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Post by the Scribe on Feb 13, 2021 8:31:53 GMT
DESERT TORTOISE IN MY YARDLiving next to a city park (right on the park) many of the dumped animals end up in my yard. This is Wilbur. I named him for my brother whose nickname was Wilbur in high school. His senior year he was one of the fastest runners in New York state. In trying to determine what breed tortoise Wilbur is I brought him to AZ Game and Fish Dept. out in the desert north of Phoenix. I was told he was a native Sonoran Desert Tortoise which is a protected species. They said he was the largest one they have ever seen. I asked how they can tell the species. The Game and Fish employee said there is a section of the shell over the head area that only our native species has. Wilbur will follow me around the yard and sit by my feet if I am sitting outside catching some rays. Wilbur is like having your own private dinosaur. Wilbur likes the shady spots during the summer heat which can get over 120 degrees. I had to dig a hole and put in a large tube like structure where he can go down into to keep cool. When I bought this house it was vacant and in foreclosure. After the purchase I discovered dozens of cats and kittens living on the property. I divided the back yard in half with a chain link fence and special cat netting to contain them, keep them safe and well fed, etc. Wilbur lives on the other side of the yard fence and shares it with some birds and stray cats that come and go (until I catch and fix them and then they join the crowd).
Jingles the cat is fascinated with Wilbur. Wilbur will walk back and forth along the cat fence line while they all sit and watch. He has gotten brave and will often stick his head through the fence. Probably not a good idea. Jingles was one of a dozen cats a neighbor left behind to fend for themselves. I got most of them into rescue groups for adoption but Jingles and her sister Jodi ended up staying with me. She is typical Siamese mix personality.
Wilbur eats better than I do.
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 5, 2021 9:51:51 GMT
 PLANTS THAT POISON
The most innocent-looking, even the most beautiful plant in the garden, window box, or field may be a potential killer or cause serious illness if eaten.
The following list was compiled from a variety of poison plant lists that have been previously printed in many forms of reading matter. The purpose of this list is to make you aware of the plants that are potentially dangerous to pets and humans. Every effort has been made to further identify these plants, but in some cases only the name of the plant is known, along with the fact that some portion of the plant is dangerous. Even though you may have noticed your pet eating some portion of a plant herein listed without any noticeable harmful effects, this does not preclude the possibility of danger. Please check your yard and attempt to distinguish the poisonous plants and isolate them from your pets and children. Nurseries often identify their plants by their Latin names, so those are included where possible. If in doubt, don’t acquire the plant. In the list, the common name appears in bold type; other names the plant goes by appear in parentheses; its Latin name in italics; and toxic parts of the plant appear in regular type.
For emergency information, call the hospital Emergency Center in your area. Hospitals keep a list of procedures for you to follow when ingestion of a poisonous plant occurs, or call your 24-hour emergency veterinary service.
www.chelonia.org/articles/plantsthatpoison.htm |
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Post by the Scribe on May 10, 2021 23:13:03 GMT
Melissa Kaplan's
www.anapsid.org/tortdiet.html
Herp Care Collection
Last updated January 1, 2014
Desert Tortoise Diet Sheet
©1995 Melissa Kaplan
A desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) diet is comprised mainly of safe grasses and weeds, leafy greens, with small amounts of hard vegetables and moist fruits. A good basic salad can be prepared a week in advance and fed daily with selections from the following served in addition to it.
All tortoises need pesticide- and herbicide-free forage (grasses and weeds) for grazing. You can grow your own in your backyard and let your tortoises graze on it, after first making sure your yard is escape-proof. Another way is to build a safe pen or corral for the tortoises, and seed it with the forage. You can make it more decorative by planting edible ornamental plants around the perimeter and inside. Information on edible and harmful plants can be found at my Plant Information & Identification page. For tortoises that must be kept inside during inclement weather, you can seed nursery flats with the seeds and let them graze on them or take cuttings for them.
If you feed your tortoises too much of the foods that should be fed in relatively small amounts or occasionally, you risk causing health problems, ranging from diarrhea to kidney disease. There apparently has been a problem with people not reading this entire page, so I have reorganized it to put the emphasis on the forage.
85% Grasses and weeds; dark, leafy greens; cactus...
Grasses and Weeds
Foraging Mix www.anapsid.org/forage.html
Alfalfa hay or pellets
Bermuda grass
Fresh clover
Clover hay
Rye grass
Rice grass
Mallow
Sowthistle
Dead Plants
Don't be an overly fastidious groundskeeper. Tortoises enjoy munching on dried brown leaves and stalks as much as they do the fresh plant. Top off your edible greens and ornamentals and drop them in the tortoise pen; depending on their mood, the tortoises will eat them fresh or ignore them until they are nice and brittle.
Leafy Greens
These should make up no more than half (and ideally much less) of your tortoise forage:
Cabbage**
Chard**
Collards
Dandelion greens and flowers
Endive
Grape leaves
Kale**
Mustard greens
Parsley*
Spinach*
Turnip greens
Watercress
* These are high in calcium oxalates that may bind calcium causing metabolic bone disease, and may cause visceral gout (mineralization/crystallization of the soft tissues and internal organs). Feed sparingly. ** These are high in goitrogens, which impair thyroid function when fed in excess. Feed sparingly.
Don't feed at all as they have little or no nutrition:
Iceberg lettuce
Boston lettuce
Romaine lettuce
Red- and Green-leaf lettuce
Cactus:
Opuntia cactus pads and flowers (high in water content)
15% Vegetables...
Acorn squash
Bell Peppers, red and green
Broccoli**
Butternut squash
Carrots
Green beans
Lentils
Peas
Potatoes (cooked, plain)
Pumpkin and other winter squash
Rice (cooked, plain)
Snow peas
Sweet potatoes
Turnip
**These are high in goitrogens, which impair thyroid function when fed in excess. Feed sparingly.
Feed sparingly as these are low in nutrition
Corn
Cucumbers
Radishes
Sprouts (alfalfa, bean, and grain)
Zucchini
Occasional foods
Apples (no seeds)
Apricots (no pits)
Avocados (no pits or leaves)
Bananas
Berries
Cantaloupe (with scrubbed rind)
Figs
Grapes
Mangos (no pit)
Oranges (not for hatchlings)
Papayas (ripe, no seeds)
Peaches (no pit)
Pears (no seeds)
Plums
Tomatoes (not for hatchlings)
Mixed Veggie Salad
The following, based on my green iguana salad, can be fed occasionally:
1/2 cup shredded raw green beans
1/2 cup shredded raw squash (acorn, butternut, banana, kabocha, pumpkin, summer)
1/2 cup shredded raw parsnip
3/4 cup alfalfa pellets or 1/8 cup alfalfa powder from the health food store
1/4 cup fruit
Mix thoroughly together. Add in or sprinkle on salad a multivitamin supplement and a calcium supplement as recommended. Store in a sealed food storage container. Stays fresh for 6-7 days. Additional quantities may be frozen. Add a pinch of thiamine to the defrosted salad to replace the thiamin lost through the defrosting process
...and flowers and houseplants for grazing treats.
For more information on edible and harmful plants, please see the Plant Information & Identification page.
Ficus benjamina (note: the milky sap may be irritating to skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract).
Geraniums
Hibiscus flower and leaves
Nasturtium flowers and leaves
Pansies
Petunias
Pothos
Rose petals and leaves
Snail vine (Vigna caracalla)
Violets
Sunlight...
Sunlight is critical for proper growth. The UVA promotes normal behavior and appetite; the UVB is necessary to enable the animal to synthesize vitamin D3, a substance crucial to calcium metabolization. Be sure, however, to provide some shade. Being too hot is just as dangerous as being too cold. If regular direct sunlight cannot be provided for them, you must use UVB-producing fluorescent lights daily.
...and Water
Always have fresh water available for drinking. A large shallow bowl is best, one they can access but not accidentally tip into and possibly drown. Leopards, radiated and all hatchlings are at risk for drowning or suffocating if they tip over onto their backs and are unable to right themselves.
Related Articles
Tortoise Foraging Mix
www.anapsid.org/resources/forage.html
Plant Information & Identification - includes links to edible and harmful/toxic plant lists
Vegetable and Fruit Name Translations
MK Salad - An Illustrated Reference
www.anapsid.org/tortdiet.html
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Brought to you thanks to the good folks at Veterinary Information Network, Inc.
© 1994-2014 Melissa Kaplan or as otherwise noted by other authors of articles on this site
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Post by the Scribe on Jun 5, 2021 23:38:26 GMT
www.arizonatortoisecompound.com/Cactus-Pads.html
Sonoran Desert Tortoises
ATC does rescue and re-home native Desert Tortoises (Gopherus morafkai) locally in Arizona only. Arizona Game and Fish are the only ones with a credited facility to be able to rescue and re-home native Desert Tortoises. A.T.C. simply re-homes some that are dropped off at our location from time to time. Contact us to see our availability, only after you have contacted AZ Game and Fish first. Also if you have rescued Sonoron Desert Tortoises that are in need of care or re-homing, again please contact Arizona Game and Fish first!
Remember that it is not only illegal to release a captive desert tortoise into the wild, doing so is also detrimental to wild tortoises because it can spread disease and disrupt uniquely adapted genetics in wild populations. It is also illegal and detrimental to desert tortoise populations to collect tortoises from the wild. Desert tortoises cannot be adopted outside of their natural range. You may adopt a desert tortoise if you live in the Phoenix, Bullhead City, Kingman, Lake Havasu, Tucson, and Yuma areas. Desert tortoises cannot survive the severe winters that occur in the northeastern or southeastern regions of the state.
Planting Prickly Pear Pads for Tortoises
tortoisegroup.org/planting-prickly-pear-pads-for-tortoises/ |
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Post by the Scribe on Jun 6, 2021 0:08:41 GMT
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Post by the Scribe on Jun 6, 2021 0:21:20 GMT
 www.azgfd.com/Wildlife/NonGameManagement/Tortoise/Desert Tortoises
Arizona has two native species of tortoise, the Sonoran desert tortoise, Gopherus morafkai; and the Mojave desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii. Although similar in many ways, the two species differ geographically (their ranges are split by the Colorado River) and by habitat, behavior and genetics.
Photo by George Andrejko.
Resources for the public
Desert tortoise adoption
www.azgfd.com/wildlife/nongamemanagement/tortoise/captivecare/
Captive desert tortoise care
www.azgfd.com/wildlife/nongamemanagement/tortoise/captivecare/
Resources for Environmental Consultants
Desert tortoise handling guidelines
s3.amazonaws.com/azgfd-portal-wordpress/PortalImages/files/wildlife/2014%20Tortoise%20handling%20guidelines.pdf
Desert tortoise survey guidelines
s3.amazonaws.com/azgfd-portal-wordpress/PortalImages/files/wildlife/2010SurveyguidelinesForConsultants.pdf
Mitigation measures
s3.amazonaws.com/azgfd-portal-wordpress/PortalImages/files/wildlife/MitigationMeasures.pdf
Natural History
The desert tortoise is an herbivorous and completely terrestrial turtle with a brown, high-domed shell and stout, elephantine legs. One of six members of the testudinidae family in North America, the desert tortoise inhabits the desert ecosystems of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
The desert tortoise has many remarkable behaviors and traits that make it well-suited for life in the desert. Because it is ectothermic, it controls its body temperature by using a shelter. The shelter protects the tortoise from the extreme heat or cold of the desert. It provides a constant climate that keeps the tortoise cool when the weather is hot, and shelters it from freezing temperatures during hibernation in the winter.
A desert tortoise may spend up to 95 percent of its life in shelters, only emerging to feed, bask and breed when the weather allows, mostly during the monsoon season, typically July – October. In fact, it will get most of its food for the entire year during this period. It eats the leaves, stems and flowers of many species of desert plants. Surprisingly, it is able to digest many species of plants that are indigestible to other animals with help from bacteria that reside in its digestive system.
A desert tortoise emerges from its burrow
Adaption to desert life
Another adaption that makes the desert tortoise suited for desert life is the ability to acquire almost all of its water from the plants that it eats. Because desert tortoises live in an arid climate where most of the rainfall occurs during the monsoon season, it is able to store water in its bladder for use during drought and can go more than a year without drinking. One of its defense mechanisms when handled or disturbed is to release the contents of its bladder, which can deplete its water supply and can cause harm or death during a prolonged drought. For this reason, if you find a desert tortoise, do not pick it up.
As an adult, it has very few natural predators because of its thick, scaly skin and hard shell. In the Sonoran desert, mountain lions are the main predators of adult desert tortoises. The species is under increasing pressure from landscape development, the construction of roads and other human activities.
Reproduction
Adult desert tortoises are generally solitary animals and individuals of the same sex may engage in combat when they cross paths in the wild. Males can be especially combative and have enlarged gular scutes, two large scales that grow outward from the front of the plastron, just under the head and neck of the tortoise. They use the gular scutes to ram and flip other males. If this happens the overturned tortoise must right itself soon, or it will die from suffocation, exposure to the sun, or freezing.
The male desert tortoise on the left was flipped over during a battle with the other male. This type of defeat can determine territorial and mating disputes.
Sonoran desert tortoises can reproduce after they reach 12 to 20 years of age. Mating typically occurs during the summer, late June through July, after the onset of the monsoon season. Females will lay on average a single clutch of 3 to 12 eggs in a nest near or inside the entrance of a shelter. Mojave desert tortoises usually lay two clutches of eggs per year. Hatchlings emerge towards the end of the monsoon season in September or October. A hatchling desert tortoise is small (2-3 inches in length) and soft-shelled. It has many predators, including raptors, ravens, coyotes, foxes and bobcats.
Hatchling desert tortoise
Distribution
The Mojave desert tortoise inhabits the area north and west of the Colorado River and is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Sonoran desert tortoise is found south and east of the Colorado River, in the central and western parts of Arizona and into northwestern Mexico.
Each species favors different habitats because they have evolved separately across a large range. The Mojave tortoise inhabits Mojave desertscrub, where it is generally found in the flat inter-montane basins. The Sonoran tortoise, found in Sonoran desertscrub and semi-desert grassland, prefers rocky slopes and bajadas.
Conservation
Primary threats to survival of the desert tortoise are related to loss and degradation of the species’ habitat, through drought, wildfire, habitat destruction and fragmentation, and invasion of exotic plant and wildlife species. Other impacts to the species include removal of individuals from the wild, vandalism, mortality from vehicles, irresponsible off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, release of captive tortoises into the wild and disease.
The desert tortoise and other North American tortoise species can become infected with a disease called Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD), caused by a Mycoplasma spp. bacterium. URTD causes cold-like symptoms in tortoises. A tortoise can become infected when it comes into contact with a sick tortoise. Once a tortoise is infected with this pathogen it will be a carrier for life. The symptoms may go away, but can re-emerge if the tortoise is under stress.
URTD has been implicated in large-scale Mojave desert tortoise population die offs in California, these population declines were considered in the federal decision to list this species at threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Although URTD has been found in the Sonoran desert, it is not known what impact, if any, the disease may have on the Sonoran desert tortoise. The origins of Mycoplasma spp are unknown; it may be a naturally occurring pathogen in these populations – and it has been suggested that it was introduced into the Mojave desert tortoise population through the release of sick captive tortoises into the wild.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is coordinating with local, state and federal agencies and private landowners to conserve and manage the desert tortoise in Arizona. In 1985, these groups formed the Arizona Interagency Desert Tortoise Team (AIDTT), which is responsible for coordinating research and management of the desert tortoise in Arizona.
Department’s current research on desert tortoises
Desert tortoise microhabitat use
www.azgfd.gov/w_c/research_micro_habitat.shtml
Desert tortoise occupancy modeling
www.azgfd.gov/w_c/Modeling_Desert_Tortoise_Florence_Military.shtml
Regulations
Mojave and Sonoran desert tortoises are protected throughout Arizona. Since 1988, it has been against Arizona State law to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect this animal in any part of the state. It is also illegal to attempt to engage in any such conduct. The Mojave desert tortoise was listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1990.
If lawfully obtained, Sonoran desert tortoises may be privately adopted, but desert tortoise adoption in Arizona is subject to specific rules. If you are interested in adopting a Sonoran desert tortoise, please visit the Department’s Tortoise Adoption Program site.
www.azgfd.com/wildlife/nongamemanagement/tortoise/captivecare/
Per Arizona Game and Fish Department Rule R12-4-407(B) (1). A person may possess, transport, or give away a desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai) or the progeny of a desert tortoise provided the person possessed the tortoise prior to April 28, 1989 or obtained the tortoise through a Department authorized adoption program. A person who receives a desert tortoise that is given away under this Section is also exempt from special license requirements. A person shall not: a. Propagate lawfully possessed desert tortoises or their progeny unless authorized in writing by the Department’s special license administrator. b. Export a live desert tortoise from this state unless authorized in writing by the Department.
Per Commission Order 43: possession limit is one desert tortoise per person per household.
Desert tortoise poster
s3.amazonaws.com/azgfd-portal-wordpress/PortalImages/files/wildlife/Desert_Tortoise_Poster_AZGFD.pdf [pdf]
For information on captive desert tortoise care, the tortoise adoption program, or tortoises found in urban areas, please contact TAP@azgfd.gov
For information on desert tortoises in the wild, please contact turtlesproject@azgfd.gov |
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Post by the Scribe on Jun 13, 2021 6:15:50 GMT
So when I found Wilbur I originally thought he was an African Sulcata because of his large size. AZ Game and Fish said upon inspection that he was not African but a native Sonoran species and the biggest one they have ever seen. Wilbur is about 14 inches wide, 18-20 inches long, 8 inches high to the top of his shell and weighs about 25-30 lbs or more. The game and fish agent said he might be a hybrid but wasn't sure as he had all the features of the Sonoran desert tortoise. JUST BIGGER.
Here is how to tell the difference:
Sulcata VS Desert Tortoises
Although adult and larger individuals are easy to differentiate, it can be hard to identify baby and juvenile sulcatas and desert tortoises. They’re both tan and have similar physical traits, however there are a few indicators to differentiate sulcata vs desert tortoises.
Desert Tortoise VS Sulcata
Size: Adult sulcata tortoises are much larger, averaging 80-100 lbs, whereas Desert tortoises weigh between 8-15 lbs.
Spurs: Sulcata tortoises have large spurs (pointed scales) on the front legs, where Desert tortoises have small scales on their legs.
sulcata spurs desert tortoise legs
Nuchal Scute: Desert tortoises have a nuchal scute that separates the marginal scutes in the center right above the head. Sulcata tortoises do not have a nuchal scute. Sulcatas have a deep V directly above the head, where the first left and right marginal scutes come together.
desert tortoise nuchal scute
Carapace: A young sulcata tortoise has a serrated rear carapace with a wavy edge, whereas the desert tortoise has a smooth edge.
Hibernate: Sulcata tortoises do not hibernate, whereas Desert tortoises hibernate.
Is It Legal to have Desert Tortoises as Pets
The US Fish and Wildlife Service protects desert tortoises born after the species was placed on the Endangered Species List on August 4, 1989. It is illegal to touch or collect wild tortoises.
You can only keep captive pet desert tortoises as pets.
Sometimes, the Game and Fish Departments of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah will adopt captive desert tortoises that cannot be released back into the wild. Consult your Fish and Wildlife Department if you are interested in adopting a desert tortoise.
Arizona
azgfdportal.az.gov/wildlife/nongamemanagement/tortoise/captivecare/
California
www.tortoise.org/
Nevada
tortoisegroup.org/
Utah
wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/dt_adopt.pdf
If you have determined that the tortoise you found is a desert tortoise, release it back where you found it.
Filed in: Caring for a Sulcata
www.petsulcata.com/caring-for-sulcata/
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Post by the Scribe on Jul 25, 2021 23:56:01 GMT
10 Best Desert Tortoises Facts, What do desert tortoises eat?
www.thezoologicalworld.com/what-do-desert-tortoises-eat/#Desert_tortoise_food_list
10 Best Desert Tortoises Facts, What do desert tortoises eat?
Zoological world April 22, 2020
In this article, I am going to describe to you an amazing species of tortoise which are “desert tortoises” “What do desert tortoises eat?” and their specific diet and what you should care about. So, guys, this article is basically about what do desert tortoises eat? This article is totally based on the diet and food of tortoises and what they should eat or not.
DESERT TORTOISE DIET SHEET
These tortoises are found in the driest and harsh environments where water is lacking to a great extent so their diet mainly contains plant content containing moist leaves, grasses, herbs, shrubs, etc.
So you can make daily a very simple salad even with the basic things available, which you can also grow in your backyard. For your baby tortoise to provide it the healthiest food which you can easily monitor and can keep a check on it. The first thing that you need to understand is that plant content you buy from the markets is full of insecticides and fungicides, which the tortoises don’t need at all. So, you have to make sure that they don’t eat any such food that contains harmful toxins, and to make this sure you can leave them in your garden to graze and eat grass and other materials but making sure that they don’t make your yard escape free. If you don’t properly know what amount of food should be given you are actually risking your pet’s life. Therefore, to know the right quantities and which quantity it is essential to that you carefully read the following. All these points will tell you what do desert tortoises eat?. Do you want to know about all the types of tortoises.
www.thezoologicalworld.com/types-of-tortoises/
Most major content in the tortoise diet is grasses, weeds, and leaves making up almost 85% of the whole diet.
Some tortoises like to eat dead leaves instead of the fresh ones, leave it upon them what they would like to eat.
Green leaves should not be given in more quantity. It should be half of the diet.
Vegetables are also one of the main components in the tortoise’s diet. They should make 15% of the diet. For example, bell peppers, carrots, corn squash, lentils, peas, turnips, and sweet potatoes are among the basic veggies. Vegetables are important in their diet and this also gives us a clear image of what do desert tortoises eat?
Fruits are among those foods which should be given in rare amounts and on rare occasions. Just to maintain the level of a good nutrient. It should not be included in the daily diet.
Sunlight is also a superfood for tortoises as they ectothermic animals they obtain energy by absorbing the UVA/B rays and get vitamin D as well.
To maintain water content is also essential. You can use a bowl that is not too deep but make sure they don’t drown in it while drinking it from it because there are several cases reported in which the tortoises get drowned easily and die due to suffocation.
DESERT TORTOISE FOOD LIST
Generally, desert tortoises survive best in their natural habitat but when you pet them, they completely rely on you for their proper diet and nutrition. Also, they are very good eaters and you may have to stop them from eating that stuff as well which they are not supposed to eat. They basically need a which is fiber-rich and should contain low-fat content because their bodies are adaptive to dry environments.
RESIDENTIAL PLANTS FOR DESERT TORTOISES:
Grasses made 80% of the tortoise diet. So you should actively put this in their diet. The grass is as important for them as other nutrients thus, it tells us that what do desert tortoises should eat?. The famous and healthy grasses are alfalfa, deer, or Bermuda grasses which the tortoises will love to eat in both fresh and dry situations. Some plants include noble and plantain etc., they just don’t eat grasses or leaves but eat roots and shrubs as well.
FEEDING THEM VEGGIES:
These make 20% of the tortoise diet. Vegetables with green leaves are strongly recommended because they are high in nutrients and vitamins. Among vegetables, the best are turnips, peas, carrots, and other beans, etc.
ESSENTIAL FRUITS FOR DESERT TORTOISES::
Foods don’t make as much of a tortoise diet. They may be beneficial for you but that does not mean the same goes for them as well. Fruits contain very high sugar content which is harmful to the tortoise’s gut. Fruits that can be fed include apple, pear, and some strawberries. Make sure to remove the hard content of the fruit like seeds etc.
DON’T FEED THEM THESE:
Vegetables that are rich in oxalic acid should not be given to them frequently or in their daily diet. Also, some green vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and mustard greens are also in the avoidance list as they inhibit the absorption of iodine.
The above-given points are very essential for your pet tortoise especially if it is a desert tortoise. I hope these are clearing your concept about what do desert tortoises eat?.
BASIC CARE, DESERT TORTOISE
Some people don’t know that desert tortoises are among the endangered species along with the other. Due to the destruction of their natural habitat, their number is decreasing drastically. But to talk for the captive ones they are somehow populated but not in the natural setting. Also to release the captives into the wild environment is riskier because they are hybrid and can transfer diseases to the wild tortoises.
CARE FOR THE CAPTIVE TORTOISES:
ENCLOSURE:
We recommend keeping the tortoises outdoors to provide them in a natural setting. The enclosure should be of nature the tortoise can walk easily and it should be shallow enough so that tortoises don’t dig. For an adult tortoise, the cage should be of 19 square feet. As they go into hibernation as well the substrate should be natural organic soil. Avoid putting sharp objects like barks in the cage as they can engulf them unintentionally and can develop wounds. Provide them optimal temperature during the day, night, and basking times using heat lamps for the indoor tortoises. If it is indoor you have to artificially provide UVA/B radiations for basking.
DIET FOR DESERT TORTOISES:
As they are adapted to dry environments they need that diet which is high in water content that means plants making them herbivores and also informs us about their food and clears the most asked question that what do desert tortoises eat? The easiest way to feed them is to let them roam or graze in the grassy lands to fulfill their hunger needs or you can make them a simple salad as well. You can make their diet versatile on different days by incorporating leaves, vegetables, fruits along with grass.
TEMPERATURE OF DESERT TORTOISES:
The temperature required in the day time ranges from 80-86 F whereas in the night time it ranges between 75-80 F while during basking they need the optimal temperature of 95-100 F OF temperature.
DESERT TORTOISES HIBERNATION:
As the species make them buried in the winter season so therefore you have to make sure the burrowing substrate is enough and in optimal condition so that they can easily bury themselves for a peaceful sleep.
WHAT DO DESERT TORTOISES EAT? 10 FACTS ABOUT THE DESERT TORTOISE
All of these facts and figures are going to tell you what is the basic need of your pet and what type they belong to. What are suitable temperatures for them and many more to go including what do desert tortoises eat?
At the maximum desert, tortoises can reach a maximum of 9-15 inches in length and can weigh up to 15 pounds.
Young baby tortoises are in lighter tan yellow than adults which are in a darker shade.
Their scales are quite bumpy and their shell is dome-like.
Desert tortoise is an herbivore and eats plant content only like vegetables, beans, grasses, etc.
They can endure 60 degrees Celsius. 60 Celsius = 140 Degree Fahrenheit
They can be easily identified from their heavy scaled legs.
They spent the winter season from November to February in hibernation.
They release urine when they get scared or stressed.
Their main predators are Gila monsters, foxes, desert mountain lions.
The mating season continues from summer to autumn.
10 BEST FOODS FOR THE DESERT TORTOISE
Below we have given you the 10 best foods for desert tortoises and made the purpose of this article clear that “what do desert tortoises eat?”
Alfalfa
Bermuda and deer grasses
Dandelion
Globes mellow
Carrots
Turnips
Green beans
Endive
Kale
Apples, pears, and strawberries
5 BEST WAYS DESERT TORTOISE EAT
By providing them food indoors
By letting them graze in the field themselves
By planting specific vegetables in your yard
By making them a basic salad
By making a versatile diet by incorporating specific food like fruits and vegetables along with the grass.
QUESTION AND ANSWERS
WHAT DO DESERT TORTOISES EAT IN THE WILD?
In this article as I have talked about the desert tortoise, therefore they require a diet that is high in water content. That means desert tortoises are herbivorous. Their diet in the wild mainly includes wildflowers, grasses, leaves, cacti, and moist leaves.
WHAT DO DESERT TORTOISES EAT IN CAPTIVITY?
As they are herbivores animals and they grow best when provided the plant diet. Thus as well as in captivity, the best diet will be the mixture of grass, leaves, veggies, and fruits.
WHAT DO BABY TORTOISES EAT?
Bay tortoises eat small leaflings and those plant contents which are easily chewable.
WHAT PLANTS DO DESERT TORTOISES EAT?
Alfalfa Bermuda and deer grasses, Dandelion, Globes mellow, Carrots, Turnips, and Green beans are among the common plants which desert tortoises eat.
DO DESERT TORTOISES EAT INSECTS?
As they are herbivores they only rely on plant content for their survival and need a diet that is high in fiber and low in fat.
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 18, 2022 5:27:39 GMT
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