Desert tortoises are herbivores and feed on a wide range of plants. This includes wildflowers, grasses, weeds, leaves, fruits and buds.
Tortoises require a balanced diet with enough protein, calcium and vitamin D. These essential nutrients should make up the bulk of any tortoise’s nutrition plan.
Contents
Grasses and Weeds
Desert tortoises are herbivores that primarily feed on perennial and annual wildflowers such as lotus, wishbone bushes, desert dandelions, gilias, phacelias, locoweeds, spurges, blazing stars and some species of cactus.
Desert tortoises rely on plants for water and nutrition, as well as shelter during hot summer months. These plants also provide essential protection from UV rays.
Desert tortoises exist in a diverse landscape that includes rocky cliffs, riparian and wetland areas. Their survival depends on factors like weather conditions and plant species diversity that influence distribution and habitat use by tortoises; furthermore, human impacts to these environments have an extensive effect on desert tortoise ecology.
Greens
Desert tortoises primarily feed on grasses, weeds and dark greens; however they will also consume native plants like dandelions and opuntia cactus pads (prickly pears). Grasses and weeds make up 85% of their diet while native plants like dandelions make up 15%.
Commercial pellets and vegetables may be nutrient-rich, but for your pet tortoise it’s best to provide natural food items grown at home. Acceptable greens for your tortoise include collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, cilantro and parsley.
Fruits can be offered to them, but should not be consumed frequently as they contain high levels of sugar and may upset their stomachs. Instead, offer fresh vegetables like chard, cabbage, pumpkin or kale in moderation.
Fruits
Desert tortoises often feed on fruits from cacti in the desert. One of their favorites is prickly pear, which looks like an apple and grows near Dubai.
Fruits provide essential water and nutrients to tortoises. While they can also be offered as a special treat, keep their amount small.
Tortoises will eat a variety of flowers and plants in the wild, though they may avoid those which are poisonous to them. Plants such as foxglove (Digitalis), tulips, lilies and crocus bulbs have the potential for being toxic to tortoises.
Desert tortoises should be fed a diet consisting of 70 to 80 percent grasses and forbs. The remaining 20 percent can be provided with leafy greens as well as hard vegetables such as chicory, collards, kale or turnip greens.
Dairy Products
Desert tortoises should eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, worms and grasses as these natural sources are high in protein and provide essential dietary fibre and calcium.
Tortoises require both water and a varied diet to stay hydrated. They hydrate themselves through drinking as well as by absorbing moisture from plants they consume.
Some commercial foods are designed specifically for tortoises and contain all of the necessary nutrients they require. These typically come in pellet form, making them an excellent way to supplement your tortoise’s diet.
Dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurts can be given to tortoises in small amounts; however, they should not be offered daily since they contain too much sugar for your tortoise to digest properly and may lead to health issues like obesity.
Eggs
Desert tortoises feed on a wide range of natural plants, such as grasses, cacti, flowers and leaves.
Tortoises sometimes consume fruit and berries as part of their diet, but these should always be offered in moderation and never become an important component.
In the springtime, female tortoises dig nests to lay their eggs. After incubating for 90 to 120 days, these young tortoises must fend for themselves against predators such as coyotes, Gila monsters, ravens and kit foxes.
