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Diet Of Medditerean Tortoise Theres always a lot of confusion about a tortoise diet with most people taking the advise of most pet shops, dealers or 'care books' and feeding their tortoise fruit and veg. So I've compiled this to try and help new members to understand the proper diet their tortoise needs to have a healthy and long life. The Diet should consist of wild flowers and weeds only Here are a few examples... Nipplewort Smooth Sow thistle Prickly sow thistle Wild Cabbage Ribwort Plantain Tree Mallow Common Mallow Atlas Poppy Plantain Tufted Vetch Musk Mallow Lady's Bedstraw Clover Welsh Poppy Hedge Bedstraw Sainfoin Evening Primrose Dandelion Chicory Hawkbit Yarrow Vetch White clover Crimson Clover Trefoil Milk thistle Sainfoin Bindweed Yarrow Mallows Shepherd's Purse Bittercress Red Clover Stonecrops Honeysuckle (flowers) Hedge mustard Some of these weeds can be bought as seeds from... http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Shelled-Warriors The occasional bit of lettuce or cucumber is OK but fruits and vegetables should not be a major part of the diet. ANY WEEDS PICKED MUST BE THOROUGHLY WASHED TO REMOVE ANY CHEMICALS THEY MIGHT CONTAIN. SUPPLEMENTS Supplementing the food is imperative for a healthy tortoise. You will need two types of supplements: Calcium Powder and a Vitamin Powder (Nutrobal is most commonly used) Calcium Powder and Nutrobal can be found here.. eBay UK Shop - Shelled Warriors: tortoise, tortoises, limestone flour For Hatchlings, Babies and Juveniles Weeds should be dusted with limestone flour and nutrobal daily. For Adults Weeds should be dusted with limestone flour daily and nutrobal 3-4 times a week. AMOUNT OF FOOD You should be aiming for your tortoise to gain 2-4g a month so as a general rule your tort should be given enough food to cover its shell in a 'leafy jacket'. however you may find that this is too much or not enough! so you must decrease or increase the amount of weeds given to get that 2-4g weight gain a month. WHAT TO AVOID *IF IN DOUBT LEAVE IT OUT* Avoid Toxic Plants - Avoid daffodil, ragwort, spurge, columbine, hellebore, etc. Avoid High Protein Plants Avoid Plants with high oxalic Levels Avoid high sugar foods Avoid high phosphorus foods Avoid pellet food - Pellets are very bad for a tortoise health because of their high protein levels leading to rapid growth and therefore pyramiding (a lumpy shell) not to mention the effect they have inside the body! Before Feeding your tortoise think to yourself "would this be found in the wild" if the answer is 'NO' then avoid it. Compiled By Jason Rodgers (drummerki1993) Referances: Linda E King and Andy C Highfield
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Last edited by CBR1100XX; 05-01-2008 at 08:47 PM.. Reason: common poppy removed |
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Thanks for the pictures Katie i have got loads of these diff plants in my garden, can't wait to try Henry and see if he likes them. I was a bit scared of anything other than clover dandilions and grass, the lil man will be v happy with his brekkie tomorrow. Thanks again
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Thankyou so much for them pics, i am new to tortoises and i get my first one on thursday and i am so excited, have loved tortoises for a very long time. I am going to get a large tub and grow some of the wild plants you have put on here. I have just joined this forum today and have allready found out a lot of usefull information. Thankyou again love sue
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Quote:
What type are you getting?
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I care for:1.0.0 Red Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)- 10/11 yrs old 0.0.2 Leopard-Spotted Catfish (Synodontis eupterus) -5/6 yrs old 0.0.1 Red Tailed Shark (Epalzeorhynchus bicolor) - 7 yrs old 2.1.0 Moggies - various ages "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way in which its animals are treated." - Mahatma Ghandi |
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