Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im confused, I have seen many books and web sites that say to keep food available for your Sulcatas because they graze in the wild and need to have access to food at all times. However, I have also seen many web sites (Including Sulcata Station) That say over feeding causes many health problems and pyramiding. Has anyone here ever had a problem associated with over feeding? Or does anyone have any more information on this?

>>Im confused, I have seen many books and web sites that say to keep food available for your Sulcatas because they graze in the wild and need to have access to food at all times. However, I have also seen many web sites (Including Sulcata Station) That say over feeding causes many health problems and pyramiding. Has anyone here ever had a problem associated with over feeding? Or does anyone have any more information on this?
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I think the point is that in the wild a sulcata has a lot of grass to graze on sometimes it's fresh, sometimes it's dried out. In the grass they'll run into some leafy greens so they eat them but they get more grass than anything.
If you feed too many grocery store greens then yes they're going to have problems because the diet should be about 70% grasses.
Our girl came to us extremely pyramided & horrible looking but it's extremely lucky for her that our desert area is very similar to Africa where she would've come from if she were in her native land.
We have half an acre of Bermuda grass for her to graze, there are dandelions & other leafy greens mixed in the grass that are naturally occurring plants. We have cactus, we have mulberry leaves.. we don't have to buy food for her to eat.
Since we got her 3 years & 4 months ago she's been able to eat at will, as she pleases, the appearance of her pyramids has diminished greatly as she's grown which would lead me to believe that being left to graze at will is what she's always needed.
Because of this I just can't imagine what it must be like to have a sulcata in another region & have to worry about her food. It's hard for me to spew advice to people who don't live in a desert like area as we do because I can't relate to not living in the desert.
I'll tell you this though, I have more faith in the Sulcata Station's advice than in a lot of other websites I know the region where they are located, it's not that far from where I live & where they are is very similar to my area. If I were in your shoes I'd pay a lot of attention to what they have to say. Hope this helps
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PHRatz