Dietary Fibre in the diet of the Herbivorous Tortoise Testudo graeca graeca in Spain:
 

Hey, I know the Tortoise Trust is not the most popular in the tortoise keeping community but they seem to produce some interesting pieces of research from time to time, some gets posted onto their site and some makes it to their publications.
Recently they have posted an article about the importance of different types of dietary fibre in the diet of the spur thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca graeca). It highlights the shortcomings of supermarket and petshop foods in terms of digestability and nutritional content.
The dicussion section highlights some of the challenges with selecting the food plants chosen by the grazing tortoises due to the conditions the plants are selected under by the tortoise (dried and wetted repeatedly over time) as well as the conditions the plants were grown under (i.e the high calcium carbonate found in the soil in the regions of spain investigated) all cast doubts on the suitability of your typical store bought or self grown tortoise diets.
Interesting stuff to incorporate into your setups however because it seems tortoises in those regions are used to far higher than typical calcium in their diets.

Link to paper http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/dietaryfibre.html

I thought the tortoise trust was a good website to go on. Is it not then?
I was told by the breeder I got my two from that if I stick to their advice I can't go far wrong.


lynne x

I've heard in alot of threads posted on reptile forums that the tortoise trust can be abit strange at times. Its true they do produce some very good literature however. I hope that they use the information they find to advise the industry on any changes they could make to the diets of tortoises

i have found a lot of advice on the tortoise trust helpful - and pretty much in line with advice given on shelled warriors

i think tho it is better to get advice about practicality of equipment and housing, as well as some great pics on this site rather than the tortoise trust as u can just ask, rather than wading through a lot of information to find out what u want to know (i know!! lazy option - but effective)
:)

Lots of good stuff on it and many people keep their torts by the info on there alone. I also used to go by that until I discovered there are other points of view and different ways of doing things. It's a bit like going through all your school years being taught by the same teacher, one point of view.

Also, things are changing all the time, new lighting, new foods even

Without the TT and people like Lin King there wouldn't be any online weed seed businesses with associated forums. Oh the irony. :)

.. and without the internet there wouldn't be any either :D

and then there would still be loads of well meaning tortoise keepers doing the wrong thing
:(
the internet revoution is so fantastic at enabling and empowering so many - and with more information you can choose to use it or disregard it - especially as more informed choices can be made through the experiences and trial and errors of so many others

AND THE INFORMATION IS FREE

so thanks to everyone who is willing to share advice and give encouragement

:)

I was/am a hairdresser. The TT served me very very well doing an apprenticeship, It taught me the basics and a good understanding on how a tortoise works, and what it needs, and how to raise and keep a healthy tort. With that information I can now adapt to different hairstyles, which are changing and evolving all the time.

If you get me

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...cW9fbBtx9fJti8

I think I see what you are saying there Bindi, you served your time as a hairdresser with the TT and now you are capable of clipping hair in styles that Nicky Clarke could only dream about ;)

exacerley Alan :lol:

I do think the TT has produced some very interesting info for tortoise keepers, My first tortoises the Marginated, were raised using the TT methods and have never given me a moments worry and are perfectly smooth as Clare can tell you. I still basically follow their methods for all my lot but read up on other stuff as well. I find the articles interesting but to be honest I avoid the forum they have :)

:)

great analogy bindi -

Getting back to food plants for a wee minute, its not news that many med species of tortoise live in areas with calcium rich soils. The research confirms this though. We can enrich the soil we grow our food plants in by adding things to our soil. Limestone chips for long slow release, limestone flour for a quicker fix. Wood ash also works and all the ash from my wood burning stove goes on my food plant beds. Limestone flour is quite cheap in bulk. People who live on the chalk of the Sussex downs etc won't need it though.

Kirkie has been suggesting we feed some dried up stuff for a while too. Mine seem to prefer fresher food but as we all know, a hungry tort soon adapts to eat what there is.

I live near ports-down hill, which is basically pure chalk, so the soil round here is full of chalk.

Therefore I think all tortoise keepers should come live near me! :D

This article just made me want to buy those pre alpin things more. Anyone know where I can get a little to try it out?

umm... the author has been living there... how many seasons? From this he has managed to publish are these epiphanies.

They are interesting reading of single accounts but they are nowhere near conclusive.

When I see a 10 year study published in a peer review journal... that's when I think it will get the greatest respect and notice.

For now... its and interesting anecdotal observation of a fellow tortoise keeper... but it appears to generate enough interest and funds to afford that fantastic equipment... and time to use it.

I have always given credit where credit was due... the owner of the TT has always been insightful with the use of technology. I'm sure someone else would have come up with the use in this field... and it might have come out better... but he was the first and did seem to light the fire for others.

Actually... he was instrumental for lighting that fire for all those other spinoffs... I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

Can you cut Mohawks bindi? :D

Shows the reader the caliber of some of the keepers who try to derail a good conversation...

Ed, no need for insults for a light hearted comment which wasn't aimed at yourself

Your own fault. It followed my post without a quote. You also seem to have a habit for trying to derail topics.

I saw your post as an insult and responded in kind.

An insult to who?

And...lets get this back on track and try and keep the personnal issues out of it

Thanks guys

Sorry if I've offended anyone - it really was a light hearted comment in the midst of a serious and interesting thread

Oh you havn't don't worry!A bit of banter goes a long way and in no way derails anything.Thought we were trying to keep the fun in chelonia care.

I just noticed this... the irony is that the idea was swiped from an industrial tortoise keeper in the US who capitalized on the internet when the internet was just gaining common popularity... just to keep the history streight.

I'll give Lin the credit for being the pioneer for creating the most comprehensive tortoise weed list on the net as far as those tortoises kept in the UK... and anywhere else... actally.

that article is beyond excellent. thanks for sharing!!! it answers so many questions for me, including size of vegetable pieces, etc.

I agree with you shell-shocked. Its a classic!

Can you get your hands on any Pre Alpin?

http://www.shelledwarriorsshop.co.uk...ost-7595-p.asp

This stuff is great for tortoises. There are a few different versions of it and I highly recommend it.