Tortoises eating fruit

[georgeandbessy]

Hi I have a 13 year old Hermann and he keeps going on hunger strikes. When he does they only way to get him to eat again is by giving him fruit. I have heard that it's bad for him but I don't know what to do if he won't eat. There aren't really any weeds where I am so I'm struggling to find dandelions. Is fruit safe and what else can I feed him.

 

[Tom]

Fruit is not good for them. It upsets the balance of their gut flora and fauna. Try mixing in some grated cucumber or zucchini instead.

If he's going on hunger strikes in spring and early summer, you might need to re-examine your housing, heating and lighting strategies and see if something can be tweaked for the better. What are your four temps? Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low? Where are you?

Here is a list of good stuff to offer:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

 

[DPtortiose]

Fruit is not good for them. It upsets the balance of their gut flora and fauna.

So I've been wondering if this actually true. Don't get me wrong, I certainly agree that Testudo hermanni shouldn't be fed fruit on regular bases. But I doubt it destroys the gut flora. It's not like wild tortoises don't eat a copious amount of seasonal fruit in the wild.

The poo of wild tortoises are often completely stained blue when blue berries are in season and T. boettgeri are know to migrate towards plum orchards when they are in season. If fruits does kills the gutflora why aren't these animals effected ( either ill or dead or dead I presume?). How was this effect researched? Is there any study that describes these effects?

Don't get me wrong I completely agree with your advice, but I haven't seen this effect described anywhere.

 

[mctlong]

So I've been wondering if this actually true. Don't get me wrong, I certainly agree that Testudo hermanni shouldn't be fed fruit on regular bases. But I doubt it destroys the gut flora. It's not like wild tortoises don't eat a copious amount of seasonal fruit in the wild.

The poo of wild tortoises are often completely stained blue when blue berries are in season and T. boettgeri are know to migrate towards plum orchards when they are in season. If fruits does kills the gutflora why aren't these animals effected ( either ill or dead or dead I presume?). How was this effect researched? Is there any study that describes these effects?

Don't get me wrong I completely agree with your advice, but I haven't seen this effect described anywhere.

Yes, wild torts eat fruit when they come across it (the wild desert torts out here in SoCal LOVE prickly pear fruits). A little fruit now and then is totally fine as part of a balanced diet. The problem comes when they are eating fruit to the exclusion of everything else. They need those weeds.

To get him accustomed to his greens, you could try chopping up those fruits he loves into teeny tiny pieces and mixing them with his weeds. He'll have to eat the weeds to get his fruit. Gradually use less and less fruit at each meal and he'll get accustomed to eating the weeds.