Does anyone else have a picky tortoise? I feed mine mostly lettuces (not iceberg) and greens (esp. dandelion); he eats the occasional carrot and LOVES the hibiscus flowers I pick off my bush, but not much else....I dust his food and he doesn't seem to mind, but I would like to see him eat other things. I've had him for a year now, and thought he might come around, but he's as stubborn as ever!
Slava the picky Russian
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I have a picky Hermans tortoise he barely eats anything other than his pellets and water mellon.(we barely feed him this because it will give him diearria)Sometimes he eats his lettuce but barely.I wonder how I could get him to eat his lettuce more often?
I have a leopard tort that is 6 months old. He is the pickiest little thing! I can not get him to eat anything. I have no clue what to do. I want him to be on a well balanced diet so that he will have limited health problems. I was hoping that he would grow out of it.
Here is a few ideas for the picky torts. Chop the lettace a greens up real small mix in some chopped up timothy and very little of the favorites they have now. Try serving that if that does not work then take the favorites out and they will get hungry and eat the other items. I had to do this with mine and they started to eat. Rees2 I would give fruits few and far between for your Hermans I know they can have it but I would not give him much. As for pellets I wouldn't give them except for a treat, I have heard on many sites that the pellet foods are bad for them. Mine get pellets few and far between except for occasional treats. AnnaSFA how long have you had your leopard? And what is his/her enclosure like? If you recently purchased him it could be he is still adjusting, or if something is off in the enclosure he might not eat either. Check your temps, humidity, lighting to make sure everything is where it needs to be. Also another suggestion for all of you put the food in and then walk away, I have a russian that will not eat if I am by the enclosure. I put the food in, put her by the dish and then walk away so she can not see me but I can see them to make sure they are eating. Last make sure you give a big variety do not feed the same thing every time or they will pick a favorite and not eat the other things. Try dandelion, clover, grasses and such those are favs among torts. Also if you want to make gardens so they can eat on thier own naturally then you can get different seeds based on tort species. I use www.turtlecafe.com/home.pl They are great, I just purchase different seeds a grass blend, a weed blend, and a mediterrian blend for the Russians. If they are inside you can plant them in little pots and bury into the substrate that way you can replace as needed. Good Luck I know how stressful it can be to get your torts eat. I got the picky ones to.
Rees2, your tortoise cannot be fed mellon, pellets or anythign similar.
greens, cucumber, and weeds is better
greens, cucumber, and weeds is better
Thanks I wont feed the pellets and water mellon to him anymore.
I have a boxie that is a picky eater. She won't eat veggies at all anymore and eats only strawberries, grapes, worms, nightcrawlers, random live or dead bugs she finds on the floor, and if i leave kale or leafy greens in there a few days she will eat them. She is the most spoiled baby i have. It really funny when i try to get her to eat greens she gets mad at me and will frist go and get her water bowl as dirty as she can then try to climb out of the cage.LOL.... In the end she gives in an eats them and i feel better that she is getting every thing that she needs.
JenRell- I got my tort right after he hatched and have had him since then. So I have had him for 6 months, and he is a little over 6 months old.
His has a great enclosure. I will post a picture. He eats the things that he likes great. He would pig out all day long on greens and prickly pear but he will not eat grasses or anything else. I have tried not feeing him for days, and them giving him grasses...but nothing. He would just walk away from it.
His has a great enclosure. I will post a picture. He eats the things that he likes great. He would pig out all day long on greens and prickly pear but he will not eat grasses or anything else. I have tried not feeing him for days, and them giving him grasses...but nothing. He would just walk away from it.
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Yep...he is a leo. They are very cute and they do get very very big. I love his markings...as soon as I saw him, I fell in love with him. I didn't want a hatchling but I couldn't pass him up. Now I wouldn't trade him for the world.
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