looks, like when I pick him up to bring him back inside after being outside he gives me an indignant/annoyed look lol

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Haha my mom said the same thing. She kept a saying I'm obsessed till I asked her to tortie-sit a few weekends! Then she started telling me what he likes and doesn't like and what his favorite food is and when he likes to take his bath Haha she's hooked!

 

[Myroli]

My mom likes him, but has never been one to admit when she loves an animal (even the dogs)but I can tell she at least thinks he's cute lol

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Yeah she likes him. torts are just contagious! I never thought I'd be on a tortoise forum. I just love how determined they are. Bogart will stop at nothing to get to where he wants to go.

 

[Myroli]

Yeah, except if he sees something tasty on the way

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Exactly! Then he's all ooo yummy Nom Nom Nom

 

[Myroli]

Yeah...he's all like "I'm on a mission!" And then, "Ooh look, CLOVER!!!" LOL

 

[AZSid]

Update: Remi is no longer wiping the grassland off of her food and today she actually ate some weeds out front! We were excited! We pulled up some grass from the front yard and planted it in her home but she still ignores it and I figure as long as she's eating the ZM grassland with her fridge stuff, she's probably going to be okay. I haven't done it yet, but I was thinking of plucking a prickly pad and mashing it up with some grass for her too. Thoughts on that?

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

I've done that before. Gotta mash them up really small though! They can smell it haha

 

[AZSid]

So Remi is eating like a champ now and goes outside to graze for about 4 hours a day. I live in southern AZ, where weeds are aplenty. But reading all the diet sheets in the world haven't told me about a few weeds that she could have access to out there and I want to make sure they are okay before giving her access. The are Needle Grama Grass, and Spiderling. I know both are okay for desert tortoises, but can't find anything about their diet in a sulcata. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[AZSid]

Tonight's dinner: grama and Bermuda grass, milkweed, mulberry leaf, arugula, and romaine mixed with ZM grassland and served in a dish of endive. Remington has definitely gotten over some of her picky habits. I'm waiting on the arrival of her recently ordered Mazuri (nobody in my town sells the stuff!) and testudo seed mix to start an indoor garden.

 

[AZSid]

Woohoo! Mazuri came in today so we'll see how she likes it with dinner. The testudo broadleaf and grassland seeds also arrived so my dad is going to help me rig up grow lights and install a shelf under her enclosure with a few terrariums to grow her goodies. I was a little upset when I first realized how tall we had made her enclosure but now I'm super grateful since we can use the space under it for her indoor garden.

 

[sandrarz]

Cactus I have tons of! lol I'm in Southern AZ.

Also.in southern AZ. is napalos (i know that is spelt wrong) safe.for.sulcata?

 

[Tom]

Also.in southern AZ. is napalos (i know that is spelt wrong) safe.for.sulcata?

Nopales is the Spanish work for spineless opuntia cactus pads. They are safe and an excellent food for any tortoise species. I especially like them for sulcatas that eat a lot of grass hay because the pads are very high in moisture, fiber, and calcium. They are quite slimy when eaten and it is my observation that this lubricity helps keep things moving along well in the GI tract of grass hay eaters.

The cactus fruits from opuntia are often labeled as "tunas" or "la tunas" in stores where the pads are labelled "nopales". These are good for them too, and most tortoises love the fruits. I cut the fruits up and mash the juice and "guts" all over other stuff when trying to induce a difficult feeder to eat more, and/or when I'm trying to introduce new foods to a stubborn tortoise.

 

[sandrarz]

Nopales is the Spanish work for spineless opuntia cactus pads. They are safe and an excellent food for any tortoise species. I especially like them for sulcatas that eat a lot of grass hay because the pads are very high in moisture, fiber, and calcium. They are quite slimy when eaten and it is my observation that this lubricity helps keep things moving along well in the GI tract of grass hay eaters.

The cactus fruits from opuntia are often labeled as "tunas" or "la tunas" in stores where the pads are labelled "nopales". These are good for them too, and most tortoises love the fruits. I cut the fruits up and mash the juice and "guts" all over other stuff when trying to induce a difficult feeder to eat more, and/or when I'm trying to introduce new foods to a stubborn tortoise.

Thank you so much. I believe I have some fruits on my cacti right now. Tippy will only eat his mulberry leaves. I am going g to try putting the cacti fruit on his turtle food from zoo med.
He is so picky. He is pooping so I think he is eating enough. Drinks a ton during soaks but I never see him drink from the terra cotta tray. I'm so afraid he will drown. What is to deep? Like is there a rule like water to the fringe around the shell? I'm also afraid Tippy will tip over into a dish. Right now I sink it into the substrate.

 

[sandrarz]

Thank you so much. I believe I have some fruits on my cacti right now. Tippy will only eat his mulberry leaves. I am going g to try putting the cacti fruit on his turtle food from zoo med.
He is so picky. He is pooping so I think he is eating enough. Drinks a ton during soaks but I never see him drink from the terra cotta tray. I'm so afraid he will drown. What is to deep? Like is there a rule like water to the fringe around the shell? I'm also afraid Tippy will tip over into a dish. Right now I sink it into the substrate.

I found the sulcata care sheet so I have my answer on his water dish and depth level.