Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my juvenile red footed for 3 months now. In the first two months, he ate a lot of veggie and fruit, mainly romain lettuce, dandelion and tomatoes. I did sprinkle calcium with it and feed him everyday. About a month ago, I bought him tortoise food pellets, and since then, he completely stops eating veggetable. Now he only eats the pellets, about 10 to 15 pellets per day. Sometimes, he'd take a few bites on tomatoes. And that's all, nothing else.
I keep him outside in a big box, with water and hiding box, bathing everyday. He always tries to get out, cuz sometimes i let him wandering in the backyard, and he loves it. He also likes to eat the soil or dead dry roots in the backyard. I always take him inside the house at night.
I really want him to eat variety of veggie, fruit and the pellets as well. What is wrong with him? Pls advise of what I should do. Thank you in advance for your help.

My redfoots love some prepared foods like mazuri. I jokingly call it crack cocaine for torts. I still believe its nutritious but they really go for it. Simply do not give it to them for a few days. Hungry torts are less fussy. I give it to mine every 7 days and they eat fine on days in between. But they may skip a day eating on the day after the Mazuri since they stuff themselves so much when they get it.

Tom

Just don't give it to them everyday. Variety is important for a lot of reptiles, torts included. Mainly it's important so that they can get the necessary vitamins they need, but also because they will become very picky if you just give them what they like to eat. I only have one tort that likes the pellets (and I only feed them because they were given to me, and I don't like to waste food). I give them to him maybe once a week, if that.

Pelleted foods are not that well designed for reptiles. Also, if you're not soaking the pellets in water, they could be causing some dehydration issues with your tort.

Just to make sure some of the people reading this post are properly informed...

There are 2 pelleted diets that are very well researched and formulated specificly for tortoises. They are Mazuri and Monster diet (by Zeigler)

>>Just don't give it to them everyday. Variety is important for a lot of reptiles, torts included. Mainly it's important so that they can get the necessary vitamins they need, but also because they will become very picky if you just give them what they like to eat. I only have one tort that likes the pellets (and I only feed them because they were given to me, and I don't like to waste food). I give them to him maybe once a week, if that.
>>
>>Pelleted foods are not that well designed for reptiles. Also, if you're not soaking the pellets in water, they could be causing some dehydration issues with your tort.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I agree, those are two well developed tortoise diets that make great supplements, but I think it's important to stick with foods that are similar to what they encounter in the wild. Using pelleted diets for anything other than a supplement to regular foods (leafy greens and grasses, as well as fruits, other veggies, and small prey items for some species like red-foots), is probably not an entirely safe bet at this juncture in my opinion.

But that's just my opinion, so it's out there and it can be taken for what it is (just another opinion).

Thank you very much for all your response. My little tortoise just won't eat anything else, even if I leave him hungry for more than a day. He used to love tomatoes, but now he doesn't even care if it's there. And guess what, now he only eats a lot when I handfeed him, otherwise, he just takes a few bites. I guess he's too busy trying to climb out of the box, after a while, he gets stress and goes back to his hiding place. Pls share your experience and advice. I really want to change his behavior, so that he will eat variety of food again, and importantly, to eat on his own. This tortoise has such a bad habit now!!
Thank you so much guys.