Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sorry I've been gone a few days (Atlanta Braves games). Anyways,
the thing with hibiscus is since it's a tropical plant, not
native to sulcatas, why feed it? Seems to be recommended strongly
by "natural diet feeders" yet it's not natural at all for them.
I assume it's the fiber it contains. Just seems to be a lot of
"natural" stuff that's not natural or native being recommended.
Certainly greens aren't native either - and the grasses grown
here can't compare at all - no wonder they're still at danger
of malnutrition/vitamin deficiencies just being kept on somebody's
yard grass. I know Mazuri isn't going to be found in the wild,
but one reason I feed it is to fill in the blanks that may be
missing from what we can find here - grasses and greens available
to keepers. I'm not trying to spark yet another debate on
natural feeding (which doesn't exist here) and alternative foods.

I wasn't looking for tips on keeping mine (hibiscus) alive over the winter,
I don't care about that

I haven't really gotten down and studied sulcata diets, could you tell me what their natural diet consists of?
Thanks!

by the whole horticultural thing. Anyway, yeah, I've wondered the same thing myself. Although as you pointed out, greens aren't native for them, and probably most of the grasses they get aren't, either. I think the point is to try to replicate the type of diet they would get in the wild, not the exact diet. I think you have snakes, too? As you know, there are many species of snakes that prefer lizards, snakes, toads, etc. as natural prey, but in captivity it's of course more convenient to feed them rodents, so there's that whole mouse-scenting thing. They appear to do fine on a "non-natural" diet, but it's hard to say what kind of effect the dietary change has on them. Lizards, too, I'm sure eat more than just crickets and mealworms in the wild. We just have to do the best we can, and hope it balances out. We do protect them from predators (usually, anyway) and hopefully provide them with healthcare they obviously wouldn't get in the wild, so maybe that kind of thing helps to offset the deficiencies in their diet--this is assuming, of course, that the keeper is making an effort to take proper care of their tort and not giving it dog food or whatever.

I dunno, I think we should just be happy they don't only eat only kind of bamboo, like pandas.
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Jeannie

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa (Bella)
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake (Bess)
1.1 Rubber Boas (Isaiah & Esther)
0.0.1 Hermann's Tortoise (Moxie)
1.0 Leopard Gecko (George)
2.0 DSH Cats (Amos & Silas)
1.0 English Springer Spaniel (Jimmy)
and...
2.0 Kids w/ 0.0.1 California King Snake (Rex), 0.1 Leopard Gecko (Geico), 1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa (Lucas)
1.0 Husband (no pets, lol)

np

np
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Jeannie

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa (Bella)
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake (Bess)
1.1 Rubber Boas (Isaiah & Esther)
0.0.1 Hermann's Tortoise (Moxie)
1.0 Leopard Gecko (George)
2.0 DSH Cats (Amos & Silas)
1.0 English Springer Spaniel (Jimmy)
and...
2.0 Kids w/ 0.0.1 California King Snake (Rex), 0.1 Leopard Gecko (Geico), 1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa (Lucas)
1.0 Husband (no pets, lol)

People should feed their tortoises a wide variety of foods, and not just any one food item. Every tortoise keeper that I have ever known - over the past 25 years has let their tortoises eat a few leaves and flowers from the hibiscus plant - I have never heard of any health problems associated with tortoise eating these plants, and my suspicions tell me I never will.

My guess would be it is the ever-present search for items that can "replicate" the natural diet as best we can. We can't feed them exactly what they would eat in the wild, under the same conditions, so we look for other options, i.e. Mazuri, greens, hay, hibiscus leaves, to name a few. To me, choosing to feed some hibiscus is a personal choice, as Mazuri is for others.
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My guess would be it is the ever-present search for items that can "replicate" the natural diet as best we can. We can't feed them exactly what they would eat in the wild, under the same conditions, so we look for other options, i.e. Mazuri, greens, hay, hibiscus leaves, to name a few. To me, choosing to feed some hibiscus is a personal choice, as Mazuri is for others.
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np

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np

np
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I have fed hibiscus to all kinds of tortoises for years.
My redfoots have prefered the flowers but my leopards and hermani would eat the leaves and smaller stems. I have always felt that this is an excellent food source.
However, many hibiscus bushes that are recently purchased from nurseries have been treated with systemic pesticides and fertilizers. I strongly recommend giving them a few weeks at least planted in the yard before feeding any parts of them to the tortoises. If you keep them in pots give them the same period of time.

I have fed hibiscus to all kinds of tortoises for years.
My redfoots have prefered the flowers but my leopards and hermani would eat the leaves and smaller stems. I have always felt that this is an excellent food source.
However, many hibiscus bushes that are recently purchased from nurseries have been treated with systemic pesticides and fertilizers. I strongly recommend giving them a few weeks at least planted in the yard before feeding any parts of them to the tortoises. If you keep them in pots give them the same period of time.

np

then he will have the record.