Greek tortoises are generally gentle reptiles and can form bonds with humans if all their needs are met, though being picked up may cause stress that could lead to respiratory infections or shell rot/metabolic bone disease.
Offer your tortoise a variety of foods in order to maintain as natural an environment as possible, such as:
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Grass
Greek tortoises need an abundance of fiber in their diet for digestion to function optimally, which grass can provide.
Tortoises require calcium, found primarily in grass. When they do not consume enough of this vital substance, their bodies begin sapping its reserves from their bones causing serious health issues including pyramiding.
Add to their diet with grasses and weeds native to their region, like dandelion greens, endive, kale and mustard greens; as well as removed spined cacti pads, turnip greens and wild strawberry leaves for variety. And provide a shallow dish of water for drinking and defecation purposes.
Greens
Greek tortoises found in the wild typically feast upon edible weeds and leafy greens like dandelion, parsley, clover, thistle, cat’s ear and wild strawberry for sustenance. While they do indulge in an occasional fruit snack (which should account for only 10% of their diet), this diet cannot contain too many sweet treats like fruits and berries.
Baby Greek tortoises must be provided with high levels of humidity to avoid dehydration, a leading cause of reptile mortality. Achieve this goal by maintaining a humid microclimate within their enclosures, along with daily water sprays over their substrate, along with providing them with shallow “puddles” of water for them to soak in using either a flower pot saucer or reptile water dish; Baby tortoises also enjoy using these shallow pools of water as defecation sites.
Fruits
Tortoises, both wild and domesticated, tend to be opportunistic feeders; they will eat anything they find available even if it may not be nutritionally sound.
Tortoises don’t know when they will have another meal; in nature they graze on low-calorie plants rich in vitamin A and fiber to feed on.
Strawberry, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are among the ideal fruits to provide to your tortoise; however, you should avoid offering any that contain high levels of oxalic acid, citric acid, or phosphorus as these could harm its health.
Provide your tortoise with dark leafy greens like kale, collards, bok choy, turnip greens, mustard or dandelion greens as part of its daily diet. They should make up most of its diet.
Commercial Pellets
Greek tortoises should receive most of their nutrients through vegetables; however, some owners choose to supplement with commercial pellet products that contain vitamins and minerals that might otherwise not be easily available in their diet.
Pellets should contain high fiber and low protein levels to mimic a grass-based diet and can be fed to both hatchlings and adults.
Greek tortoises are generally peaceful animals as long as their needs are being met, becoming very attached to their caretakers and often walking towards food! Like other reptiles, Greek tortoises are susceptible to diseases including respiratory infections, shell rot and parasite infestation; regular fecal examinations can help identify potential issues and help avoid complications later.
Mealworms
As with all tortoises, Greeks need a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D from natural foods as well as raw unprocessed produce, along with adequate amounts of protein and water to stay hydrated and thrive.
These animals generally depend on plants and grasses for nourishment in their wild environments; in captivity, this diet should make up most of its diet.
Fruit should only make up 10% or less of our diet, due to their high sugar content posing potential health concerns if consumed frequently.
Mealworms can provide your tortoise with an added boost of protein and other essential nutrients, adding variety to their diet and providing important protein sources. Mealworms come in various sizes that you can mix with their current food sources to increase variety.
