- Mediterranean Tortoise Diet - *Updated* - Page 2

littlefoot · #11 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 01:20 PM

i got told not to feed poppy as it's poisonous now it isnt?

wizzasmum · #12 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummerkid1993

Diet Of Medditerean Tortoise

Theres always alot 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 memebers 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
Common 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 vegtables 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 Hactlings, Babies and Jueviniles
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 geaneral rule your tort should be given enough food to cover its shell in a 'leafy jacket'. Howver 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 - Pelets are very bad for a tortoise health because of their high protein levels leading to rapid growth and therfore 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

Common poppy is toxic and CAN be fatal. I would also be careful about making references to people without asking their permission and with no mention of what bit you are referring to. I know it sounds picky but it is a good idea to use spell check too especially where plant names and regikons are concerned as viatl mistakes can be made.

Drummerkid · #13 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 01:56 PM

well we'll leave this one to die then

No-one reply

wizzasmum · #14 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummerkid1993

well we'll leave this one to die then

No-one reply

No-one reply - you a moderator now LOL ? More dummies to be found by the looks of things

Drummerkid · #15 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizzasmum

No-one reply - you a moderator now LOL ? More dummies to be found by the looks of things

more dummies?

Fixx · #16 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizzasmum

Common poppy is toxic and CAN be fatal. I would also be careful about making references to people without asking their permission and with no mention of what bit you are referring to. I know it sounds picky but it is a good idea to use spell check too especially where plant names and regikons are concerned as viatl mistakes can be made.

Oooh the irony.

It is also perfectly acceptable to reference people without their permission, if it wasn't then there would be a lot of scholars, university students and authors in a lot of trouble, he should have referenced where he got the info from though as well as the authors.

wizzasmum · #17 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fixx

Oooh the irony.

It is also perfectly acceptable to reference people without their permission, if it wasn't then there would be a lot of scholars, university students and authors in a lot of trouble, he should have referenced where he got the info from though as well as the authors.

Well yes, but indiividual sections need to be pointed out either with asterisks or similar otherwise anyone not knowing the difference could easily say 'I see Andy Highfield says poppies are OK for torts to eat' or similar. A simply note at the end of a text taken from many sources is not enough to use as a ref. When you have worked for many years researching such things it must be highly annoying to see such references, a bit like the one where someone stated recently that 'wizzasmum uses a courier for her torts!!' See what I mean? Things soon get confused and you do not get much further from the truth than that do you?

Drummerkid · #18 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 08:10 PM

common poppy has now been removed

Fixx · #19 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizzasmum

Well yes, but indiividual sections need to be pointed out either with asterisks or similar otherwise anyone not knowing the difference could easily say 'I see Andy Highfield says poppies are OK for torts to eat' or similar. A simply note at the end of a text taken from many sources is not enough to use as a ref. When you have worked for many years researching such things it must be highly annoying to see such references, a bit like the one where someone stated recently that 'wizzasmum uses a courier for her torts!!' See what I mean? Things soon get confused and you do not get much further from the truth than that do you?

Agreed Sue, he didn't reference it correctly, and it is difficult to see where which bits of information came from which source.

Katiexx · #20 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 08:15 PM

errrm jason u need to change it in the weed section as that's where u put it as well lol sorry to be a pest!

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