Discover what these shelled creatures like to eat and how you can give them the best care possible. Tortoises are classified as grazers; in other words, they keep on moving from one place to another. So, whatever they find along the way, they’ll eat it.
Tropical Tortoises in Arid Areas
Typically, tropical tortoises in dry land enjoy eating plant stems, leaves, and grass. Some great examples of tropical tortoises in arid areas are the Sulcata tortoise, Indian star tortoise, and Leopard tortoise.
Tropical Tortoises in the Jungle
Most often, these species can be seen in dense rainforests where the food is bounty. Hence, they can enjoy eating a wide variety of plants and fruits. Yellow-footed tortoises and Red-footed tortoises are some great examples of species that can be seen in the jungle.
Mediterranean Tortoises
You can find Mediterranean tortoises in the grasslands. Here, they can graze on succulents and shrubs. Hermann’s tortoises, Russian tortoises, Spur thighed tortoises, and Marginated tortoises are some examples of Mediterranean tortoises.
How To Feed Your Tortoise
Although we know the kind of food that these tortoises like to eat in the wild, we don’t know how to relate this to the food we have at home. The good news is researchers have been doing some studies to understand the essential nutrients that are needed by tortoises. Having this knowledge can help us choose the food that we will buy for our tortoises. In addition, we can also avoid giving them foods that are not good for them. So, don’t just give them any food that can be found in your home or garden.
What Are the Foods That You Can Feed to Your Tortoise?
Since their diets vary greatly, let’s make it more detailed to guarantee that you can provide your pet tortoise with the best care possible. Before considering bringing home a tortoise with you, be sure to do your homework to ensure that you can give them all the things that they need. You should be committed to your new role as a tortoise parent.
Leopard Tortoise
Leopard tortoises require a high-fiber diet, which is why their staple food is grass hay. Additionally, you can also feed them with a variety of weeds such as clover, sowthistles, and plantain weeds. Since they need vitamins, you can feed these tortoises with dark leafy greens. Leopard tortoises also love to eat herbs such as mint, parsley, and coriander.
During a warm summer day, you can simply let your tortoise roam around your garden so they can enjoy grazing on the grass. However, you should watch your tortoise closely to prevent them from eating anything that is toxic. It’s fine to feed them with a small portion of fruit as part of their diet. You can give them berries for their treats.
Red-Footed Tortoise
Even though Red-Footed tortoises are classified as omnivores, it is recommended that you should feed them with fruits, vegetables, flowers, and greens as part of their main diet. In addition, you can also feed them with hibiscus flowers, mustard greens, dandelions, and any other leafy greens.
Unlike other tortoise species, the Red-Footed tortoises need more protein. That is why it is advisable that you feed these tropical tortoises with mealworms or a tortoise pellet as a supplement. It is also ok to feed them with a little more fruit. Hence, you can give them apples or some berries for their treats. These species can also eat broccoli, butternut squash, and some peppers.
Sulcata Tortoise
Considered as the third largest tortoise species around the world, Sulcata tortoises are typically grazers, hence, they enjoy eating a wide range of plant stems and grasses.
To guarantee that your tortoise can get the right nutrition, you can feed them with grass, alfalfa, and dark leafy greens. These tropical tortoises also like to eat prickly pear cactus and dandelions. So, be sure to add them to their diet. To guarantee that they can obtain the essential nutrients and prevent any health issues, you can feed them with specially formulated tortoise foods as a supplement.
Just like the other tortoise species that we mentioned above, you can also feed your Sulcata tortoise with a small portion of fruits, like berries, melons, or apples. Most likely, they’ll love its taste, however, be careful since too much sugar content could be harmful to them.
Hermann’s Tortoise
When they are in the wild, these species consume some animal protein occasionally. Hence, it won’t do any harm if you give them some dog food. Nevertheless, it is still recommended that you should feed them with vegetables. If their diet can already provide them with the necessary nutrients that they need, then it’s not necessary that you should give them any additional protein.
When choosing weeds and grass, make sure that they are rich in fiber. For instance, collard greens, dandelion leaves, and parsley. For additional fiber, you can also give them alfalfa. An excellent source of hydration is cacti, unfortunately, this is not always available.
Other foods that you can add to their diet are cabbage leaves, butternut squash, and peppers. Be careful when giving them fruits since Mediterranean tortoises can’t digest too much of them. Just offer it to them once every couple of weeks.
Russian Tortoise
Among the tortoise species, the Russian tortoises are the most preferred pet tortoises across the globe. When these species are living in their natural habitat, most likely, they are grazing on plant stems, succulents, and grasses. This is great since you can easily do this in your home.
Let your Russian tortoise graze in your garden so they can eat clover and dandelions, as well as bramble leaves, plantain, and chickweed. You can also purchase a bag of kale in the supermarkets and add this to their diet. You can also give them baby leaf salad. Occasionally, you can give them cauliflower, broccoli, and some peppers. For their treats, you can give them melon or strawberries.
Rules to Follow When Feeding Your Tortoise
Regardless of whether your pet tortoise is not included in the ones mentioned above, there are some things that you need to consider when it comes to feeding your tortoise. When purchasing plants and vegetables, make sure that there are no chemicals used in growing them. Most often, there is more sugar content in commercially grown fruits than in naturally grown.
So, as much as possible do not give them too much fruit. If you do not know what kind of plant you have in your garden, ask an expert, or just don’t give it to them. There is a wide variety of plants that tortoises can it, hence, it would be nice if you could mix them up a bit.
When you feed your tortoises, don’t just think about maintaining their healthy weight. You also need to take note of their hydration, beak management, and shell growth. Get rid of all the leftovers and always feed them fresh food.
At Kapidolo Farms, you can find a wide variety of food and diet items for tortoises. For more information about our products, you can email us at kapidolofarms@gmail.com or call us at 215-483-7675.
