Komodo pellets not complete diet?

[Alan1]

Yes Ann. and what I'm saying is just maybe, the the plants grown in poorer soils that are less nutritious (probably) may actually suit the torts better. For those who are obsessed with growing torts very slowly maybe the UK weed diet is too nutritious

I don't go for the growing fast = pyramiding thing anyway as I have seen with my own eyes torts who have grown fast but are not pyramided

[pagan queen]

Weeds will grow anywhere. They are opportunist plants, that's what makes them so successful. Maybe we should try growing some on different substances to see how they grow. Maybe a small amount of soil mixed with limestone flour and lots of stones etc.

[Pussygalore]

to be honest I don't beleive there's a lot of difference between feeding weeds/plants or pellets as none of them would be as poor as the tort would find naturally. Even our hay would be richer, this theory was proved with the Alpacas, when they were first kept over here many of them had stomach problems and some even died and it was eventually thought to be that the grazing and food fed over here was just to rich for their digestive sytstems. These animals come from countries and altitude where there is very little to eat and have evolved to make the most of whatever they can find, I assume the tort is very similar. We might see photo's of flowering meadows but my guess is that fields of flowers would only be found for very limited periods the rest of the time it would be dry fiber only apart. This would be why the torts will eat anything they find including carrion, they might find fallen fruit at certain times but their systems are a bit like the Alpacas in that they have to make the most of anything. I'm surprised that more simply haven't died because of the 'rich' diet we feed even if we try not to.

[wigwamman]

this is turning out to be an interesting subject,i would like to make an observation.
"in the wild" tortoises feed on whatever they can find,sometimes this will be very good,at other times they scrape a living.
in the westen world we strive to feed our tortoises as naturally as possible but if our weeds/food is more nutritious than mediteranean vegitation why do we have so many under weight tortoises?
what is normal,what is not?
lets keep it rolling!

[MeImNot]

Our best efforts for the tortoise will still offer them a non optimal environment...i dont think that the underweight problems have anything to do with the actual food offered

[Alan1]

Garden weeds will be full of nutrients but maybe torts either don't need them or don't use them, how would we know. The weeds in the wild of the Med Region may be higher in calcium but are they high in anything else, I doubt it. I'm not even sure that they get much calcium from plants anyway, more likely they get it from eating calcium rich soil, stones and old bones. I think folk shouldn't be so obsessed by diet and should become more obsessed with humidity in torts under 2 years old. That's just my view but also, Robson and Prescott reptile vets in Northumberland recommend using a viv for torts under the age of 2 (in fact they reckon torts under 2 should not even be sold) and that the years 0-2 are critical for getting it right with torts, humidity wise.

[Alan1]

Originally Posted by MeImNot

i dont think that the underweight problems have anything to do with the actual food offered

possibly the sh it weather and low temperatures we get prevents them from digesting food and therefore they will eat less in the summer if it is a bad one like last year and so far, this year

[EJ]

(too late... I've seen it)

Originally Posted by pagan queen

Could you not have just kept a lid on that can of worms Alan? Close it quick before someone sees.

You do have a point though. Maybe pellets are the way to go.

[EJ]

That's called opportunistic feeders.

Well... when the feed in the wild they have the world at their door.

When the keeper tries to feed them what the keeper thinks they normally eat in the wild the tortoises diet is automatically limited by the keepers supposition.

So... what a keeper thinks is a natural diet might not be a complete diet.

Originally Posted by wigwamman

this is turning out to be an interesting subject,i would like to make an observation.
"in the wild" tortoises feed on whatever they can find,sometimes this will be very good,at other times they scrape a living.
in the westen world we strive to feed our tortoises as naturally as possible but if our weeds/food is more nutritious than mediteranean vegitation why do we have so many under weight tortoises?
what is normal,what is not?
lets keep it rolling!

[pagan queen]

Originally Posted by EJ

(too late... I've seen it)

Interesting discussion eh Ed? What are your thoughts?