Sulcata Diet

[jimbravo9]

Hello, I'm new here and had a diet question. We picked up a baby sulcata at a show yesterday. We had a set up ready for him when we got home. I saw conflicting diets when researching for the tortoise. Some said heavy greens and veggies and then I recently found more in the way of grasses and weeds. I was wondering would Florida bahaia grass work as a grass food? Also as far as weeds go we have a few kinds around the yard. We have dollar weed and other leafy weeds and lots of fern that grows wild all over the place. He ate a small plate of mustard greens today just to get him some food in his stomach. I am also planning on picking up some Mazuri Tortoise as well. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi "Jimbravo9" (is it Jim?):

to the forum!!

Baby sulcatas have a hard time eating grasses and weeds. That IS the healthy sulcata diet, but I start my babies out on Spring Mix. That's a packaged mixture of baby greens in the produce department. To that I'll add some clean, cut up grass (I think your bahia grass is probably too tough), weeds and maybe dandelion greens, etc. When they get to be about 2 years old then you can slowly wean them over to grasses and weeds. They reason you hear about feeding them hay is because during the winter, when grass and weeds aren't available, hay is the next best thing. But you dn't have to feed hay if other stuff is available. I don't think fern is a good food. Seems to me I remember it being toxic, but I may be wrong about that. Any dark, leafy greens is good...turnip greens, dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, etc. But its much easier to provide a variety of different greens if you buy the Spring Mix.

 

[jimbravo9]

Hi "Jimbravo9" (is it Jim?):

to the forum!!

Baby sulcatas have a hard time eating grasses and weeds. That IS the healthy sulcata diet, but I start my babies out on Spring Mix. That's a packaged mixture of baby greens in the produce department. To that I'll add some clean, cut up grass (I think your bahia grass is probably too tough), weeds and maybe dandelion greens, etc. When they get to be about 2 years old then you can slowly wean them over to grasses and weeds. They reason you hear about feeding them hay is because during the winter, when grass and weeds aren't available, hay is the next best thing. But you dn't have to feed hay if other stuff is available. I don't think fern is a good food. Seems to me I remember it being toxic, but I may be wrong about that. Any dark, leafy greens is good...turnip greens, dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, etc. But its much easier to provide a variety of different greens if you buy the Spring Mix.

It is Jim. Thanks for the response. That makes things alot easier to use spring mix. Is the Mazuri ok to add as well, or better to stay with spring mix only.
Thanks again.

 

[chadk]

Mazuri is fine to add as well.

Your tort is not active because you don't have good temps.

Your cool side should be in the mid 70's, with a warm side in the mid 80's. That allows the tort to thermoregulate as needed. A basking spot during the day should be provided that reaches the mid 90's - while still ensuring your cool side does not get too hot.

Cypress mulch is fine, but be sure to keep it misted. You should have a hide on the cool end and one on the warm end filled with plenty of moist substrate to burrow in.

Try this, and I'm sure your tort will become more active and starting eating like a champ. Low temps don't allow the tort to digest his food properly.