- Dandelion
- Cabbage
- Spring Greens
- Clover
- Carrot
- Mixed Lettuce
- Cauliflower
- Chickweed
- Buttercups
- Plantain
- Heather
- Bindweed
- Spinach
- Beans
- Peas
- Sprouts
- Cucumber
- Kale
- Cress
- Rose Petals
What foods a tortoise can and cannot eat?
- Iceberg
- Romaine
- Boston
- Bibb
- Butter lettuce Spinach Celery Peas
- Bean pods Carrot (chopped or lightly cooked)
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower Yams
- Sweet potatoes (shredded or lightly cooked)
What is the best food for a tortoise?
What does a pet tortoise eat?
- Greens. The bulk of a tortoise’s diet should be fresh leafy greens. ...
- Commercial tortoise food. When fresh greens aren’t available, or to supplement your pet’s regular diet, there are many types of excellent commercial tortoise food that provide all the vitamins, minerals, ...
- Treats. ...
- Schedule. ...
- Water. ...
How much should I Feed my tortoise?
How Much Should A Tortoise Eat? The rule of thumb is to feed them an amount of food equivalent to the size of their shell. You should mostly be providing dark leafy greens (though there are exceptions such as spinach – please see the linked article below about feeding a tortoise), some occasional fruit, and other veggies sporadically (such as a bit of shredded carrots).
What is your tortoises favorite food?
What is your tortoises favorite food? Thread starter alben909; Start date Jun 18, 2012; what is your tortoises favorite food honey suckle Votes: 0 0.0% hibiscus bloom Votes: 8 30.8% prickly pear cactus pads Votes: 6 23.1% prickly pear cactus fruit Votes: 2 7.7% Romain lettace Votes: 3 11.5% carrots Votes: 2 7.7% broccoli Votes: 0 0.0%
What can tortoises eat list UK?
Tortoises should eat a very varied diet of weeds and flowers with calcium supplement. Safe weeds/plants include; plantains, dandelion leaves and flowers, hawkweeds, mallow, sow-thistle, chickweed catsear, hibiscus flowers, nasturtiums, pansies and violas.
What should I feed my tortoise?
Although these species are classed as omnivores, we suggest feeding your tortoise greens, flowers, vegetables and fruits as the main bulk of their diet. You can give them dandelions, mustard greens, or even hibiscus flowers, as well as other leafy greens.
What can I feed my tortoise at home?
What Should I Feed My Pet Tortoise?Power Greens - Spring mixes, dark leafy greens and grasses/hay. ... Pellet Tortoise Food - Commercial/pellet food designed for these kinds of tortoises and is usually a great option.Fruits - These tortoises can eat fruits like berries, melon, kiwi and more.More items...
What vegetables can tortoises eat?
Dark, leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, kale, collard, mustard and dandelion greens should make up the bulk of the diet. Other greens to try include: bok choy, red leaf or green leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, water cress, escarole, parsley, turnip greens and green onions.
Can a tortoise eat carrots?
Greens and vegetables: Vegetables should be about 10-15% of the diet. These can include: grated raw carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, corn on the cob; greens such as collards, dandelions, escarole, romaine, kale.
Can a tortoise eat cucumber?
A tortoise's diet should replicate wild foraging. Choose a variety of leafy greens and grasses to feed your pet. Supplement greens with smaller quantities of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, and carrots, apples, apricots, grapes, melons, peaches, and strawberries.
What should I not feed my tortoise?
Do not feed your tortoise dog or cat food, monkey chow or any food that contains more than 15 percent protein. These will cause liver and kidney damage, as well as deformed shell growth. Do not feed tortoises frozen vegetables or sodium-rich foods including canned vegetables, dairy products, breads and celery.
Do tortoises need to eat everyday?
Healthy tortoises do eat every day but can easily skip a meal or two. On the colder months they do not necessarily eat every day. When tortoises hibernate, they do not eat for weeks as their metabolism slows down significantly.
Can a tortoise eat banana?
Bananas can be eaten, and cherries, in strict moderation. Always remember to remove the cherry stone beforehand. These fruits should only be offered in moderation as part of a mixed diet to rainforest species such as the Red footed tortoise and Yellow footed tortoise. Any excess can easily result in diarrhoea.
What is poisonous to tortoises?
Many common plants are toxic, and keepers must make sure that their herbivorous chelonians are kept away from them....Common NameBotanical NameToxicityAmaryllisAmaryllis belladonna2Asparagus FernAsparagus sprengerii2, 3Arrowhead VineSyngonium podophyllum1Avocado (leaves, seeds)Persea americana256 more rows
Can tortoises eat raw broccoli?
Yes, broccoli is an excellent source of nutrition for tortoises. We highly recommend it as part of their regular diet. That said, turtles shouldn't overeat broccoli.
Can tortoises eat apples?
Are Apples Bad for Tortoises? No, apples are not bad for your pet tortoise. Moreover, they have many benefits for your pet reptile: it is a fruit rich in antioxidants, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. It has a relatively low content in sugars and calories compared to other more “fattening” fruits.
Should I feed my tortoise everyday?
As a general rule, you should offer an amount of food equivalent to the size of your tortoise's shell. They should be fed once a day, 5 days a week.
What can I feed my turtle if I run out of turtle food?
Animal-based food sources for turtles can include processed pet foods like drained sardines, turtle pellets, and trout chow. You can also feed them cooked chicken, beef, and turkey. Live prey can include moths, crickets, shrimp, krill, feeder fish, and worms.
What fruit can a tortoise eat?
Fruit eating tortoises can eat melon, raspberries, blackberries and grapes. You can also offer sweet desert apple, in sliced small amounts. Mango can also be eaten, although this can be very sticky and attract wasps. Bananas can be eaten, and cherries, in strict moderation.
What is poisonous to tortoises?
Many common plants are toxic, and keepers must make sure that their herbivorous chelonians are kept away from them....Common NameBotanical NameToxicityAmaryllisAmaryllis belladonna2Asparagus FernAsparagus sprengerii2, 3Arrowhead VineSyngonium podophyllum1Avocado (leaves, seeds)Persea americana256 more rows
How to provide a tortoise with the correct diet?
To provide your tortoise with the correct diet you must, first of all, know what species of tortoise you keep and be aware of its specific dietary requirements, as they may differ from species to species.
How many plants do tortoises eat?
In the wild it is estimated that many tortoises (with the exception of Leopards and Sulcatas, who are primarily grass eaters) feed on around 200 different species of plants in any one year.
Do tortoises eat fruit?
Fruit. Tortoises love the sweetness of fruits, but the digestive system in most tortoises is not geared towards digesting fruit and offering it should be limited. Species such as Red and Yellow-footed tortoises can tolerate fruit and therefore it can make up a small part of their daily diet.
Can tortoises eat poisonous plants?
Whenever possible, if it is warm enough, your tortoise should be allowed outside to graze naturally and get the benefit of natural sunlight for the synthesis of vitamin D. Please ensure that there are no poisonous plants within the tortoise's reach.
Can you give a tortoise salad?
As a result, they pass through the tortoise's digestive system quickly, often giving rise to loose faeces. Salad items should not be offered on a regular basis but can be used to supplement other food when overwintering your tortoise when healthier foods are less available.
What can tortoises eat?
It is very important to vary your tortoises diet as much as possible with plants, fruit and vegetables and our Komodo complete pellet food. It is essential to add a multi-vitamin and calcium supplement to any fresh foods you give your tortoise.
What do red footed tortoises eat?
In addition to the lists below they can occasionally eat animal protein such as mice, rats, and chicks.
What to feed a tortoise?
Hermann, Dwarf Hermann, Horsefield, Spur-thighed, Marginated, Sulcata and Leopard Tortoises are herbivores and feed mainly on plants and leaves. Fruit should only be fed as a treat, not everyday.
How do tortoises show affection?
They may walk toward you or pace the enclosure to get your attention. Tortoises may touch their nose to your hand or arm to show affection. This is a common behavior in the wild and is a social behavior. A tortoise or turtle roaming the house or garden may show affection by following you around.
What do giant sulcata tortoises eat?
A giant sulcata tortoise, for example, will have a diet that consists of mainly grasses and weeds. That’s great, considering their size and weight make them an outdoor kind of tortoise instead of one that lives inside with you. Think of them like slow lawnmowers.
What do Galapagos tortoises eat?
Their diet would consist of two thirds or three quarters in grasses or hay. The rest of their diet should be flowers, weeds, and greens.
What are some examples of Mediterranean tortoises?
An example of a Mediterranean tortoise is the Greek tortoise. A species of tropical tortoise would be the star tortoise. There are a lot more species of tortoises though. We only mention these two to show how similar, yet very different tortoise species can be. Honestly, their classifications get a little crazy.
What are the two groups of tortoises?
To help, this article will divide tortoises into two groups: Mediterranean tortoises, whose scientific Latin names all begin with testudo. These tortoises take up a large percentage of the tortoise population. Tropical tortoises, whose scientific Latin names generally start with geochelone.
What is a curious tortoise looking for?
A curious tortoise will likely be poking around and looking about its enclosure. She may be looking for something tasty to nibble on or just getting those steps in . A girl’s gotta keep up on that gorgeous figure after all.
Why do tortoises need calcium?
For your pet tortoise, added calcium is necessary. It helps in growing that gorgeous protective shell and keeping her body healthy.
What is the name of the tortoise that eats fruit?
They live in dry, arid areas of the world. These tortoises have a higher percentage of fruit in their diet: Red-Footed tortoise (Chelonoidis [Geochelone] carbonaria) Yellow Footed tortoise and. Elongated tortoises (Indotestudo elongata). They tend to come from forested areas.
What do tortoises eat?
Fruit eating tortoises can eat melon, raspberries, blackberries and grapes. You can also offer sweet desert apple, in sliced small amounts. Mango can also be eaten, although this can be very sticky and attract wasps. Bananas can be eaten, and cherries, in strict moderation.
How to grow dandelions for tortoise?
Growing your own dandelions for your tortoise. A way to guarantee a constant supply of dandelions is to dig up the long root of an existing plant. Cut this into sections about 2.5cm (1in) long, and set these individually in containers; clean, empty yoghurt pots with a hole in the base are ideal .
What is the best diet for tortoises?
Mediterranean Tortoises. A mixed weed-based diet is best for Mediterranean species of tortoise, but you need to be able to identify the plants, and avoid potentially harmful ones such as buttercups (Ranunculus repens).
What to feed a tortoise?
Also remember that variety is the key to feeding tortoises. Food should also include a source of Calcium and Vitamin D3, for healthy bones. Northampton Reptile Centre provide a range of calcium supplements that can support your tortoise's diet.
Do yellow footed tortoises eat grass?
Elongated tortoises (Indotestudo elongata). They tend to come from forested areas. It is worth emphasising that pet tortoises generally do not eat grass – although the African Sulcata (Geochelone sulcata) is an exception, being a true grazer.
Can tortoises eat food?
Food tortoises can't eat. Tortoises will usually avoid eating plants that could harm them when free-ranging in a garden, but it is particularly important to avoid offering them harmful plants when you are feeding them indoors. This list of toxic food below is by no means comprehensive.
What Tortoises Eat
Despite the fact that tortoises don’t usually eat meat there are quite a lot of different types of food that they can eat. So to make things simpler I will divide them into 5 categories:
What to Feed Your Tortoise
Now that we discussed what a tortoise should and shouldn’t eat, let’s quickly cover how much of each category it should eat.
How to Properly Feed Your Tortoise
Over the years I’ve read about countless methods of feeding tortoises. But out of all of them, two stood out the most, being the most used and the most efficient. And they are the 15 minutes method and the size of the head method.
Tortoise Feeding Schedule
The first thing that you have to take into consideration when thinking about how often you have to feed your tortoise, or when making a feeding schedule, is the age of the tortoise. Baby tortoises need a different amount of food than juveniles, and juveniles need a different amount of food than adult tortoises.
Final Thoughts
While tortoises can eat a lot of things, not all of them can be good for them.
LEGAL INFORMATION
TurtleOwner.com is owned and operated by The Turtle Owner Team. TurtleOwner.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
List Of Vegetables Tortoises Can Eat
An ailing tortoise can not only slow down your progress, but it might also be the death of it. We have put together a list of vegetables that you can feed your tortoise.
List Of Vegetables To Avoid Altogether
Vegetables are an essential part of a tortoise diet. You need to feed them vegetables to be sure they are receiving enough fiber and vitamins for their bodies.
List Of Fruits Tortoises Can Eat
In the wild, a tortoise’s typical diet is made up primarily of leafy greens and grasses. Tortoises cannot survive purely on fruit and should never be fed anything but fruit.
List of Legumes and Grains Tortoises Can Or Cannot Eat
Legumes and grains cannot be often be found in the staple diets of pet tortoises. In fact, all legumes and grains are prohibited food for tortoises. Most reptiles have a hard time digesting or getting the nutrients from legumes, grains, etc. These foods are not suitable for them at all.
What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?
The difference is to do with their morphology. A tortoise is a type of turtle which has feet instead of flippers and spends all of their time on land. Most other turtles are at least partly aquatic. For this reason, all tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises.
Why can't tortoises eat cat food?
Another reason why tortoises shouldn't eat dog or cat food is due to the fact they contain animal products. As we said, some turtles may need a little protein in their diet. Mediterranean tortoises (such as the Hermann's or spur-thighed tortoise) tortoise will not need any additional protein, but some tropical species do. Regardless, this should be in the form of snails, worms and insects, not from animal origin. If they do require any of these foods, it should not exceed 5% of their diet.
What do African spurred tortoises eat?
African spurred tortoise (also, sulcata tortoise): leafy greens, lawn grasses, grape leaves and hibiscus flowers. You will need to research the specific tortoise breed to ensure you provide the right diet which they can eat and still thrive.
What supplements do tortoises need?
Calcium supplements are also commonly needed to keep the tortoises strong. In the following tortoise food list, we show you foods which tortoises either can't eat or should only eat in a very limited quantity. 1. Legumes and grains.
What do turtles eat?
Although 90% of the turtle's diet will likely be comprised of vegetables, there are some which you will need to severely limit. They include: 1 Zucchini 2 Bell pepper 3 Chili pepper 4 Rhubarb 5 Potato 6 Sweet potato
Why are sweet potatoes not good for tortoises?
Potato. Sweet potato. The reason for keeping these vegetables off our tortoise food list is due to their higher carbohydrate and sugar content. Consuming these foods in high enough concentration can lead to nutritional deficiency, obesity and even liver failure.
Why do tortoises eat fruit?
The reason is due to the high sugar content which can cause significant damage over prolonged periods.
What is a Hermann's tortoise?
Russian Tortoises (Horsfields tortoise) North American Desert Tortoise. These species of tortoise are indigenous to semi arid grasslands that are populated with shrubs and weeds and succulents, which form the bulk of their diet in the wild.
Why are jungle tortoises omnivorous?
This means that jungle tropical tortoises have evolved to be omnivorous and able to digest a wider range of food groups without issue.
Why do tortoises like to be outside?
There are many benefits to keeping your tortoise outdoors, not least because of the natural exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet light, fresh air (hopefully), and a lot more room to stretch their legs.
Why do people write off shop bought food?
Some people write off shop bought foods altogether because of the presence of pesticides. Personally I disagree with this, as long as suitable shop bought foods don’t form the bulk of your tortoise’s diet.
What do turtles eat?
Turtles in general require a diet which is higher in protein than most tortoises. They tend to eat insects, small fish, and commercially available turtle food that’s higher in protein than equivalent products available for most tortoises. With a few exceptions which I’ll cover below, tortoises on the other hand are strictly herbivorous, ...
How much weight can a tortoise gain in a month?
With a juvenile the idea is to make a consistent weight gain of two or three grams (about 0.1 oz) per month. So if you monitor your tortoise’s weight using this method, you should in time be able to get a feel for whether you’re providing enough or too little food.
Where do tropical tortoises live?
Tropical tortoises are a slightly different kettle of fish as far as diet goes. These species are native to tropical jungle regions in Africa and South America, as well as the arid grasslands of sub Saharan Africa. As you can imagine the species native to jungle regions will differ slightly to those from ...
What to feed a tortoise to rehydrate?
The more you vary the diet the happier your Tortoise will be, try and mix the ingredients as much as possible and try not to to give the Tortoise to much Cucumber and Lettuce as these have no nutritional value but can help rehydrate your Tortoise. Below is a list of readily available foods: Dandelion. Cabbage. Spring Greens.
How long do tortoises eat before returning to the house?
They eat for about an hour before returning to the house. Tortoises can be kept outdoors approximately from April to the end of October. The tortoise house must be relatively large. It should be made of wood and have no floor to enable the tortoise to thermoregulate its own body temperature via burying itself.
How long do tortoises live?
Tortoises are particularly long-lived animals, which are presumed to live as long as 70-100 years. In order to keep your tortoise in a temperate climate, the pen must be placed in a very sunny location.
Why do turtles put heat lamps in the middle of enclosures?
The reason for putting the heat lamp at one end of the enclosure and not in the middle is for the Tortoise to self regulate its temperature. This is achieved by providing a temperature gradient in the enclosure, ranging from around 33 °C at the hot end to 18 °C at the cool end.
What is the life pattern of a tortoise in captivity?
Their life pattern in captivity is the same as in the wild. They leave the house in the early morning to warm themselves and then begin to eat. The most important part of the pen is a large water proof tortoise house that they can use as a shelter.
Can you keep tortoises?
Here’s a brief overview of keeping tortoises, this is ideal if you have never kept them before and are just looking for a quick idea of what you will need and how much of a commitment it is.
