Try to find a feed store that sells grass hay. Orchard grass is the most palatable. If you can get the tortoise interested in eating hay, that goes a long way towards filling him up during the winter. You can also use Mazuri Tortoise Diet. So supplement grocery stores greens with hay and Mazuri, and that should get you through the winter.
What do you feed A sulcata tortoise?
Basic Diet of a Sulcata Tortoise. Sulcatas need a high-fiber, low-protein, calcium-rich diet. Along with fresh water, the most important staple in your sulcata's diet is grass. They are grazers, much like a cow, and love to walk all day lazily munching on it. Try to feed them at least 80% grass and 20% flowering plants, succulents, and weeds.
What can I Feed my sulcatas in the winter?
Timothy grassTimothy hay bale. Another good grass option in wintertime is Mazuri Tortoise Diet, a dried grass pellet type food that sulcatas love. You can simply put these pellets in a dish and spray them lightly to soften them up for younger sulcatas if you wish.
Where can I buy grass for my sulcata?
Most pet stores and large department stores like Wal-Mart will carry these hays, although the cheapest route is buying in bulk at a farm supply store. You can also shop online and have them delivered. Another good grass option in the wintertime is Mazuri Tortoise Diet, a dried grass pellet type food that sulcatas love.
How long do Sulcata tortoises live as pets?
This is a large, beautifully-scaled tortoise that’s known for its curiosity. It also lives up to and even exceeds 100 years old; some serious longevity. This makes them a pet you can enjoy life-long – as long as you care for them properly. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to care for a Sulcata tortoise.
What do you do with a sulcata tortoise in the winter?
Outdoor sulcata tortoises will need two areas where they can stay cool and warm. The cool shelter should be slightly underground if possible. You can do this by propping up a wooden board with rocks and covering it with sand so the tortoises can crawl under it easily.
What do I feed my tortoise in the winter?
The typical ingredients include escarole, radicchio, tatsoi, rocket, endive, lambs lettuce, red chard, mizuna, coriander, apollo lettuce, lollo rosso, lollo verde, baby red oak lettuce, green batavia lettuce, baby lollo biondi, tango lettuce and romaine etc.
What is the best thing to feed a sulcata tortoise?
Sulcatas need a high-fiber, low-protein, calcium-rich diet. Along with fresh water, the most important staple in your sulcata's diet is grass. They are grazers, much like a cow, and they love to walk all day lazily munching on it. Try to feed them at least 80% grass and 20% flowering plants, succulents, and weeds.
Do sulcata tortoises need to eat every day?
The Sulcata is the largest of the African mainland tortoise, with specimens easily reaching 24-30 inches (60-75 cm) in carapace length and 80-110 pounds (36-50 kg). Food and Feeding: Adults should be fed three times per week minimum, and hatchlings fed daily. For every feeding, dust food with a calcium supplement.
How do I prepare my tortoise for winter?
Preparing a tortoise for hibernation He'll need to have laid down sufficient fat stores – as well as water and vitamins – during the active summer months, to be ready for his long rest. It's a good idea to get a specialist vet to examine your tortoise in late August or early September to check for any signs of disease.
How do you take care of a tortoise in the winter?
Tortoises spend the winter months brumating. ... No outdoor burrow is adequate. ... House the tortoise in a wooden or plastic opaque (not clear) storage bin that is sturdy and big enough for the tortoise to turn around, but not climb out of.Make sure there is a little air circulation or that the top is on loosely.More items...
Can I feed my Sulcata tortoise lettuce?
It is also important that you feed your tortoise vegetables. Leafy green vegetables such as kale, collard greens, dandelion greens and romaine lettuce are great options to feed you Sulcata tortoise.
Can sulcata tortoises eat iceberg lettuce?
Iceberg lettuce provides little nutrition and should be avoided entirely. Foods should be served on a dish or feeding platform to prevent ingestion of gravel or sand, which can cause gastrointestinal irritation or impaction. Many tortoises will eat foods that are not part of a healthy diet.
How often should you soak a Sulcata tortoise?
twice a weekThey need to be soaked outside the enclosure in shallow, warm water once or twice a week for 15 to 30 minutes to get fully hydrated.
Can sulcata tortoises eat cucumbers?
Cucumbers are low in calories, healthy, and safe for tortoises to consume. They don't contain any toxic compounds that could upset your tortoise's digestion. However, cucumber should only be offered in moderation because it mainly contains water and only small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Can sulcata tortoises eat watermelon?
While watermelon is safe for the fruit-eating tortoise, there are limits to how often you should feed it to them. Some experts recommended giving watermelon about once a month as a special treat mixed with greens and other acceptable fruits for a balanced diet.
Can sulcata tortoises eat mint leaves?
Yes, sulcata tortoises can comfortably eat mint leaves, be it spearmint, garden mint, basil, or apple mint. Adults should be fed three times a week, and hatchlings should be fed daily as well.
Do tortoises eat less in winter?
Reaching late-October, the hibernation process begins: over a few weeks, gradually reduce your tortoise's environmental temperature in the day and night, and the size of their meals too. They should be eating less and less as they become less active.
Why do tortoise don't eat in winter?
Helping the Hibernation Process A hibernating turtle needs this reduction in temperature to help slow his metabolism down since he won't be eating.
Can tortoises eat any lettuce?
Dark, leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, kale, collard, mustard and dandelion greens should make up the bulk of the diet. Other greens to try include: bok choy, red leaf or green leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, water cress, escarole, parsley, turnip greens and green onions.
What do horsefield tortoises eat in the winter?
Good foods include dandelion, clover, honeysuckle, leafy salads, watercress, curly kale, brussel tops, spring greens, coriander, parsley, rocket, carrot, parsnip, courgette and bell peppers. The bulk of the vegetation should be leafy greens. The diet should also include fibrous plants like grasses and weeds.
What do sulcatas eat?
In the wild, sulcatas will eat plants found growing in calcium-rich so il, thereby getting the calcium from that. Often they'll eat bits of soil that contains calcium while eating plant roots. They also seek out and eat bleached bones and desert-dwelling snail shells to supplement themselves.
What is the best grass for sulcatas?
1 / 2. Another good grass option in the wintertime is Mazuri Tortoise Diet, a dried grass pellet type food that sulcatas love. You can simply put these pellets in a dish and spray them lightly to soften them up for younger sulcatas if you wish.
What plants can be fed on a regular basis?
Some of these safe foods are listed below. African Violet Saintpaulia. Air Plant Tillandsia.
Can you feed a sulcata a fruit?
To see a complete list, please visit The Tortoise Table. Never feed your sulcata most fruits or vegetables as they have too much water, vitamins, and/or sugars for the sulcata to digest properly!
Can a sulcata eat pumpkin?
Pumpkin is okay as a special treat along with yellow zucchini, grape leaves, and watermelon rinds. Absolutely do not feed your sulcata dog or cat food (yes this happens). While wild sulcatas may occasionally eat carrion, they are herbivores and only need vegetation to thrive. Their bodies cannot break down proteins.
Can sulcatas break down proteins?
Their bodies cannot break down proteins. Feeding your sulcata the right foods is imperative to their good health and long life. The results of poor diets can be seen in the photos below. pinterest-pin-it. Great example of a healthy sulcata shell! Big enough for the tortoise to fit in, smooth and round.
Do sulcatas need water?
Always make sure your sulcata has access to fresh water (not including daily soakings). There is a myth that, because they're a desert species, they don't require water and this is simply not true and can cause illness in your pet. To learn more about caring for your sulcata, check out this article!
What Sulcata Tortoises Eat
Since sulcata tortoises are herbivorous they can eat a huge variety of ailments. So to make things simpler I will divide them into 4 categories:
How to Properly Feed Your Sulcata Tortoise
Over the years I’ve read about countless methods of feeding tortoises. But out of all of them, two stood out the most, being the most used and the most efficient. And they are the 15 minutes method and the size of the head method.
Sulcata Tortoise Feeding Schedule
The first thing that you have to take into consideration when thinking about how often you have to feed your tortoise, or when making a feeding schedule, is the age of the tortoise. Baby sulcata tortoises need a different amount of food than juveniles, and juveniles need a different amount of food than adult sulcata tortoises.
Final Thoughts
While sulcata tortoises can eat a lot of things, not all of them can be good for them.
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About the Sulcata Tortoise (Origin)
Sulculta tortoises are natives of the Sahara desert and Nothern Africa. They were adopted as pets because people were impressed by the general size of the tortoise (it weighs in at 79-100 pounds, making it one of the largest tortoise breeds in the world), as well as its looks and personality.
What Should I Feed My Sulcata Tortoise?
Above all, Sulcata tortoises eat grass. In fact, this makes up 90% of their diet and is chock-full of fiber. Of course, only certain kinds of grass are suitable.
What Can I Give My Sulcata Tortoise as a Snack?
For a healthy snack, you can grow chard, violets, geranium, nasturtium, cilantro, oregano, and basil. These are all fiber-rich and full of vitamins, making for quality grazing material.
How Often Should You Soak a Sulcata Tortoise?
Like many tortoises, to maintain their health, Sulcatas need an occasional soak in water. For the Sulcatas, just 1-2 a week for 15-30 minutes will do the trick.
How Can You Tell if Your Tortoise is Dehydrated?
Bathing is key to most tortoises’ survival. If a Sulcata tortoise goes too long without a soak, you’ll be able to tell. How? Take a look!
Make Sure Your Sulcata Tortoise Has Plenty of Drinking Water
Along with its weekly soak, your Sulcata tortoise should have drinking water available daily. This should be in big clay saucers or on baking pans, either will work! Make sure to refresh the water occasionally, so it’s clean and clear.
Where Should I Keep My Sulcata Tortoise?
In general, the best place for a Sulcata tortoise is outdoors. This will ensure that they have enough space to roam. Usually, a setup with grass and dirt is ideal.
