Overfeeding - will my tort do it - Page 3

gtm · #21 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -EJ

UVB doesn't even have to factor into it but the rest is right.

May be true or may not be true - I simply don't know so I do the uvb thing anyway. Although the fact that hatchlings & juveniles spend the lions share of their time hidden out of the sunlight is an interesting issue in it's own right.

-EJ · #22 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terrific tortoise

Ed, I have given my opinion, to the question asked by the OP..

Which was- Overfeeding - will my tort do it

My answer is yes, if you offer endless supplies of food to your tort? it could be classed as overfeeding. The tort will readily eat far more food than it needs to sustain normal, average, growth. Even more so, if you have more than one tort in the same enclosure/enviroment, then competition feeding could also happen.

Who mentioned anything about physical damage???

I used to leave this sort of advice/opinions to other regular tort keepers to answer, which they were quite capable of doing, far better than me in some instances

...But you seem to have scared/pissed them off this forum

Its just my opinion ed, just like you are giving your opinions mate...Dont take it so personal, not every thread is designed/destined to be a "show stopper"...T.T.

I'm offering my opinion based on my experience. This is another controvercial topic which really does not have a set answer. I don't see where this has gotten personal outside of your personal jabs, as usual, at me.

My suggestion to the OP is to use a little common sense and do a little research beyond certain circles.

Also... to the OP... observe your tortoises when they are outdoors. It quickly becomes obvious that if the tortoise is active... it is usually eating.

This is another one of those myths that need to be clarified... mother nature does not restrict diet.

-EJ · #23 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtm

May be true or may not be true - I simply don't know so I do the uvb thing anyway. Although the fact that hatchlings & juveniles spend the lions share of their time hidden out of the sunlight is an interesting issue in it's own right.

Nothing wrong with providing UVB but it should be understood that it is not necessary and there are other means of providing venues for calcium metabolism.

-EJ · #24 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shelley66

We can all put on weight from eating too much of ANY food no matter how healthy the food is. Believe it or not I watched a tv program last year where a Dr said over eating on fruit can make you fat, and people just don't think that will happen.

Also surely in the wild a tort has to really search to find a decent amount of food, so that means miles of walking every day. In captivity we place food close by, so plenty of food and not much walking.... You know what that means? You put weight on!!

I know my torts when confined to tort tables put on lots more weight than they do when they are outside all the time, and I still give them the same amount of food.

So yes a tort can over eat and put on too much weight when just eating weeds.

If you notice I said a weed/grass based diet cannot be overfed... it can't. It makes no sense that it can.

Now... if you are trying to control the growth rate... that's not overfeeding. A tortoise will consume what it naturally needs given the environment and it's energy requirement based on that environment.

You would have to either restrict it's feeding(not natural) or adjust it's environment so that it does not require the material to survive and grow(also not natural).

-EJ · #25 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtm

I think in the wild it's seasonal as much as anything. In the spring there will be an abundance of greenery for tortoises to consume, in the high summer less to feed on as everything is dry and in the autumn more food again as things like berries ripen.

In the summer there is just as much food available as any other season. It is not in the form you would expect... dried weeds, dried grasses, seeds, leaves... and crap in general. The feeding habits shift throughout the seasons. Which is why it is also wrong to say... feed only weeds...

pooky73 · #26 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008, 01:34 PM

I only asked because my tort eats everything I give him every day, then he basks for ages, he is inside but has a big run that he uses regularly, his shell is totally smooth and he seems to be about the right weight.

Can I feed him carrot (saw this in another web site but not sure)

-EJ · #27 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pooky73

I only asked because my tort eats everything I give him every day, then he basks for ages, he is inside but has a big run that he uses regularly, his shell is totally smooth and he seems to be about the right weight.

Can I feed him carrot (saw this in another web site but not sure)

If he eats everything and leaves nothing in one sitting you are most likely underfeeding him. Again... the rate has nothing to do with the smoothness of the shell.

I used grated carrot but as with any veggie I suggest using it sparingly or at least part of as varied a diet as you can provide.

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