Tortoise weed - wild food identification - care for your pet - chelonia - how to feeding guide

Describing commonly found natural food in the UK, tips on how to pick and feed your pet with confidence with advice from Eleanor at TortoiseMatters. Please Follow, like and send requests!

[@nickwf70]

This is what people who are considering a tortoise need to see

[@tortoise_matters]

Nick F thanks for the support. Means a lot

[@RowanDrift]

So helpful need to go and explore my garden now ! X

[@patchu6425]

You should do a tortoise foraging video. Showing us where we can find specific weeds and flowers around the area.

[@49erjohn]

I would be super careful foraging in areas you aren't sure about. You never know what someone has sprayed in that spot previously.

[@thetortoiseguy6449]

Hi! Dandelions rock! Thanks for sharing! 🐢👍❤️

[@samueljohn1548]

I live in England too and you've been the most helpful person on KZbin I'll see you in a long time love what you do keep on doing it

[@tortoise_matters]

Samuel John thank you for the feedback. Such supportive words :)

[@RobertAshbyMod]

Been watching your videos in preparation for my Marginated tortoise arriving in the next few weeks. Your videos are so helpful and informative. Thank you! A question/video i would like to see is fridge hibernation as it may be my only option for the short term of three years. Thank you!

[@angrybrit7331]

A great thing for this would be Google lens, you point your phone cam at any plant and it tells you what it is 👍

[@pokemontpeeetpeee3668]

Thank you for advice! Although we don’t have much of those weeds you shared in Singapore, but will definite increase the dose of weeds & flowers.

[@tortoise_matters]

Pokemontpeee Tpeee wow Singapore! What kind of tortoise do you keep there? Defo the hibiscus and oriental salad leaves you could consider. You may find some useful plant reference on the tortoise table website. There is also some good food ration articles on the tortoise trust website too. If you need to feed cultivates just stay away from the veggie and fruit and have a food vitamin and mineral supplement. (See my food prep video) Access to outdoors if at all possible for natural UV. Hope this helps :)

[@nesmer1]

I keep 2 sulcatas in south florida. The enclosure includes Bermuda grass, mexican clover "a fave for them", hibiscus bushes and wild grape vine! Oh I have a prickly pear cactus too that they eat! I'll give the soaked alfalfa mixed with mazuri too and some greens as treats! Love your vids!

[@tortoise_matters]

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like a dream mix. Mazuri is a little tricky to get in the uk on mass but close variations are beginning to appear at an affordable price for those with larger breeds such as sulcata. Maybe see you at ttpg conference in Arizona in November. Hoping to present :)

[@nesmer1]

@@tortoise_matters thank you and good luck! Happy torting!

[@49erjohn]

Sulcatas get huuuuuuuuge

[@homeiswhereourheartis]

Awesome info i didn't know about this 😁

[@tortoise_matters]

Home Is Where Our Heart Is thank you, feel free to send video requests :)

[@chrispenny7880]

It's so hard to find helpful and consistent advice on the internet. Your videos are truly helpful and clear. Thank you. Please do more. Can you please do another video on indoor enclosure setups?

[@tortoise_matters]

Happy to keep adding plant id and enclosure videos. Is there something specific on indoor setups or just another example?

[@chrispenny7880]

@@tortoise_matters We have a Mediterranean tortoise (marginated). My girlfriend actually found him abandoned on the street and we took him in after no luck finding an owner. He has lived in a vivarium, recommended by the local reptile shop, however after research, I'm worried this is incorrect and he should be in a tortoise table instead. Can you offer a video on the best indoor setup for a med tortoise in the UK? (worried about whether temps can be kept right, etc).

[@tortoise_matters]

Chris Penny marginated tortoise can get quite big so it’s a good idea to consider a greenhouse for summer indoor quarters if possible. Failing this a large tray in a garage or in house for winter months would work well. I’ll make sure I do another indoor setup example soon.

[@Heatseeker872591]

Nice. I manage to forage and get plantain. Dandelion. Clover. Mallow. Thistle. But the most common is bristly ox tongue weeds here, they are a safe feed but it's very hard to get them to eat them . Usually cucumber juice and a bit of nutrazu spread over them can trick them to eat it

[@tortoise_matters]

Agreed. Younger leaves seem to be more appealing as softer, but something on or around a less favoured leaf can help when introducing something new. Also larger species such as Sulcata, leopard and Aldabra seem less bothered by the course browse as tougher mouths. I also find mulberry and bramble leaves are hard sell but for the giants it’s perfect for picking as large amounts as browse.

[@jeancassidy4535]

Hi. I have a lot of photinia bushes in my garden and am concerned because I’ve been given a gift of two small tortoises , they are adorable my question is can they eat the photinia leaves? Or would they be harmful to them? Thank you so much for your great videos

[@Jlsp8791]

Can you dry these? How would you preserve such a large amount?

[@kylefinn2399]

Thank you I really appreciate the information because I have a lot of anxiety trying to feed my russian new plants. I managed to find 3 different weeds my baby russian tortoise always eat and I was just wondering if you think that is enough of a variety for Kooper until summer time when the habiscus flowers start to grow? Also I was just wondering if you could tell me if it is safe if one day every 2 weeks, I feed my baby Russian tortoise a healthy amount of canned pumpkin (pure blended, no sugar or anything else added) as its only meal for the day? Thanks again for the information and God bless you and your loved ones!

[@tortoise_matters]

Hi I wouldn’t recommend canned pumpkin due to the sugar content. You are better sticking with a fancy salad mix with frilled lettuce leafs like romaine which is the best vitamin content. Avoid salad mix with spinach, beetroot or cabbage family in as they can prevent the absorption of calcium. I’d also recommend getting your tortoise to having desert tortoise grass cobs and dried flower mix in diet. It will take time to covert but long term your little guy will be a lot healthier :) hope this helps