Interesting Aldabra Behavior

[EJ]

Thanks for your worthless advice and input.

Originally Posted by NATURALIS

You two should be a double act ....wait !!!! ..you are a double act pmsl !!!!!!

[Robster]

Don't think the lack of grass has had any impact on the well being of the tortoises. They look great. EJ's regime is clearly working

[pagan queen]

Ed, just out of interest, do you spread food about the area or just put it in one place?

[EJ]

I only feed the tortoise diet once or twice a week in dishes. You'd be surprised at what they eat the rest of the time which they are constantly on the hunt for. Plants do come up after a rain. They also eat the leaves off the bushes that grow into the yard. They eat the shrooms that come up on occasion. They eat the lichen and moss that grows on the trees... pine cones... they eat pine cones as if it was corn on the cob. So... there is other stuff they eat... but... I am trying to come up with a plan to grow some grasses... that I can afford and is realistic.

Originally Posted by pagan queen

Ed, just out of interest, do you spread food about the area or just put it in one place?

[EJ]

Thanks Robster.

Originally Posted by Robster

Don't think the lack of grass has had any impact on the well being of the tortoises. They look great. EJ's regime is clearly working

[pagan queen]

Originally Posted by EJ

I only feed the tortoise diet once or twice a week in dishes. You'd be surprised at what they eat the rest of the time which they are constantly on the hunt for. Plants do come up after a rain. They also eat the leaves off the bushes that grow into the yard. They eat the shrooms that come up on occasion. They eat the lichen and moss that grows on the trees... pine cones... they eat pine cones as if it was corn on the cob. So... there is other stuff they eat... but... I am trying to come up with a plan to grow some grasses... that I can afford and is realistic.

I just wondered if they had the challenge of finding their food as stimulation. But as you say they find lots to eat anyway so they get their stimulation in that way.

[EJ]

Again... they have 1/4 acre to hunt. Who knows what they eat. I don't find any dog crap in the summer time. That is actually the thing they hunt for first thing in the morning. I've seen them digging for either bugs or mushrooms. There's no lack of stimulation in the warm weather months.

Originally Posted by pagan queen

I just wondered if they had the challenge of finding their food as stimulation. But as you say they find lots to eat anyway so they get their stimulation in that way.

[pagan queen]

Maybe there were some kind of bugs in the tree stump that took his fancy.

[EJ]

I was looking for that. I know they can hear bugs digging or moving in the ground. I watched them when we were in California and they would listen or hear grubs in the ground. They would then dig them up and eat them. I was amazed the first time I saw this. I am sorry I didn't get any photos of that.

Originally Posted by pagan queen

Maybe there were some kind of bugs in the tree stump that took his fancy.

[Burgers]

My tortoise has always had a fascination with eating lichen of the ground . . i see by the tree stump that it has lichen/moss over it maybe your tort was eating the lichen/moss and just got over ambitious lol