watermelon

[peterandlois]

I'm so excited! We read so many people feeding watermelon to the torts that we decided to try it! We've only had them for 2 days... so we're very excited! Here are some pix!

 

[ascott]

Just awesome!!!!! I have to remind....a treat and not daily food

 

[peterandlois]

Just awesome!!!!! I have to remind....a treat and not daily food

Thanks! What is a recommended serving of watermelon for a tort about 5" long? We fed it as a treat. Our male hasn't been eating well since we got him yesterday (and the female has been eating like a horse!) which we figured was because of the move, but he absolutely loved the watermelon! Just relieved he started eating.

 

[Yvonne G]

Tortoises that mainly eat weeds and grasses should only be offered fruit as a once-in-a-while treat. Too much sugar disrupts the balance in the gut and may cause a parasite bloom.

 

[N2TORTS]

Yvonne is right .... should be a treat not a staple!.....
Here is some melon triva ......

A member of the Cucurbitaceae family, watermelon is related botanically to cucumber and squash, which are incidentally fruits, not vegetables.
Watermelon is thought to be native to Africa, where this water-yielding fruit was commonly used by natives as a valuable means of carrying water.
Today, there are more than 200 varieties of watermelon grown around the world, with 50 varieties making their home in the U.S. Watermelon, like tomatoes, is a rich source of the carotenoid Lycopene, offering about 7.4mg per one cup of fruit. What might surprise you is that watermelon actually has about 60% more lycopene than raw tomatoes (cooked tomatoes are more lycopene-rich), Not only is watermelon rich in this cancer-fighting carotenoid, it’s also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, fiber and even supplies a small amount of calcium..... plus it just taste soooo darn good!


JD~

 

[ascott]

My cousin just moved near where I live, while at her house I was in her back yard and of course looked around at her view (awesome by the way, nothing beats a beautiful desert/mountain view ) and I look and her neighbor has a vegetable/fruit garden...and he was in the yard, so with my big ole mouth I hollar hello....he replies the same...I ask him what he does with his less than firm vegs and fruits as well as greens on the tops and he says, come to the fence, he hands me a small watermelon and cantelope...so the boys all got an equal slice of the watermelon today (i figure since soon I will stop feeding them preparing for sleepy winter months, what the heck give em a season yahooooo ) and they TOTALLY devoured it rhine and all...normally they leave the rhine from the watermelon from the health store..but this poor little watermelon did not stand a chance...I usually will give them watermelon in the month of august, like twice and that is their yearly treat of the melon...this time they got their two plus this little slice of sacrifice.. even the ants did not get a bit of left over..LOL

 

[RV's mom]

treat, not staple ~ as everyone else has said. Having said that...

Boy they LOVE their watermelon!!

thanks for posting the pics!

teri

 

[dmarcus]

They do love the watermelon, and like everyone else said it should be an occasional treat

 

[tikifrog]

What about the rinds? I feed my guy only the rinds with just a little bit of red flesh remaining. He loves em! Is the rind high in sugars too? It is by no means a staple, but since the watermelons have been very good lately, he's been getting rinds about once a week.