Reptile & Amphibian Forums

with spring approaching i have been thinking about my garden and i was wondering what rose species/hybrids do you all grow to feed to your red foots?

thanks
Adam

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4.5 THAYERI
1.2 SPLENDIDA
1.3 ALTERNA
0.0.1 HOLD BACK RUNT ALBINO CORN
0.1.1 PYXIE FROG
0.0.1 MEXICAN RED KNEE
1.0 CHILEAN ROSE HAIR

That is a great question. We just bought a rose bush and didn't even think about the torts. Since roses are heavy feeders, should you feed the flowers to the torts? My torts turned up their noses to roses. My roses are now for me!

Not truly a rose but the flowers from the bush ROSE DE SHARON are loved by redfoots and safe.
Tom

They look like the hibiscus. Are they the same thing?

I guess so. Its genus/species is Hibiscus syriacus. i live in New England and as long as it makes it thru the 1st winter it will thrive. My redfoots will actually wait under the bush, looking up, waiting for a wilted flower to fall. Then rush over and gobble it up. When I grew up on Long Island, NY our bushes had hundreds of blooms but in Ct my plants have many less. I thought it was some difference in the plants but then I discovered that every night the deer here come over and eat the buds off before they open and bloom.

Ok good to know, thanks for the info, i am not giving them free feed but i figuered it would be nice to plant a bush somewhere and let the tortoises and my girlfreind benefit from it!

i will look for those, i live in VT so its still too cold but soon enough the store will start stocking rose bushes
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4.5 THAYERI
1.2 SPLENDIDA
1.3 ALTERNA
0.0.1 HOLD BACK RUNT ALBINO CORN
0.1.1 PYXIE FROG
0.0.1 MEXICAN RED KNEE
1.0 CHILEAN ROSE HAIR

They are heavy feeders in general but if you have a large group of torts vs. small number of bushes, it will probably replenish itself that is if you're planting in their pen, another thing to watchout for are those time-release granulates most people use (also came with the plant at time of purchase)they looks almost as good as trout chow or those colorful tort chow pellets you see at pet stores.

I have Desert Torts- almost four year olds. My rose bushes that I feed them from are mini roses. I would go more for a color that you know your torts are attracted to rather than a particular species. Mine love anything white- so they really like the red and white speckled blooms. My plan is to eventually have a whole array of mini roses in different colors for them to choose from. They also love hibiscus, but unfortunately I think the last freeze killed those, even though they were double-covered. (I'm in north central Florida.0

Nanci
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0.0.1 Classic Corn, 0.0.1 Cali King, 0.1 Nelson's Milk
1.0 Tricolor Hog, 0.0.1 Eastern Hog, 1.0 Florida King
1.0 Eastern Box Turtle, 1.0 Florida Box Turtle
0.0.2 Desert Torts, 2.0 Feral Pigeons