Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone have a Sulcata hatchling that will eat timothy hay? What is the mainstay part of a Sulcata hatchling diet? I didn't intend to bring home two little hatchlings but they were being offered so cheaply I decided to take advantage of the price and brought two of them home from the reptile show. I picked out the heaviest two and figured that I would set them up in my office for the winter and/or let another friend who already has one take one or maybe both. Well, I'm not sure that I will part with them. They have good appetites and of course are so cute. I know someone who feeds mainly romaine lettuce which I think is wrong for them. I offered them collard since I have it for my other tortoises. They ate it but I don't think that is supposed to be the bulk of their diet either. I know it's grasses and weeds. Which I will search for and plant in outdoor flower boxes. But until I have some ready for harvest do I feed collard? I have followed the debate about the Mazuri on this forum but haven't paid close enough attention about greens for Sulcata. Thanks.

A very few hatchlings will eat timothy hay, most find it too coarse
and objectional. You can try soaking it and cutting it up into
tiny pieces with scissors and mixing it in with other greens.
If they will not eat it, they're not the first.
As to the collards, they're great, loaded with calcium. As you
said, no one thing should be the bulk of their diet. Mix up
different greens such as collards, endive, escarole, green lettuce,
green peppers, yellow peppers, yellow squash, zuchinni squash and
carrot shreds and offer a variety. Variety is the key. Mustard
greens and turnip greens also are good, but only a tiny bit of spinach
not too often. I wouldn't offer romaine too much either. Keep with
your better greens like collards and endives mostly.
My Tortoise Theodore

I didn't feed Mazuri to Teddy until he was nearly 2 years old.
I wouldn't worry about that now with hatchlings at all.