watermelon for redfoots?

[Chewbecca]

Is this ok?
Today is Stagger's fruit treat day (a fruit I don't normally feed him as a staple fruit in his diet), and normally I feed him whatever fruit I buy at the store for the rest of us.
Which means I am always buying Stagger-safe fruits for us to eat.
But this time my children wanted watermelon, and I thought I read here that we can give redfoots watermelon.

I should have asked this sooner as it's his feeding time.
Oh well, I'll go do dishes and then feed him.
Maybe someone will know and answer this quickly for me.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Virtually no nutritional value Rebecca.. mainly used to "re-hydrate" a redfoot.

Terry K

 

[Jacqui]

Yes you can feed it to him for a fun treat.

Shown here are a few enjoying their special summer treat:
http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-8579.html

 

[Chewbecca]

Thanks!
Well, Terry, it's either watermelon, apples, or bananas.
That's about the extent of the fruit in the house right now!
My children and sick husband finished off the cantaloupe the other day.

 

[harris]

Mine go absolutely bonkers for it, but I only feed it as a treat.

 

[Crazy1]

If that is all you have Rebecca, that's all you have. Maybe a bit of apple with no peel and a bit of watermellon? One time at least you know you would have a well hydrated baby, better than nothing, I guess. What would happen in the wild if he found no fruit that day?

 

[Chewbecca]

If that is all you have Rebecca, that's all you have. Maybe a bit of apple with no peel and a bit of watermellon? One time at least you know you would have a well hydrated baby, better than nothing, I guess. What would happen in the wild if he found no fruit that day?

He'd be one very disappointed Stagger Lee Tortimus.(<---his new nickname)

I actually found some old, but no moldy, peaches in my fruit drawer that i SWEAR I threw away. But apparently, I hadn't.
He doesn't eat peaches as well as he does cantaloupe or plums.
But he ate enough for now. He'll eat the rest tonight.

Spoiled tortoise.

 

[Candy]

Virtually no nutritional value Rebecca.. mainly used to "re-hydrate" a redfoot.

Terry K

Watermelons nutritional value is this....contains 40% more Lycopene as a tomato which is good for heart disease and cancer (or so they say). Has Vitamin A, B6, Vitamin C, thiamine and potassium a mineral essential to water in the body. Sounds nutritious to me.

 

[Jacqui]

Also may help getting breeding going.

 

[terryo]

Pio goes nuts for honeydew! No matter how I mix it up, he will always find every piece in the mix.

 

[Redfootedboxturtles]

It a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C and fed with the rine a great source of fiber to ballance out all that water.

However if you have a hatchling/yearling tortoise that naturaly just doesnt get much exercise I would shy away from fruits high in sugar. Cantalope is a much better fruit with high water content.

 

[Madkins007]

Authors like the Vinkes and Vetters ("South American Tortoises"), Mike Pingleton ("The Redfoot Manual"), and Amanda Ebelback (I'm sure I misspelled her last name- "Redfoot and Yellowfoot Tortoises") would not find anything wrong with any of the fruits you mentioned- in appropriate moderation.

The biggest problems with all of them are the sugars and poor calcium/phosphorous ratio, but all have things to offer as well- different degrees of moisture, vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidents, etc.

And don't forget, as far as the tortoises are concerned, any 'vegetable' with seeds is a fruit too- squash is popular in my herd.

 

[Jacqui]

It a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C and fed with the rine a great source of fiber to ballance out all that water.

My redfoots tend to be too spoiled to eat their rinds. The hingebacks like the rinds tho.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Virtually no nutritional value Rebecca.. mainly used to "re-hydrate" a redfoot.

Terry K

Watermelons nutritional value is this....contains 40% more Lycopene as a tomato which is good for heart disease and cancer (or so they say). Has Vitamin A, B6, Vitamin C, thiamine and potassium a mineral essential to water in the body. Sounds nutritious to me.

Have never nor would encourage feeding tomato.. and 'most' other items to feed redfoots have a much higher % of nutrients per volume.. so we want the staple items to have a higher % ( concentration ) of nutrients per volume. Quite surprised you didn't consider that Candy.

Feeding watermelon on "occasion" is O.K.

Terry K

 

[Candy]

Virtually no nutritional value Rebecca.. mainly used to "re-hydrate" a redfoot.

Terry K

Watermelons nutritional value is this....contains 40% more Lycopene as a tomato which is good for heart disease and cancer (or so they say). Has Vitamin A, B6, Vitamin C, thiamine and potassium a mineral essential to water in the body. Sounds nutritious to me.
[/qu

Have never nor would encourage feeding tomato.. and 'most' other items to feed redfoots have a much higher % of nutrients per volume.. so we want the staple items to have a higher % ( concentration ) of nutrients per volume. Quite surprised you didn't consider that Candy.

Feeding watermelon on "occasion" is O.K.

Terry K

Terry, Dale gets what Dale wants.