Should tortoises be on pellets until a year?

[BevSmith]

A wise tortoise aficionado once responded to my questioning of food choice:

"Well, do they eat that in the wild???"

How ever did they survive for hundreds of years before pellets, anyway?!?

 

[Tom]

How ever did they survive for hundreds of years before pellets, anyway?!?

Most of them didn't.

The ratios I've read from tortoise studying field scientists are any where from 1 to 300 down to 1 to 1000. This is the ratio of how many babies hatch and die for every one that makes it to maturity in the wild.

Things we do in captivity, like feeding a good diet which might include some balanced nutritious pellets, should improve these ratios tremendously.

 

[Alaskamike]

Most of them didn't.

The ratios I've read from tortoise studying field scientists are any where from 1 to 300 down to 1 to 1000. This is the ratio of how many babies hatch and die for every one that makes it to maturity in the wild.

Things we do in captivity, like feeding a good diet which might include some balanced nutritious pellets, should improve these ratios tremendously.

Very good point.
I had a disconcerting discussion with a very experienced keeper & breeder here in Florida recently. Actually it was that talk that got me to come back to the tort forum after a break.

I was discussing the lack of water & humidity as it relates to pyramiding , specifically with Sulcata ( as that's what he raised ). His care sheet given with babies failed to mention anything about it.

He kept referring to books that were 10+ years old & probably way outdated by the time they were published. But I think the bigger issue was pride & that old " It's the way I've always done it " attitude. I referred to the forum and he scoffed at it - so obviously not a person willing to learn.

I've learned allot here. Put into practice most of it. It works. I asked the guy if he had any photos of the adults he raised & he said no. Really ?

I can only hope he'll do as the OP did here and ask. No shame in that.
In fact , it's the only kind thing we can do for out torts

 

[Tom]

Very good point.
I had a disconcerting discussion with a very experienced keeper & breeder here in Florida recently. Actually it was that talk that got me to come back to the tort forum after a break.

I was discussing the lack of water & humidity as it relates to pyramiding , specifically with Sulcata ( as that's what he raised ). His care sheet given with babies failed to mention anything about it.

He kept referring to books that were 10+ years old & probably way outdated by the time they were published. But I think the bigger issue was pride & that old " It's the way I've always done it " attitude. I referred to the forum and he scoffed at it - so obviously not a person willing to learn.

I've learned allot here. Put into practice most of it. It works. I asked the guy if he had any photos of the adults he raised & he said no. Really ?

I can only hope he'll do as the OP did here and ask. No shame in that.
In fact , it's the only kind thing we can do for out torts

I'm glad you are back Mike! Nice to see your name up there again.

I run into your above scenario almost daily. I've developed many ways to broach the subject, explain it, and over come a myriad of ways people find to argue against the new info and proof of its effectiveness. Many times, the initial conversation will be met with a brick wall. Seems to go nowhere, but what I've discovered over the years is that initial conversation plants a seed in their mind. Because we are right about it and we know what we are talking about from first hand experience, most people will eventually come around. The evidence all works in our favor. They might never tell you, but many of these kind of people will give the ideas a chance, albeit quietly, on their own terms and with no fanfare.