Squash, Zucchini and Redfoot.

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
My neighbor has been giving me loads of squash and zuchini. I grille it. Boil it. Etc. I'm getting tired of eating it, frankly.
Question is can my Redfoot clan have some very infrequently or are these plants from the dangerous "nightshade" family?
Thanks.
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,309
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
My neighbor has been giving me loads of squash and zuchini. I grille it. Boil it. Etc. I'm getting tired of eating it, frankly.
Question is can my Redfoot clan have some very infrequently or are these plants from the dangerous "nightshade" family?
Thanks.
As far as I am aware it's all OK. Plant, fruit and seeds. I've fed squash a few times with seeds and skin. Zuchinni is part of the squash family I think. See what others say.

I grew some dwarf zuchinni's some years back. Ended up with 100's of the bloody things, got fed up of them. I ended up mass producing soup just to use them up. :rolleyes:
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,309
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield

Prairie Mom

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
4,340
I can't comment on redfoots specifically, but there's nothing wrong with any part of the plant. I've also happily given my tortoise zucchini as a treat and have used every part of the plants in large amounts of her diet.

If you're drowning in zucchini, be aware that you can chop the fresh vegetables up and freeze them. I have an alligator onion chopper and I'll use it to dice the zucchini up in little squares, freeze them open on a cookie sheet (so the pieces won't clump together), and then bag the frozen zucchini bits to use in the winter pouring out your desired amount as you go. You can add them to things like soups, spaghetti sauce, stir fries, and mixed vegetables. You'll be happy for them in the winter.

As for Zucchini plants... All parts of the plant are excellent tortoise food and can be preserved for times when food is more scarce. The flowers don't last long, but I have dried and saved the leaves for winter and chopped up the stems and frozen them which my tortoise LOVES! http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...etain-good-texture.128563/page-2#post-1201151 Good tortoise food!
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
I see. I took what I read as a do "not feed them to your tortoises."
Good. I'll give them some today. As for freezing them. I'm not sure that there is ever a time of year when growing tortoise, or people food would not work.
 

MPRC

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
3,102
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
My iguanas and bearded dragons have always enjoyed squash too (zucchini less) so I usually had some grated on hand to add to their salads.
 

Turtlepete

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 12, 2014
Messages
972
Location (City and/or State)
South Florida
My neighbor has been giving me loads of squash and zuchini. I grille it. Boil it. Etc. I'm getting tired of eating it, frankly.
Question is can my Redfoot clan have some very infrequently or are these plants from the dangerous "nightshade" family?
Thanks.

The yellow and green squash you find at the stores?

I've been feeding it to everything for as long as I've had tortoises. :eek:
 

Madkins007

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 15, 2008
Messages
5,393
Location (City and/or State)
Nebraska
Zucchini and squash are fruits and much more like what redfoots eat in the wild than bananas and apples. Go for it! I am not aware of any special restriction when it comes to the tropical tortoises. They love them, and you do not need to skin them, chop them, or anything. If you have small torts, you can cut or break them apart to help them get started breaking through the skin,
 

Madkins007

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 15, 2008
Messages
5,393
Location (City and/or State)
Nebraska
Zeropilot. I did not mean to imply that there is anything wrong or anything cutting them up, I am just tired of the 'chop everything up' advice. Whenever possible, I recommend whole foods and peels, rinds, etc. to better simulate natural diets and to provide some enrichment.

But, I also often tossed them what I had left over after chopping things up for salads or stews. It ain't wrong by any means and I apologize for suggesting it might be!
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Zeropilot. I did not mean to imply that there is anything wrong or anything cutting them up, I am just tired of the 'chop everything up' advice. Whenever possible, I recommend whole foods and peels, rinds, etc. to better simulate natural diets and to provide some enrichment.

But, I also often tossed them what I had left over after chopping things up for salads or stews. It ain't wrong by any means and I apologize for suggesting it might be!
I'm never offended by information intended to help.
I didn't take it as criticism.:)
 

New Posts

Top