Prickly Pear

[reptylefreek]

I was wondering how everyone feeds their torts Prickly Pear. I saw a video with someone just handing him the whole pad. When I buy them they still have little pokeys in them. I always dig them out all the way. Can I just give it straight to my torts?

 

[bettinge]

I read somewhere that you can give the whole pad to them prickers and all! I will not do that, its too easy to dig the prickers out. The exception to this might be next summer if I plant the live pad in the enclosure.
Also, a small tort cannot bite thru the thick pad, and will need it cut up small.

 

[jobeanator]

what ive heard is you can burn off the needles on the pads. i think you also need to remove the skin off the pad since i think its not digestable. try to burn off the needles on the pad. i defently need to buy some catus pads for my sulcatas and leopards

 

[reptylefreek]

No when you buy them at any store I've seen them in they already have majority of the needles removed, just the little ones are left. But I wondered because in the wild they would only be able to get majority off, so they have to be eating some. Also I'm pretty sure the skin is fine cuz I've been feeding it to my baby sulcata, except completely digging out needles. After I posted I asked the old owner of my leopard and she always fed whole pads to bumper. So I tried it and she ate a whole pad in like ten minutes, and I got to hand feed it to her. So cute...

 

[tortoisenerd]

I wash it, cut off a bit at a time so it will last a long time, take out the stickers with a knife, and cut it up bite size. This is one of the few foods I will cut up bite size (cut it in half lengthwise and then as small as I can), and only because my tort can't manage it otherwise and will wolf down whatever size piece I put in. It is up to you. The larger the tort the better they can manage the size and stickers. The ones I get in the store never have the stickers removed. The skin is fine. It is more fibrous with less sugar than the inside of it.

 

[reptylefreek]

Good to know, thanks guys. I went out and bought some more. I love that a favorite food of theres is cheap. I got about 5 pads the size of my face for 2 bucks and some change.