diet for baby desert tortoise?

by Miriam
(Joshua Tree, CA, USA)

Our daughter adopted a tortoise in Joshua Tree. Her tortoise is about 40 yrs old & she surprised us all by laying eggs & 2 darling tortoises hatched. We read where the juveniles obtain bacteria by eating the feces of adults. The mother is on antibiotics for her upper respiratory tract disease. Would her feces hurt the babies because of this?

Comments for diet for baby desert tortoise?

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Nov 11, 2010

Fecal matter for friendly bacteria
by: Anonymous

Yes, it can be harmful if the adult tortoise is not healthy.
The babies can also obtain the friendly bacteria from eating small amounts of dirt from the base of sprouting native plants. This would be safer in this instance.
Also, the diet of the babies is the same as the adults except they eat more of the baby plants and get more protein from them.
Do not feed them any grocery produce/greens/veggies as this can lead to growth and health issues.
www.donsdeserttortoises.com
Don Williams

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