These include:
- Amaryllis
- Asparagus Fern
- Avocado (leaves, seeds)
- Azalea
- Begonia
- Boxwood
- Buttercups
- Calla Lily
- Castor Bean
- Crowfoot
- Daffodil
- Ficus
- Holly
- Ivy
- Iris
- Juniper
- Nightshade Family
- Poinsettia
- Primrose
What can I Feed my tortoise?
You can always offer a berry or two as an occasional treat. If given in moderation you can feed your tortoise some vegetables in the brassica family, meaning plants like kale, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and so on. There are many pre-made tortoise foods out there. These are convenient and readily available.
Do tortoises need to be fed in winter?
Obviously, the fewer tortoises you have to feed the easier it gets. If you have quite a large number awake (as we do) then making up the required bulk can be a bit of a challenge, but with some careful planning in spring and summer, a healthy diet can still be achieved, even in the depths of winter.
What do leopard tortoises eat?
Like the sulcata, the leopard tortoise, Aldabra tortoises, and Galapagos tortoises have evolved to eat various grasses. 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.
Can desert tortoises eat Mediterranean tortoise food?
Desert-dwelling tortoises, or tortoises who come from more arid and dry biomes in the wild, can use the same diet as Mediterranean tortoises. Whether this is the perfect diet or not is still heavily dependent on species and life stage. Always check to see what species your tortoise is before giving them certain foods.
Does tortoise eat in winter?
In winter, most indoor temperatures are too warm and dry to slow the metabolism at a time when a tortoise normally does not eat and is programmed to sleep.
What is the best thing to feed a 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.
Why my tortoise is not eating in winter?
Colder temperatures, reduced number of daylight hours and a decreased supply of food make some turtles want to take a long winter's nap. If your turtle isn't eating as much as usual as winter approaches, that could be a sign that he wants to hibernate.
How do I protect my tortoise in the winter?
To summarise: Keep the tortoise indoors in a warm room. Maintain adequate heat levels, day and night, to keep the tortoise's core body temperature up. Provide sufficient bright light so that the tortoise experiences the same levels as it would outdoors in summer. Provide adequate hydration.
Can I feed my tortoise carrots?
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 tortoises 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.
How long can tortoises go without eating?
On top of that, some tortoise species are able to undergo hibernation or brumation, which can significantly lessen their need for food. In general, a healthy adult tortoise can live for as much as 6 months to 3 years without food, provided that they have access to drinking water and their other needs are met.
Should you feed a tortoise 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.
How do I give my tortoise calcium?
Well, the best way is to add a light dusting of calcium powder to the tortoise's food and to ensure that they are eating dark, leafy green vegetables which are also fairly rich in calcium. Calcium is essential to your tortoise's health.
What happens if a tortoise gets too cold?
The tortoise needs a temperature of around 38 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit to make it through hibernation. If they go below 38 degrees for any appreciable length of time – they can freeze to death. Even if they don't die, these temperatures may leave them blind or cause tissue damage which is permanent. It may drown.
How do I know if my tortoise is happy?
Tortoises are happiest when they're healthy. The signs of a happy tortoise include a strong shell, clear and shiny eyes, dry and wrinkly skin, responsiveness to petting, and a good appetite. They should be active, walking around their enclosure, moving objects about, digging burrows, and climbing.
Do tortoises need heat at night?
Does a tortoise need a heat lamp at night? In most cases, overnight heating will not be required for your tortoise, unless the room temperature gets too cold. If this is the case, it may be better to use heating so that a temperature of around 15-18°C (60-65°F) can be maintained overnight.
Do turtles eat in winter?
So turtles eat considerably less during the winter, and in most cases they don’t eat at all since they are hibernating. But this is not the only remarkable thing that they manage to do .
Do tortoises hibernate in the summer?
Hibernation and aestivation are identical processes. The only difference is that tortoises hibernate during the winter and aestivate during the summer. But not all tortoises will aestivate, only a few species that live in the desert, and other places with very hot weather will do so.
Winter feeding
Good evening everyone, My 3-year old Med spur-thighed is a little fussy with her food and I'm dreading the winter coming as we've now run out of her staple food, dandelions, and are wondering what to feed her over the winter.
Re: Winter feeding
It can be difficult in winter, especially when a tortoise wants to hibernate (is there a reason why you don't hibernate her)? We do have an article on overwintering a tortoise (this is often necessary if your tortoise is not well enough to hibernate or of course if it is a non-hibernating species):
Re: Winter feeding
Oops, I see that Lin posted her answer one minute before mine! At least we didn't contradict each other -- ha ha.
Re: Winter feeding
Thanks so much guys for your replies. It's so helpful to get some knowledgeable advice on here so I don't feel quite so alone in making sure I look after her! I was advised by my vet not to hibernate her until she is much older so that she is able to sustain herself throughout hibernation.
Re: Winter feeding
Well thats why we are here, to help ID weeds so if you have any just post and we will do our best for your tortoise to have a good diet during the winter too.
How to house a tortoise in the winter?
How to house your tortoise in the winter? For tortoises that live outside throughout the cozy months the procedure of bringing them indoors; throughout the wintertime is call overwintering. Some turtles naturally hibernate while others are from atmospheres; that stay warm all year as a result they need to be brought inside to protect against being iced up in the cool winter months.
Can a tortoise wake up after hibernation?
As I previously stated; letting a sick, underweight, or new tortoise whose health and wellness condition you are uninformed of hibernate can be hazardous. Several turtles never ever awaken after hibernating due to the fact that they aren't healthy and balanced adequate to keep their bodies ; when they "closed down" for the winter. If unwell tortoises are permitted to hibernate, bloodsuckers will overtake them and also infections will be permitted to run widespread.
Can turtles overwinter in the house?
Some varieties of healthy and balanced turtles that call for overwintering inside your home (unless you supply a warmed, secure exterior room); if housed outdoors in the cozy months consist of any tropical varieties of turtle such as Sulcata tortoises (Geochelone sulcata), Leopard tortoises (Geochelone paradis), Indian Star tortoises (Geochelone elegans); as well as Red-footed turtles (Geochelone carbonaria). These kinds of turtles do not normally hibernate in the wild; therefore they need warm temperature levels year round.
