Red Footed Tortoises need a healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables to stay happy and contented.
Turnip greens (with an excellent calcium to phosphorus ratio), dandelion greens, cactus pads and collard greens make ideal staple foods for tortoises in most climates. In addition, these plants contain beta carotene, lutein and polyphenols for maximum health benefits.
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Vegetables
Red footed tortoises are predominantly herbivorous animals, and their diet should include fruits, flowers, vegetables and hay. Since they thrive best in tropical environments, it is crucial that their enclosure maintain high levels of humidity. You can achieve this by misting cypress bark, orchid bark or damp sphagnum moss substrates throughout the day in order to keep all upper levels moist and alive.
Your tortoise needs a diet rich in low-calorie greens such as collards, mustard greens, dandelion greens, watercress, romaine lettuce and kale. Spinach can sometimes get bad press for its high oxalates content but may still be included as part of a balanced, varied diet plan.
Tortoises should consume an abundance of fruits and vegetables in their diet, with an occasional protein source (grubs or low-fat dry dog food being good choices) being provided every two weeks. You could also provide their pet with some shitake mushrooms once every week or so for added protein boost!
Fruits
Red footed tortoises in the wild are predominantly herbivorous animals that consume leaves, grasses, flowers and fruits for sustenance. Additionally they consume small amounts of animal matter such as carrion or invertebrates as food sources.
A balanced diet should consist of a selection of high calcium, low oxalate greens as well as fruits and vegetables containing calcium such as collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, turnip roots, collard greens mustard greens turnip roots collard greens mustard turnip turnip turnip greens kale collard endive escarole Swiss chard parsley while avoiding low calcium greens such as iceberg lettuce or other low calcium greens.
Spinach often gets bad press, but it shouldn’t be viewed as an issue when eaten as part of a healthy diet. Although spinach contains oxalates which bind with calcium in food sources such as dairy products or fortified cereals, these should only be consumed occasionally or combined with other food items to ensure optimal consumption.
Provide an array of fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, melons, grapes and carrots; mushrooms can also be great sources of protein. Provide rocks, driftwood and potted or fake plants (real or fake) to add enrichment and enrich their environment; red footed tortoises love wallow in mud for health benefits!
Insects
Red footed tortoises are omnivorous animals that feed on all forms of plant matter including fruits, seeds, flowers and leafy greens. Their diet should contain plenty of calcium and Vitamin D. Make sure their enclosure has an appropriate substrate such as orchid bark, cypress mulch or sphagnum moss to retain moisture and allow digging traction.
Your tortoise needs a variety of vegetables and fruit at every meal, with one protein source such as earthworms or freeze-dried mealworms once every week as a protein source. Together these should make up about 80% of their diet.
Red Footed Tortoises in the wild may supplement their diet with insects such as grubs and crickets; however, these should only be fed occasionally as treats rather than part of its daily food regimen due to being high in phosphorous and potentially inhibiting calcium absorption. Furthermore, these foods often contain phytate which binds with iron, zinc, manganese, calcium, etc. slowing their absorption.
Mushrooms
Red Footed Tortoises feed on an assortment of fruits, vegetables, flowers and insects; in addition to eating fungi, leaves, stems roots and carrion. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo they receive specially formulated tortoise food that includes an ideal balance of cellulose carbohydrates protein minerals and other nutritional needs.
Though providing your tortoise with a varied diet is important, especially foods high in calcium and low in phosphorus are crucial as this inhibits calcium absorption and may cause skeletal issues.
Many vegetables, including carrots and kale, provide excellent sources of vegetable protein for tortoises; however, these plants often contain high concentrations of oxalates that may lead to kidney issues in tortoises.
Mushrooms provide an excellent source of protein that most tortoises readily accept as food, being widely available and safe to eat when cooked. Incorporating rocks, drift wood and plants (potted or faux) into your enclosure to offer enrichment; not only will these items add visual interest, but they may provide hiding spaces and hideouts for young tortoises as well.
