QUESTION!!!! (skip meals?)

[MagicElla]

Is it okay for torts to skip meals? My little one did not seem to have an appetite today. She usually doesn't eat much as it is, but today she did not eat at all. Yesterday she gorged on carrots and romaine lettuce; but today she ignored her food completely. Is this okay? Or is there something wrong with her?

She also drank water today already and she had 20min out in the sun (attempting to eat all the outside plants!)

I hope there's nothing wrong!!!!

---

She already went to hide on her favorite corner and she will most likely not come out of there all day!

 

[tiff3grl]

Are you offering a wide variety? Skipping a meal is nothing to be concerned about unless it continues to go without eating for a long period of time. Tortoises like to graze. Are you removing the food or allowing for it to eat at a later time? He/she will eat when it's hungry. It may be grazing outside on grass and weeds that you aren't witnessing.

 

[MagicElla]

We alternate between mixed greens, veggies and fruits throughout the week... Sometimes we mix them together. I leave the food in her enclosure, and she rarely comes out to eat except early in the morning. Hopefully this is just a one day thing and she'll be hungry tomorrow!

Thank you!

 

[N2TORTS]

She is fine if all else looks well. Even the adults will skip a meal from time to time ... and actually when breeding RF's , an adult Female will skip meals prior to nesting ..... with extra intake of H2o and lots of soak time.....one of the many signs to look for .


JD~

 

[Jtort]

I'm a newbie as I've only had my tort for 6 days but I always feed mine in the morning right after his soak. Yesterday he refused to eat it. I left it in his enclosure and sure enough later on in the day I saw him eating and also drinking water [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

 

[MagicElla]

Thank you guys! She ended up eating some fruit at night and drank more water, then she went straight to bed! Lol

 

[Madkins007]

A couple notes:

- Hot weather reduces appetite in most animals, including torts. They will aestivate if it is too hot or dry in the wild.
- You seem to move him a lot, that can cause a touch of stress that hurts the appetite.

 

[InvertaHerp]

I put food in my torts bowl once a day, and then place him in front of his bowl. He otherwise doesn't really like to leave the little burrow he makes himself.