
- Hays and Grasses. The main sources of a Sulcata tortoises’ diet should be from hays and grasses though it’s important to get the right types for your tortoise’s needs.
- Suitable Greens & Vegetables. When it comes to greens, the top picks to choose from include dandelion greens, turnip greens, kale, and spring mixes.
- Occasional Fruit. The remaining 5% of their diet can be made up of occasional fruit treats such as strawberries, apples, peaches and apricots (with removed pits), and pears.
- Colorful Food. As you prepare your tortoise’s meal, keep in mind that Sulcata tortoises respond well to bright colors, so make sure to add at least one colorful food in ...
- Water Needs. When it comes to water, you can provide a shallow bowl in their enclosure to help hydrate your Sulcata tortoise.
How much should I Feed my tortoise?
What To Feed A Sulcata Tortoise [The Dos And Don’ts]
- Optimal Diet for A Sulcata Tortoise. The optimal diet for a Sulcata tortoise is a high fibrous and low protein one. ...
- The Importance Of Calcium In A Sulcata Tortoise’s Diet. Calcium is crucial for maintaining your tortoise’s good health. ...
- Finally. ...
How much should my sulcata eat?
How Much Should a Baby Sulcata Eat? When feeding a baby sulcata tortoise up to six months old, offer about 1/4 cup of grasses, weeds and greens every day. Feed sulcatas between 6 and 12 months old about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food a day. Young juvenile sulcatas can eat about a cup of food a day.
How to care for a baby sulcata?
What We Like
- Burrowing behaviors can lead to lots of damage in your yard.
- Giant size requires a lot of space to roam and graze.
- Need very hot temperatures and a basking spot greater than 100 degrees.
What to to feed my hatchling tortoise?
wheat grass is what i feed my hatchling. hatchlings might not eat grass at first. just chop it up in his food super small and mix it up and maybe add tortoise pellets. hay is for adults so dont bother with hay until he's bigger. make sure the grass has no pesticides too

How much should I feed my baby Sulcata tortoise?
Adults should be fed three times per week minimum, and hatchlings fed daily. For every feeding, dust food with a calcium supplement. Every 2 to 4 weeks, dust food with multivitamins.
What should I feed my baby tortoise?
A baby tortoise's diet should consist primarily of leafy plants and green vegetables, although they can eat some flowers and fruits. You should provide a baby tortoise with a balanced diet of grass, hay, and nutrient-dense leafy greens.
Do baby Sulcata tortoises eat everyday?
For the first year sulcatas should be fed daily,thereafter 3 times weekly. Remembering this tortoise comes from the sub-Sahara where habitat is semi-desert and where food is not always plentiful. Overfeeding these enormous eaters in captivity will cause problems.
Can baby Sulcatas eat lettuce?
Dark green leafy vegetables should be offered, but should make up less than 25% of the diet. Appropriate items include turnip greens, endive, escarole, dandelions, and small amounts of romaine lettuce (not iceberg lettuce).
Can baby Sulcata eat cucumber?
Cucumbers are low in calories, healthy, and safe for tortoises to consume. They don't contain any toxic compounds that could upset your tortoise's digestion. However, cucumber should only be offered in moderation because it mainly contains water and only small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Do baby tortoises eat every day?
A baby or a young tortoise should eat every day to help them manage their growth spurt effectively, but older tortoises don't need to eat that often. There are healthy tortoises that eat every day and there are others that skip a day every now and then.
What sulcata tortoises should not eat?
Avoid feeding a sulcata some food items entirely. Never give your sulcata animal-based proteins, including insects, fish or mice. Sulcatas get all of the protein they need from the grasses and other plants in their diet. Avoid legumes, nuts and beans, as they have too much protein for the health of your turtle.
Do tortoises know their owners?
Do Tortoises and Turtles Recognize Their Owners? Yes, both tortoises and turtles can learn to recognize their caretakers. This does take time, but turtles and tortoises are very smart. They will learn your scent, sounds, and behaviors.
How often should I bathe my baby tortoise?
Hatchling and young tortoises should be soaked daily decreasing this to every other day as they grow older. Older juvenile tortoises should be bathed 2-3 times a week and adult tortoises bathed weekly, but more frequently if kept indoors under heat lamps.
Can baby Sulcata tortoises eat apples?
If so, the peaceful and super patient tortoise will be your ideal pet reptile. Its diet is not the most complex, but you should know that a tortoise does not eat only lettuce! Raw fruits, such as seedless apples, can and should be part of their diet.
Can you overfeed a sulcata tortoise?
AVOID over-feeding your tortoise. Sulcata tortoises can experience a variety of health problems when they are fed the wrong foods-but they can also have problems when they are fed too much of the right foods. Overfeeding is the single biggest mistake that most tortoise keepers make.
How often do Sulcata tortoises poop?
A sulcata tortoise should poop every two or three days. They don't go as often as humans or other animals, due to their genetic makeup. What is this? Some tortoises poop less frequently than others, at the same time going too long without pooping can be a sign of a health problem that needs your attention.
How often should a baby tortoise eat?
once a dayThe general rule seems to be feeding at least once a day for babies and younger torts. You can also feed your tortoise every other day or even three times a week, but this all depends on your particular tortoise and the amount of nutrients in their meals.
What can tortoises eat list?
Food ListCollard, turnip, rape, and mustard greens.Kale, cabbage, kohl rabi, chard.Endive, Escarole, green-leaf, red-leaf lettuces.Red or curly lettuces.Arugula, rocket, 'corn salad', 'lamb's lettuce'Parsley, watercress.Carrot or radish tops.Sprouts.More items...
How do you take care of a baby tortoise?
1:193:48How To Look After Baby Tortoise - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYour baby tortoise will need a UV light with 5% UVB which should be kept on for 10 hours in winterMoreYour baby tortoise will need a UV light with 5% UVB which should be kept on for 10 hours in winter and 14 hours in summer and replaced every six months.
What vegetables can baby tortoise eat?
Feed your tortoise a varied diet. Desert tortoises should be fed a combination of grasses, leafy greens, and cactus flowers, with a small amount of fruit. Grassland grazers like leopard tortoises should be fed a variety of grasses and leafy green vegetables. You should not feed them other vegetables, or meat.
What to feed a baby sulcata turtle?
What to feed baby sulcatas? Sulcata turtles should consume concerning 80% lawn and hay. 10% eco-friendlies as well as no greater than 10% reward. This diet regimen coincides for grown-up and for infant sulcata turtles. What to feed baby sulcatas? Sulcata turtles eat the exact same points that an adult sulcata can consume. The only difference is that a baby sulcata will not eat at much.
What hay do turtles eat?
Fewer people recognize hay pellets, but 100% hay pellets are a healthy option for turtles. You can acquire hay pellets as well as hay cubes at a local feed store that provides food for equines. OR you can purchase smaller sized bags online (wonderful for checking your tortoise). When purchasing hay pellets, search for the very same healthy hays that you would certainly feed if you were acquiring loosened hay-- timothy hay as well as orchard hay are the even more typical hay choices. Ensure that the hay pellets or dices that you get are 100% hay. You don't want any type of additives in the pellet.
What is the best pellet for tortoises?
The more prominent as well as frequently known tortoise pellet is Mazuri Turtle Diet Plan. When buying for Mazuri for tortoises, you'll find two variations initial as well as LS. Original Mazuri (5M21) is a bigger pellet that has actually been shown yummy to tortosies. The initial Mazuri pellet is a healthy and balanced pellet regardless of the soybean hulls, ground corn and also dehulled soybean meal, and also it is a wonderful additive for a healthy diet. LS Mazuri (5E5L) is a smaller sized pellet is a low-starch variation of the initial pellet. It includes less corn and soybean than the initial formula.
Do sulcata turtles eat grass?
Sulcata turtles eat the exact same points that an adult sulcata can consume. The only difference is that a baby sulcata will not eat at much. Sulcata tortoise diet regimen should be mostly lawns. You might find that sulcata turtles might not be as enjoyed eat lawn, but it's extremely crucial to add grass to the food bowl.
Can turtles eat hay pellets?
Fewer people recognize hay pellets, but 100% hay pellets are a healthy option for turtles. You can acquire hay pellets as well as hay cubes at a local feed store that provides food for equines. OR you can purchase smaller sized bags online (wonderful for checking your tortoise).
Is Mazuri a good pellet?
The initial Mazuri pellet is a healthy and balanced pellet regardless of the soybean hulls, ground corn and also dehulled soybean meal, and also it is a wonderful additive for a healthy diet. LS Mazuri (5E5L) is a smaller sized pellet is a low-starch variation of the initial pellet.
What do you feed a baby tortoise?
How to feed a baby tortoise? The first thing a baby tortoise need is water. It doesn’t matter if a tortoise is from a desert or a jungle; you have to make sure that you provide with clean water for your young sulcata tortoises.
What do tortoises eat?
Other foods for grassland tortoises include grass, flowers, and weeds. Keep in mind that in the wild, tortoises graze on the ground which is why grass should also be available.
Can you feed a tortoise?
Feeding your tortoise is not that hard, in fact, you won’t have to worry about it at all. If you happen to have a backyard outside or some plants, your sulcata can live a happy life! But since you took on the responsibility of becoming a reputable keeper or breeder, it’s probably best that you live up to that by providing them with ...
Can tortoises eat iceberg lettuce?
Some vegetables like peas and green beans contain high levels of protein, Iceberg lettuces should also be avoided because it can cause diarrhea to tortoises since it has high water content.
Can a sulcata tortoise eat mustard greens?
You can easily purchase collard and mustard greens in grocery stores, dandelion greens on the other hand can be a bit hard to find but you can always have the option to grow your own. Sulcata tortoises love to eat Dandelion flowers as well as Hibiscus, Rose petals and carnation.
What do sulcatas eat?
In the wild, sulcatas will eat plants found growing in calcium-rich so il, thereby getting the calcium from that. Often they'll eat bits of soil that contains calcium while eating plant roots. They also seek out and eat bleached bones and desert-dwelling snail shells to supplement themselves.
What is the best grass for sulcatas?
1 / 2. Another good grass option in the wintertime is Mazuri Tortoise Diet, a dried grass pellet type food that sulcatas love. You can simply put these pellets in a dish and spray them lightly to soften them up for younger sulcatas if you wish.
How big do sulcatas get?
Sulcatas grow to over 180lbs! To learn more about them before adopting one, check out this article https://pethelpful.com/reptiles-amphibians/Caring-...
What do you feed a dandelion?
Chopped grass dampened with water :) You can also feed him a smaller bit of chopped dandelion greens, ribwort plantain, dandelion flowers and white mulberry leaves. His main diet should consist of grass
What plants can be fed on a regular basis?
Some of these safe foods are listed below. African Violet Saintpaulia. Air Plant Tillandsia.
Can you feed a sulcata a fruit?
To see a complete list, please visit The Tortoise Table. Never feed your sulcata most fruits or vegetables as they have too much water, vitamins, and/or sugars for the sulcata to digest properly!
Can a sulcata eat pumpkin?
Pumpkin is okay as a special treat along with yellow zucchini, grape leaves, and watermelon rinds. Absolutely do not feed your sulcata dog or cat food (yes this happens). While wild sulcatas may occasionally eat carrion, they are herbivores and only need vegetation to thrive. Their bodies cannot break down proteins.
What are some good foods to serve with escarole?
If you must use grocery store foods, favor endive and escarole, but use lots of variety. Cilantro, collard, mustard, and turnip greens, carrot tops, celery tops, etc…
What is the best supplement for opuntia pads?
This being the case, you'll need to amend the grocery store greens with some blended grass hay, ZooMed Grassland tortoise chow, or fresh grass. Mazuri is a good supplement too. Also look for spineless opuntia pads (Nopales). Those are great tortoise food too.
Can tortoises eat pellets?
No need to make to more appealing. Some of them just don't seem to like it much. If that was the first time you've offered it, keep trying. Tortoises seldom eat new things the first few times they see it. You can try mixing one soaked pellet into the tortoises favorite greens once in a while.
