Bread revisited...

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Posted by EJ on May 30, 2001 at 00:23:35:

While I don't agree you should go out of your way to feed bread I have no idea what effect it would have on tortoises. It's really kind of funny how everyone else does. (I'm speaking of posts on another list) But the reason of this post is the history of feeding bread to tortoises. About a year ago a promenent herpetologist got slammed for suggesting such a thing. We today I found by accedent where it might stem from. There is a very important reference that is out dated but still the best there is on the tortoises of Africa called Revisions of the Cryptodira (which kinda translates to hidden neck)(you know)(as opposed to the snake necks)(anyway) By Authur Loveridge and Ernest Williams. (a classic) Their account is unsurpassed even today on the leopard tortoise (an opinion) Well it is in this writings where it is suggested that they eat bread. As time goes I can see very easily how it can be twisted to that they should be fed bread.
Well Authur Loveridge also made a very interesting observation that caught my attention. He noted in a nesting Leopard that the female was tearing as she was nesting and he made a note that this was incedental to that particular female. Well in the article in Reptiles there is a picture of a female tearing as she is nesting. This leads me to believe this is the norm in nesting leopards. (I took the picture because it was a comon occurance during nesting) The point, here is a great reseacher who had a preconception and based his decision on that. (food for thought)
Ed
(long winded, I know, but I though was interesting.)

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: While I don't agree you should go out of your way to feed bread I have no idea what effect it would have on tortoises. It's really kind of funny how everyone else does. (I'm speaking of posts on another list) But the reason of this post is the history of feeding bread to tortoises. About a year ago a promenent herpetologist got slammed for suggesting such a thing. We today I found by accedent where it might stem from. There is a very important reference that is out dated but still the best there is on the tortoises of Africa called Revisions of the Cryptodira (which kinda translates to hidden neck)(you know)(as opposed to the snake necks)(anyway) By Authur Loveridge and Ernest Williams. (a classic) Their account is unsurpassed even today on the leopard tortoise (an opinion) Well it is in this writings where it is suggested that they eat bread. As time goes I can see very easily how it can be twisted to that they should be fed bread. : Well Authur Loveridge also made a very interesting observation that caught my attention. He noted in a nesting Leopard that the female was tearing as she was nesting and he made a note that this was incedental to that particular female. Well in the article in Reptiles there is a picture of a female tearing as she is nesting. This leads me to believe this is the norm in nesting leopards. (I took the picture because it was a comon occurance during nesting) The point, here is a great reseacher who had a preconception and based his decision on that. (food for thought) : Ed : (long winded, I know, but I though was interesting.)

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