Sulcata tortoise babies eat meat ?

[Bee62]

Hello sulcata tortoise friends,

I have a questions about feeding sulcata baby tortoises with meat.
I know the sulcatas are herbivore. But ...
Today as I feed my Redfood tortoises with a little bit of fresh beef meat I made the experiment and put some tiny portion meat in the enclosure of my 5 month old sulcata babies too.
And to my surprise they like it and they eat it !
Could a really tiny portion meat do any harm to my sulcata babies ? Do you have experience with feeding meat ? Mayby one tiny little portion once in a month ?
Thank you for your answers.

Sabine

 

[Killerrookie]

They might come in contact with eating some insects from the grasses and plants they eat but that's not on purpose. Sulcatas are very curious animals and would eat anything that looks yummy to them. I just recommend feeding your sulcatas what they usually eat and suppose to have in their diet instead of risking it. Sulcatas don't eat cow in the wild. They eat plants and greens they can find.

 

[Tom]

Sulcatas don't eat cow in the wild. They eat plants and greens they can find.

Actually they might eat bovine if they came across the carcass… Just sayin'…

 

[Killerrookie]

Actually they might eat bovine if they came across the carcass… Just sayin'…

I never knew that! It's just Tom, is it even recommended to feed them meat or is there studies to see what happens if they do? I'm curious now.

 

[Tom]

Hello sulcata tortoise friends,

I have a questions about feeding sulcata baby tortoises with meat.
I know the sulcatas are herbivore. But ...
Today as I feed my Redfood tortoises with a little bit of fresh beef meat I made the experiment and put some tiny portion meat in the enclosure of my 5 month old sulcata babies too.
And to my surprise they like it and they eat it !
Could a really tiny portion meat do any harm to my sulcata babies ? Do you have experience with feeding meat ? Mayby one tiny little portion once in a month ?
Thank you for your answers.

Sabine

This is an area of some debate. I know of people who fed occasional meat or bones to their sulcatas and it appears to do no harm. I know one Florida man whose sulcatas ate cat food out of the cat's bowl daily. Other references say animal based protein damages the internal organs if its too much or too often or if the tortoise is at all dehydrated. I don't know if anyone in the world really knows the answer. We do know that most tortoise species, including sulcatas, are opportunistic feeders. I'm told that in the wild, many local animals will duck into a sulcata burrow to avoid the extreme heat topside and then die. Sulcatas apparently eat the corpses when this opportunity arises.

Because I worry about what damage it might do, I choose to skip the animal based protein and recommend that other people avoid it too. I use plant based sources to meet the protein needs of my tortoises. Various beans, clover, alfalfa and Mazuri are all offered occasionally, in small amounts, mixing in with high fiber, high calcium weeds, leaves, succulent and grass. Your tortoise will not drop dead from eating one bite of meat, but there might be long term damage done if its is a regular occurrence. I can tell you that the don't need animal based protein at all, because I, and many many other people, have raised them to maturity and bred them without ever feeding them any kind of meat.

 

[Bee62]

Hello @Killerrookie,
hello @Tom ,

thank you for your answers.

No, I`m not afraid of bovine or BSE.

Tom said:

Your tortoise will not drop dead from eating one bite of meat, but there might be long term damage done if its is a regular occurrence. I can tell you that the don't need animal based protein at all, because I, and many many other people, have raised them to maturity and bred them without ever feeding them any kind of meat.

I agree with you Tom. I will feed them meat not regular.
Mayby a small bite every two or three months. That could not harm my torts. But I saw how much they like it. So I think it is a really great pleasure for them to get it sometimes.
Or I try some dried insects instead of fresh meet. But all these things in homeopathic doses.

Sabine

 

[dmmj]

Actually insects are higher in protein then meat. always remember just because animal likes to eat it doesn't mean it's good for them dogs love to drink antifreeze and it ends up killing them.

 

[Bee62]

@dmmj

Oh, thanks for your note that insects are higher in protein than meat. I know that tortoises get sick from too much protein.
I do not want, of course, that my tortoises get sick. So no insects... !
You are right: Animals sometimes eat / drink things although the things are not good for them or hurt them.

A little story by the way that fits to my question of this thread:
As I was a child I owned two greek tortoises. One of them loved to eat worms ! Sometimes I digged some worms for my tort out and feed them. She stays healthy ...
At that time there was very, very less knowledge about these tortoises and their diet. My other greek tort was a strictly veggie He never eat any kind of meat or worms or insects.

Sabine

 

[dmmj]

I know my sulcata tries to eat the pill bugs that are underneathr his water dish whenever I go to clean it out but I don't include it as a regular part of his diet just whatever he gets on his own naturally

 

[Bee62]

dmmj said

I know my sulcata tries to eat the pill bugs that are underneathr his water dish whenever I go to clean it out but I don't include it as a regular part of his diet just whatever he gets on his own naturally

Clever tortoises !

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

When i acquired Tidgy she had been being fed primarily on meat fat and bits of lamb.
She was a very, very ill tortoise, though she had been physically abused as well.
She has not had any meat since, other than an earthworm she snaffled, and is a very healthy happy girl on her vegan diet.

 

[Rooseveltthetortoise]

I would not ever feed any insects. They can do perfectly fine without it, and it is better safe than sorry!

 

[SinLA]

I would not ever feed any insects. They can do perfectly fine without it, and it is better safe than sorry!

@Rooseveltthetortoise - this post is 6+ years old...