Horsefield tortoises in the wild are herbivores and should be fed a diet consisting of grasses, weeds, and leafy greens as their main food source. Fruit such as plantains or figs should make up about 10% of their diet.
Avoid depending on supermarket vegetables and fruits too heavily as these often lack sufficient fibre levels and contain too much sugar, potentially leading to pyramiding – a condition in which your pet develops bumpy and irregular shell growth.
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Vegetables
Horsefield tortoises usually eat leafy vegetables and some fruits, as well as no meat or legumes (these foods can be toxic to them), though iceberg lettuce should be avoided because its lack of nutrition means she will consume less nutritious foods that you have offered her.
Instead, offer your pet a selection of store bought salad mixes and dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, rocket and baby leaf mixtures from grocery stores. Sow thistles, broad-leaf plantain weeds clover succulents cactus pads without spines as well as aloe vera in addition to grass and hay as treats for additional enjoyment.
Fruits
Tortoises enjoy burrowing items into their substrate (fertilizer-free top soil mixed with play sand is ideal). This will help prevent impaction.
Offer vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals such as dandelion greens, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, parsley, escarole, sow thistles and clover; additionally provide aloe vera as well as spineless cacti pads (prickly pears).
Add fruits to a mostly vegetable diet for extra variety and sprinkle calcium powder or blocks on their food daily to provide them with adequate UV lighting and vitamin D3. Vitamin deficiencies may lead to MBD or shell disease in crabs.
Weeds
Testudo tortoises living in the wild feed on various plants/weeds throughout their daily activity to get all of the essential vitamins and nutrients they require for good health.
Safe weeds include plantains, dandelion leaves and flowers, mallow, sow-thistle, chickweed catsears and hibiscus flowers; even clovers can be eaten safely.
Some pet stores sell premade tortoise mixes that may lead to poisoned tortoises, yet reports of poisoned tortoises continue to increase.
An alternative approach would be to use a tortoise seed mix specifically formulated for their species, with all the essential vitamins and minerals included. These kits can be found from multiple suppliers with full growing instructions included.
Flowers
Tortoises require a diet rich in calcium-rich plants such as dandelion leaves and flowers for sustenance, sow thistles, clover, plantain weeds, broadleaf weeds and nasturtiums are among the many others that should also be considered sources.
Growing basil can be done both inside and outdoors; starter kits provide all of the seeds, propagator and nutrients required for optimal growth if necessary – perfect if there aren’t suitable plants growing nearby – including calcium powder which should be distributed daily as part of this kit.
Pellets
Tortoises require access to clean, fresh water at all times; they will also glean some from foods, such as lettuce.
An important key to a healthy tortoise diet is restricting protein consumption – even from sources like insects. Too much animal protein could hinder their natural digestive processes.
Overfeeding can result in pyramiding, an unwelcome condition which results in bumpy and abnormal shell growth. A proper diet can help avoid this situation.
Calcium blocks can provide your tortoise with essential nutrition. They’re also great chew toys and help prevent their beak from over-growing!
Calcium Powder
Ideal tortoise diet should consist of non-toxic weeds and flowers, leafy vegetables and complete pellets from reptile specialists. Fruit may also be provided, though too much fruit could lead to illness or even death if consumed excessively.
Tortoises that do not get enough calcium through their food can develop MBD or shell disease, so supplement use should be sparing. Avoid bone meal supplements as these contain phosphorous that could negatively impact their diet; instead a weekly general mineral supplement containing calcium, vitamin D3 and other vitamins might be best.
