Tortoise habits

[darkenedtortoise]

My tortoise has the habit of refusing to eat on anything except his substrate I've tried rocks that are flat and smooth plastic and ceramic but he will just drag it off the food platform the food platforms are easily three times as large as my Russian tortoise but he drags then into his substrate to eat any and all food.

 

[wellington]

That's fine if he doesn't eat the substrate, which is almost impossible to know 100%.
Maybe try feeding him in a way that he can't get off the feeding rock. Eventually he might stop trying.

 

[darkenedtortoise]

That's fine if he doesn't eat the substrate, which is almost impossible to know 100%.
Maybe try feeding him in a way that he can't get off the feeding rock. Eventually he might stop trying.

Alright I will try putting a box around his food area while he's eating see if that works so long as he doesn't try to eat the box I will be observing the first few times to be sure

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Another neat trick is to clip your green together (with a clothespin or chip clip) making them into a small bush.

Next, bury the clip in the substrate. Perhaps add a rock or 2 pressed in at the base to secure it in place.

Then, the tortoise can bite pieces off the "bush" like it would do naturally outdoors. This is great enrichment, keeps the food clean and helps maintain their beaks.

 

[darkenedtortoise]

Another neat trick is to clip your green together (with a clothespin or chip clip) making them into a small bush.

Next, bury the clip in the substrate. Perhaps add a rock or 2 pressed in at the base to secure it in place.

Then, the tortoise can bite pieces off the "bush" like it would do naturally outdoors. This is great enrichment, keeps the food clean and helps maintain their beaks.

Wow that worked so well he kinda just smelled it then chowed down thank you!

 

[Tom]

My tortoise has the habit of refusing to eat on anything except his substrate I've tried rocks that are flat and smooth plastic and ceramic but he will just drag it off the food platform the food platforms are easily three times as large as my Russian tortoise but he drags then into his substrate to eat any and all food.

Use a terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate. Have a second saucer for a quick change out when it gets soiled.

 

[darkenedtortoise]

Use a terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate. Have a second saucer for a quick change out when it gets soiled.

I've tried those he likes it and the ceramic one the best he runs his back feet on them now that the box is in the way of him leaving he eats on the platform