Pre Alpin Testudo Herbs		Cobs
Adding hot water to the cob		Cob (before hot water is added)
Cob swells as water is soaked up		Pre Alpin finished product

 

 

When adding hot water, we make sure it has been boiled first then allowed to cool down a bit. As you can see, one cob goes a long way. There is more than enough to feed a young tortoise. As part of a mixed diet, we also offer Pre Alpin in with freshly picked weeds. Our tortoises took a while to become accustomed to the change but are now thriving from it.

 

Below is a guide for adding hot water to the Pre Alpin cobs. Anywhere between 15g and 25g worth of finished product is more than enough for a young tort.

 

 

Weight of Pre Alpin cob/s (before adding water)	Amount of hot water used to soak the cob/s	Gives a finished product weight of (after adding water)
3.5g	17ml / 0.6fl oz	20g
7g	34ml / 1.2fl oz	40g
14g	68ml / 2.5fl oz	81g
28g	137ml / 5fl oz	162g
57g	275ml / 10fl oz	325g
112g	550ml / 20fl oz	650g
225g	1.1 litres / 40fl oz	1.3kg

 

Pre Alpin Testudo comes in different nutritional forms and quantities. It is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but each purchase should last you a while. Please see below an extract taken from the Agrobs website. It gives a full explanation about their different products.

 

 

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The Food That’s Available in the Natural Habitat

 

Tortoises are wild animals which were domesticated by humans. It is therefore the duty of the keeper to feed his pets appropriately. Wild Tortoises are often found in scanty environments and are obviously well adapted to a meagre diet. Pet tortoises, however, are often overfed and yet malnourished: „Their diet contains too much protein and they consume large amounts of easily digestible carbohydrates contained in unsuitable food. At the same time they lack crude fibre and vital substances”.

 

Why Feed PRE ALPIN Testudo?

 

The Institute for Zoology in Munich considers the PRE ALPIN® Testudo product a suitable diet for all tortoises. The high crude fibre content of PRE ALPIN® Testudo closely resembles the natural diet of tortoises. The digestion is enhanced, and the metabolism is relieved by the low protein content.
PRE ALPIN® Testudo products are a product of nature from biological farming (from purely ecological agriculture) and certified under the strict directives of the Natureland Association.

 

Regular controls provide for additional security. PRE ALPIN® contains no additives such as pressing aids or protein-reducing admixtures such as straw or bran. The crumbling losses and the nutrient-consuming after fermentation occurring during the conventional drying process are eliminated. Therefore the nutrients, the abundant and the trace elements as well as the vitamins contained in the green plants are preserved to the largest extent.

 

How to feed PRE ALPIN®

 

An amount of PRE ALPIN® Testudo or Testudo Herbs corresponding to the weight of the animal and adjusted to the feeding plan is moistened with water and offered freely. PRE ALPIN® Testudo, Testudo Fibre and Baby may also be offered in a dry state. Since tortoises are frequently somewhat picky they should be given the time to get accustomed to unknown food - and please keep in mind that the food has to be replaced every day. Usually it takes a while until unknown food is accepted.
The most reliable way to get your pet accustomed to PRE ALPIN® Testudo is to mix it with known food. The daily replacement of food that has not been eaten by fresh food is of vital importance.

 

PRE ALPIN® Testudo Baby

 

The diet of wild tortoises is always determined by the vegetation in their natural habitat. In their original environment the actual vegetation period is usually limited to a short time followed by dryness and heat from midsummer to fall. The crude fibre content of the plants is relatively low and the protein content quite high during springtime. During summer herbs and grasses will “age“. The crude fibre content therefore increases in midsummer while the protein content strongly decreases. To meet the requirements of the organism the diet of pet tortoises should also be adjusted to the respective season. The nutritional requirements of baby tortoises resemble those of fully grown tortoises. They primarily need herbs and grasses from meagre meadows with a high plant diversity. Even though this seems harsh a restrained diet scanty to human standards is recommendable. This is the only way to ensure an appropriate slow growth and to avoid consequential health problems.
PRE ALPIN® Testudo Baby is a particularly fine food adjusted to the needs of young tortoises. The components are leaves and seeds rich in vital substances from meagre Upper Bavarian meadows with a high degree of diversity. Due to the fine composition and the extra short fibre length even juvenile animals of a weight of up to 200 g can be supplied with a sufficient amount of crude fibre and vital substances.

 

PRE ALPIN® Testudo Baby for all juvenile tortoises (with a weight of up to 200g)…

 

• Provides juvenile tortoises with a diet adapted to their natural habitat.

• Ensures development and a healthy intestinal flora.

• Is free of flavouring and preservative substances.

• Optimises the supply of nutrients and vital substances.

• Ensures an optimum crude fibre supply.

• Contains no cereals or animal parts.

• Offers an ideal calcium/phosphorus ratio.

• Can be freely offered at any time.

• Is recommended by the Zoological Institute in Munich.

The Plants Contained in PRE ALPIN® Testudo BABY:

 

Cocksfoot, amaranth, meadow fescue, dandelion, false oat grass, Yorkshire fog, Lady’s mantle, English plantain, bush vetch, cat’s tail, crested dog’s tail, perennial ryegrass, Alpine meadow grass, clover, common yarrow, Lady’s bedstraw, meadow fescue and many others.

 

The Components of PRE ALPIN® Testudo BABY:

 

Dry substance 92.0 %	Phosphorus 0.3 %
Crude fibre 26.4 %	Iron 516 mg/kg
Crude protein 9.6 %	Manganese 52 mg/kg
Crude ashes 7.4 %	Zinc 34 mg/kg
Crude fat 2.5 %	Carotene 15.2 mg/kg
Calcium 0.6 %	Copper 3.6 mg/kg

 

These indications are average values – minor variances are possible in natural products.

 

PRE ALPIN® Testudo Herbs and Testudo Fibre for all tortoises …

• Offer a diet replicating the natural habitat of tortoises.

• Ensure an optimum crude fibre supply and thus a healthy intestinal flora.

• Contain no cereals or animal products.

• Offer an ideal calcium/phosphorus ratio.

• Can be freely offered at any time.

• Are free of flavouring substances and conservation aids.

• Are recommended by the Institute for Zoology in Munich.

The Plants Contained in PRE ALPIN® Testudo HERBS:

 

Cocksfoot, amaranth, meadow fescue, dandelion, false oat grass, Yorkshire fog, Lady’s mantle, English plantain, bush vetch, cat’s tail, crested dog’s tail, perennial ryegrass, Alpine meadow grass, clover, common yarrow, Lady’s bedstraw, meadow fescue and many others.

 

The Components of PRE ALPIN® Testudo HERBS:

 

Dry substance 92.0 %	Phosphorus 0.27 %
Crude fibre 27.8 %	Iron 605 mg/kg
Crude protein 7.9 %	Manganese 68 mg/kg
Crude ashes 6.7 %	Carotene 45.1 mg/kg
Crude fat 2.2 %	Zinc 25 mg/kg
Calcium 0.58 %	Copper 4.7 mg/kg

 

These indications are average values – minor variances are possible in natural products.

 

 

For further information and prices, please visit the following websites:

 

http://www.reptilica.co.uk

 

http://www.agrobs.de/en/products/tortoises.htm