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#1834923
Gnuby
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Humane Society - Food Advice 
Hi, I’m not new to reptiles, but I’m seeing a lot of conflicting information about the main grasses a sulcata should be eating. My fiance works at the county animal shelter, and recently someone brought in a 12" sulcata they found walking through their backyard. I’m reading that about 70% of their diet should be grasses, and right now all they will feed it is kale they got for their iguana. (They obviously do not have anyone on staff that has any idea about reptiles, and their care books are from the 70s and 80s.) Anyway, I don’t mind picking up some good greens and grasses to donate for the reptiles (especially since no one but my fiance will even touch them). I’ve seen dandelions are good, and we often get endive and escarole for my uro, are those okay as well? I see on Petsmart’s website they have a few different grasses, which 2 or 3 would be good to pick up (I only want to get one or two small bags). They have Bermuda, Brome, Natural Orchard Grass. Thanks so much, the humane society and I really appreciate any feedback.
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08/18/08 01:27pm
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#1835189
RepticTay
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Message To: Gnuby In reference to Message Id: 1834923
Humane Society - Food Advice
A sulcata should be eating mostly grasses and weeds and flowers. Rarely do they eat fruit, or vegetables.
for full given care please go to this link ~ http://www.africantortoise.com
that is for all african tortoises which is leopards and sulcatas.
Their diet is usually grasses, succulents, fibre food and shrubs in the wild.
In captivity they have a more variety of grasses, succulents, flowers and weeds.
A good mix up is usually grass and hay, and they often enjoy a hand full of weeds such as dandelions, thistles, clovers, and similar things.
Again look at that link.
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08/18/08 04:14pm
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#1835374
Gnuby
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Message To: RepticTay In reference to Message Id: 1835189
Humane Society - Food Advice
Hey RepticTay, thank you for responding! I had checked that website out before, and looked over it again. I don’t think the shelter will take too well to me bringing in handfuls of weeds from my yard though! I usually have dandelion greens on hand (from the grocery, and I can pick them from my yard). We have thistle in our yard too (hasnt been mowed in a few weeks!) but I’m not sure it is edible, it blooms with a purple puff flower. The shelter has plenty of Timothy Hay on hand from all the guinea pigs and other small animals. Would this be better than the Kale they are feeding? Or would it be better to pick up a bag of the Bermuda Grass (or either of the other two listed in my first post) from the Petsmart and donate that?
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08/18/08 06:21pm
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#1836457
J&C
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Message To: Gnuby In reference to Message Id: 1835374
Humane Society - Food Advice
If it hasnt eaten the dried grasses before, it may be kinda of hard to get him/her to just eat it.... Normally you should introduce it by adding it to the greens and slowly increasing the amount of grasses and lowering the amount of store bought greens.... Dandelion greens are great... The leaves from a mulberry tree and leaves from any kind of grape vine are always good
Store bought greens will be fine though.... endive, enscrole, organic spring mix is good... cactus leaves are good(and what they eat in the wild) and is usually found in grocery stores or mexican grocers
Variety is key...
Please NO fruit...Their bodies are not made to digest the sugar properly
There is the fruit of the cactus called prickly pear that is ok to be used as a treat
Good luck
Jackie:)
I am sending you a private message
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08/19/08 07:00pm
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#1836461
J&C
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Message To: J&C In reference to Message Id: 1836457
Humane Society - Food Advice
Also...
The care sheets on petco/petsmart are usually not correct.. actually some of the time, they are completely wrong...
IMO
Jackie:)
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08/19/08 07:04pm
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#1836557
Gnuby
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Message To: J&C In reference to Message Id: 1836461
Humane Society - Food Advice
Oh I know the care sheets are backwards! I own a Uromastyx, a very misunderstood animal. The need a lot more space and heat than a lot of the commercially available caresheets at such chain stores provide. I just figured I could pick up one of those grasses that I saw listed on the link someone else provided, but I don’t want to spend too much on the wrong food! I’ll pick up a bag of the Bermuda grass and have them introduce it. Thanks for answering!
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08/19/08 08:13pm
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#1836925
RepticTay
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Message To: Gnuby In reference to Message Id: 1835374
Humane Society - Food Advice
Gnuby, no offence to anyone who works with you, and to yourself but a certain tortoise needs a certain food, it MUST have that food despite what the owners/guardians of the tortoise think. The sulcata should be fed its full given diet that everyone on here has stated. Otherwise the tortoise could form pyramiding, shell problems, and health problems. Along during summer time being out doors all the time, the natural uvb light does them very good and the natural heat. During winter indoors with a reptile uvb light and a basking light. Acting as a sun, If nothing right is given it could lead to alot of health issues later on in life.
If the tortoise has been given an improper diet, it may be hard to get him/her to eat the proper diet.
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08/20/08 05:59am
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#1837012
Gnuby
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Message To: RepticTay In reference to Message Id: 1836925
Humane Society - Food Advice
Well, I just figured I would try to make a bad situation as best as it can be until someone adopts it. I don’t even work there, but if you think just letting the shelter continue to feed Kale and tortoise pellets is better.... The turtle was already neglected, he is already pyramiding quite a bit. There isn’t much I can do besides apply to Foster the animal. I also don’t want to empty my bank account on an animal I don’t even own, I have a lot of mouths to feed around here. I’m not sure what else to say, I was hoping I would get a clear cut answer on some better food options for this poor thing in the shelter. I can only go so far as to make suggestions for my fiance to forward on, in the end it’s the higher-up who have to okay everything. Thanks anyway for everyone who answered, hopefully he will be adopted soon into a home who can care for him better than his previous owner did.
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08/20/08 09:58am
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#1839406
Gnuby
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Message To: Gnuby In reference to Message Id: 1837012
Humane Society - Food Advice
Today after my fiance’s 2 days off the tortoise was gone, none of the other employees working the morning shift knew where he was. I did a little hunting online and found another local shelter that has a new tortoise, which has what looks like the same amount of pyramiding and about the same size. The place also has listed a RTB and a Ball Python that the shelter my fiance works at also got in and mysteriously disappeared several days later. So, it looks like another shelter is taking in the reptiles since most people at this county run one don’t know jack about reptiles. Just thought I would update.
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08/22/08 12:56pm
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