EVALUATION OF COMMERCIAL TORTOISE AND TURTLE FEEDS

Abstract

Captive chelonians should be fed a natural diet to achieve a growth rate similar to that of free-ranging animals. A wide range of commercially formulated foods dedicated to chelonians is available. Feeding commercial foods has the advantage of convenience. On the other hand, species-specific information on the nutritional requirements of chelonians is not available yet. The aim of this study was to analyse and evaluate commercial pellets and feeds for chelonians. Commercial pellets (ntortoise = 7, nturtle = 7, from 6 companies) dedicated to carnivorous aquatic turtles and herbivorous terrestrial tortoises, and other aquatic turtle feeds (lyophilised beef heart, dried aquatic invertebrates, and whole frozen fish) were bought in pet shops. Whole frozen fish served as a reference feed for carnivorous aquatic turtles. The chemical composition as well as calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents were determined. Single-sample t-test was used with the label information as null hypothesis and the results of own parallel analyses for crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fibre (CF), Ca and P. The labelling of some of the pellets was deficient as nutritive values, Ca or P data were missing (tortoise pellets: 4 out of 7; turtle pellets: 5 out of 7). The label data differed significantly (p<0.05) from the results of our own analysis for 13 out of the 14 pellets. None of the tortoise pellets met the requirements of the animals completely. Because of the inadequate Ca:P ratio only one turtle pellet could be accepted. Accordingly, none of the commercial pellets can be recommended as main or only feed. Key words: nutrition; pellet; metabolic bone disease; chelonian   VREDNOTENJE KOMERCIALNIH ŽELV IN KRME ZA ŽELVE Izvleček: Želve v ujetništvu je potrebno hraniti z naravno krmo, da dosežejo podobno stopnjo rasti kot živali v prosti reji. Na voljo je širok izbor komercialno pripravljene hrane za želve. Prednost hranjenja želv s komercialno hrano je priročnost, vendar podatki o prehranskih potrebah za posamezne vrste želv še niso na voljo. Namen te raziskave je bil analizirati in ovrednotiti komercialne pelete in krmo za želve. V trgovinah za živali smo od 6 podjetij kupili komercialne pelete  (npeleti za vodne želve = 7, npeleti za kopenkse želve = 7) za mesojede vodne in rastlinojede kopenske želve ter drugo krmo za vodne želve (liofilizirano goveje srce, posušene vodne nevretenčarje in zamrznjene cele ribe). Zamrznjene cele ribe smo uporabili kot referenčno krmo za mesojede vodne želve. Določili smo  kemično sestavo in vsebnost kalcija (Ca) ter fosforja (P). Za ničelno hipotezo smo uporabili T-test enega vzorca s podatki na etiketi  in rezultate lastne paralelne analize za surove beljakovine  (an gl. crude proteins, CP), ekstrakt etra (angl. ether extract, EE), surovo  vlaknino (angl. crude fibre, CF), Ca in P. Oznake nekaterih peletov so bile pomanjkljive, saj so manjkali podatki o hranilnih vrednostih, Ca in P (npeleti za kopenske želve = 4 od 7, npeleti za vodne želve  = 5 od 7). Podatki na etiketi so se bistveno razlikovali (p < 0,05) od rezultatov  naše analize pri 13 od 14 vrst peletov. Nobeni peleti za kopenske želve niso v celoti izpolnjevali potreb živali. Zaradi neustreznega  razmerja Ca : P smo kot ustrezno določili le eno izmed 7 vrst peletov za vodne želve, zaradi česar nobenih od komercialnih peletov  nismo določili kot priporočljivih za glavno ali edino krmo za želve. Ključne besede: prehrana; peleti; presnovna bolezen kosti; želve