Won't Eat

Brendar

New Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2019
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Bundibugyo Uganda
Hey guys,, this is not a reply at all sorry for the intrusion I need all the help I can get. So I'm like the weirdo here, Africa, Uganda, uve prolly never heard of the place but well I found an Aldabra and I wana keep him..I call him joy, but here's the problem he barely eats.. He's like a few months old, only time I saw him eat was when I pressed a watermelon to him mouth.. I've tried as many greens and even fruit that I can muster, and believe me thus place sucks when it comes to veggies, or even an idea of petting a tortoise really and I recently managed to get some tortoise food, its Chinese, but he still looks at it and walks away..its frustrating really. I watched and read enough material to make his home so its the best I've made, he loves his mud so its only soil in there, I made him a sort of pool which he enjoys a lot, he's not lazy or sickish, but he just doesn't eat..is that normal?
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
We'll need to see pictures of the animal so we can give you species specific information.
 

cheers2lizzie

New Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2018
Messages
14
Location (City and/or State)
Miami, FL
Hey guys,, this is not a reply at all sorry for the intrusion I need all the help I can get. So I'm like the weirdo here, Africa, Uganda, uve prolly never heard of the place but well I found an Aldabra and I wana keep him..I call him joy, but here's the problem he barely eats.. He's like a few months old, only time I saw him eat was when I pressed a watermelon to him mouth.. I've tried as many greens and even fruit that I can muster, and believe me thus place sucks when it comes to veggies, or even an idea of petting a tortoise really and I recently managed to get some tortoise food, its Chinese, but he still looks at it and walks away..its frustrating really. I watched and read enough material to make his home so its the best I've made, he loves his mud so its only soil in there, I made him a sort of pool which he enjoys a lot, he's not lazy or sickish, but he just doesn't eat..is that normal?

Are you soaking it? That may help. My tort's appetite is really high after her soak. Do you have grasses nearby? When you can get greens, which are they?
 

HollyLovesBob

New Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2019
Messages
14
Location (City and/or State)
England
Just an idea but maybe he needs to feel like he’s finding food for himself. He might not understand being hand fed or getting food from a dish if he isn’t accustomed to that.

Otherwise this website might help, it lists foods they’ll eat. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Turtles-Tortoises/Aldabra-Tortoise/
It’s not very specific about what you can and can’t feed him so probably before you feed him weeds and grasses you should check if they’re safe to eat on this website https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/. You can type either the name of the plant if you know it or something generic like ‘grass’.

Also has he pooped in a while? I’m wondering if maybe he can’t go and that’s why he’s not eating? If that’s the case he would really benefit from a warm (but not too warm!) bath for 20-30 mins, and lots of watermelon if he’ll eat it would be great to help push anything through since it’s high fibre and watery.

I hope he eats soon!
 
Top