Varied?

[THEADEMARCO]

Hey, I have had my tortoise for three weeks. So far I have fed him the following:

Radicchio
Lambs lettuce
Kale
Pak choi
Narrow leaf plantain
leaves from hawkbit
geranium petals
Some komodo diet pellets (mixed into greens)
Eaten saber toothed aloe + spider plant (both in grown in his enclosure)

So far he has liked all this food and has not been fussy at all. I did offer him some leaves from a jade plant, but he was not interested. I'm not sure if he even acknowledged them as food. He is a Hermann tortoise. I would like to get him different flowers like hibiscus and rose, but they are not really avaliable right now where I am. I have some growing but they are not up yet. So, aside from flowers, what else should I add to his diet?

 

[wellington]

Cactus pads, dandelion greens, dried flower mixes you can buy from Kapidolo Farms or Google them.
If your local grocery doesn't sell cactus or dandelions, ask them if they can order you some. Places like Whole Foods or Fresh Farms will usually have them or can order them.

 

[THEADEMARCO]

Thank you. I will go out and buy some cactus pads tomorrow, and also order some flower mix. I'm foraging for weeds tomorrow (with a friend this time 😁) so I will be on the lookout for dandelion greens.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Also you can try to look for chickory (endive) and young grape leaves in local stores. And forage for clover and broadleaf plantain. Maybe mulberry leaves (I wonder if there are any in the UK).

 

[THEADEMARCO]

I did some research and it appears that mulberry leaves aren't really a thing in the UK, but I did go and buy some chickory. I found some clover today which I am happy about, but I also learned just how many types of clover there are! Are these all safe, or should I be avoiding some?

 

[RosemaryDW]

I did some research and it appears that mulberry leaves aren't really a thing in the UK, but I did go and buy some chickory. I found some clover today which I am happy about, but I also learned just how many types of clover there are! Are these all safe, or should I be avoiding some?

All the clovers are safe although some are less interesting to a tortoise than others.

Honestly I think you're doing great so far and your tortoise is a good eater. If you have any Asian markets nearby I would poke around to see if you found anything interesting. I'd poke around in any ethnic grocers, actually.

Hollyhock would also be good if there is any floating around; it's in the same family as hibiscus.

 

[SuzanneZ]

Hey, I have had my tortoise for three weeks. So far I have fed him the following:

Radicchio
Lambs lettuce
Kale
Pak choi
Narrow leaf plantain
leaves from hawkbit
geranium petals
Some komodo diet pellets (mixed into greens)
Eaten saber toothed aloe + spider plant (both in grown in his enclosure)

So far he has liked all this food and has not been fussy at all. I did offer him some leaves from a jade plant, but he was not interested. I'm not sure if he even acknowledged them as food. He is a Hermann tortoise. I would like to get him different flowers like hibiscus and rose, but they are not really avaliable right now where I am. I have some growing but they are not up yet. So, aside from flowers, what else should I add to his diet?

Have to love a good eater.

 

[wellington]

Yes, any ethnic store, Mexican, Polish, Asian, at least in my US city carries a lot of stuff that is good for adding into as natural as a diet as you can do
Just be sure, when you are foraging for weeds, etc, there has not been any chemicals sprayed on them.

 

[THEADEMARCO]

Thanks guys. There are a bunch of ethnic stores around me so I will definitely check them out. In fact one opened right next to my house just three days ago!
Before getting my tortoise I was super worried that he would not eat for the first week because I have read lots of stories like that on here. But I seem to be lucky . He eats what I give him and spends most the day just walking around or sitting in his water bowl.

 

[zolasmum]

I get rocket, and sometimes watercress in bags at Sainsburys - also pea-shoots in bags at Morrisons - Zola enjoys all these. I think rocket is called arugula in the USA. It is actually fairly easy to grow.
What's your little chap's name?
Are you weighing him yet? I should think he must be growing already.
Angie

 

[tortoise Resort]

Also you have cucumber,carrot,leaf of radish,herbs,clover, dandelion and cat's ear

Hey, I have had my tortoise for three weeks. So far I have fed him the following:

Radicchio
Lambs lettuce
Kale
Pak choi
Narrow leaf plantain
leaves from hawkbit
geranium petals
Some komodo diet pellets (mixed into greens)
Eaten saber toothed aloe + spider plant (both in grown in his enclosure)

So far he has liked all this food and has not been fussy at all. I did offer him some leaves from a jade plant, but he was not interested. I'm not sure if he even acknowledged them as food. He is a Hermann tortoise. I would like to get him different flowers like hibiscus and rose, but they are not really avaliable right now where I am. I have some growing but they are not up yet. So, aside from flowers, what else should I add to his diet?

 

[THEADEMARCO]

I get rocket, and sometimes watercress in bags at Sainsburys - also pea-shoots in bags at Morrisons - Zola enjoys all these. I think rocket is called arugula in the USA. It is actually fairly easy to grow.
What's your little chap's name?
Are you weighing him yet? I should think he must be growing already.
Angie

I didn't think of rocket, even though I often eat it myself! I will give him some soon. When I first got him he weighed only 40grams. I weighed him a few days ago and he was 53grams. As for now he doesn't have a name. It is taking me so long to pick one because (if everything goes well) this tortoise will be my companion for life. I want to give him a name that feels absolutely right for him. However my friend and I are brainstorming names and I feel like we are coming close. When he FINALLY gets his name I will be sure to post about it! 😊

 

[PollyAda]

I did some research and it appears that mulberry leaves aren't really a thing in the UK, but I did go and buy some chickory. I found some clover today which I am happy about, but I also learned just how many types of clover there are! Are these all safe, or should I be avoiding some?

You can buy dried mulberry leaf to add into your mixture of foods. Dried goods are great for adding extra fibre, particularly when many of us become more reliant on supermarket produce in the colder months.

For commercial foods, you might like to try Nutrazu (European equivalent of Mazuri), Zoo Med Grassland pellets or Hikari Mulberific Delite (quite pricey) over the Komodo pellets. Go easy on how often you offer these as none of the commercial diets are nutritionally ideal. Pre Alpin Testudo is a great addition, but your tortoise might not take to this immediately as it's fiberous compared to other soft foods. Best to mix a small amount in with some of the foods they like to start with.

 

[zolasmum]

We offered Zola some parsley, thinking it would be a nice trreat, but he flung it aside in disgust ! We felt he was thinking "This is a garnish, not a proper food !"
Don't worry if your little one doesn't like everything you give him - they all have their own favourites - but if it is something you particularly want him to eat, cutting it up fine, and mixing with other foods he does like, will often get him used to it. They are all different.
Angie

 

[SuzanneZ]

Zola!

We offered Zola some parsley, thinking it would be a nice trreat, but he flung it aside in disgust ! We felt he was thinking "This is a garnish, not a proper food !"
Don't worry if your little one doesn't like everything you give him - they all have their own favourites - but if it is something you particularly want him to eat, cutting it up fine, and mixing with other foods he does like, will often get him used to it. They are all different.
Angie

 

[RosemaryDW]

We offered Zola some parsley, thinking it would be a nice trreat, but he flung it aside in disgust ! We felt he was thinking "This is a garnish, not a proper food !"

Parsley is in a plant family that produce very strong scents, typically ones tortoises don't like. Many of them are the herbs we use to flavor human food. Eating any strongly scented plant would be unusual. The plants are indeed green but not necessarily "greens" as food, if that makes sense.