Sulcata tortoises are herbivores and require a high-fiber, grass-based diet to thrive. Feeding them the wrong foods can cause them to grow too rapidly, develop an uneven shell and other health issues.
Avoid giving your toddlers oxalate-rich greens such as spinach, collard greens and beet greens. Instead, provide them with a variety of leafy vegetables like dandelion greens, turnip greens, kale or spring mixes.
Contents
Grass
Grass is an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals for tortoises’ health, as well as providing fiber which aids with regular digestion.
Many people overlook grass as an edible and nutritious part of a tortoise’s diet. It comes in various forms such as grass hays, timothy hay, or even weeds like dandelions and clover plants that can be fed to your pet.
Tortoises require grass for nutrition, as it provides them with essential minerals like calcium, vitamin C and iron as well as being high in water which aids with their hydration needs.
Clover
Clover is an ideal food choice for sulcata tortoises, as it supplies them with essential nutrients and minerals that support their wellbeing. Furthermore, clover helps the soil by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form which is accessible to plants.
Nitrates found in this food source can reduce the risk of renal failure and obesity for many tortoises, so it should only be fed sparingly as part of a balanced diet.
Tortoises need a steady source of grass for nutrition, with 75 percent being grass (Cynodon dactylon or Festuca arundinacea). Fresh-cut Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) or lawn fescue (Festuca arundinacea) both make excellent choices for this purpose.
Greens
Sulcata tortoises often eat greens as part of their diet. These plants provide essential vitamins and minerals for their wellbeing.
Additionally, they help prevent diseases in tortoises; however, only a portion of their diet should include them.
Sulcata tortoises are herbivores, meaning they eat a variety of plant materials like hay, grasses and weeds.
Your sulcata tortoise’s diet should include a significant portion of greens, as well as pellet foods and vegetables at around 10-15% daily.
Fruits
Fruits can be an excellent addition to your sulcata tortoise’s diet, but should only be given as occasional treats.
Sulcata tortoises are herbivores by nature and can digest a wide range of fruits and vegetables. However, there are some which they cannot digest properly, so these must be avoided at all costs.
Native to hot, dry regions of Africa, these animals have evolved to survive in arid conditions. To make the most of their environment, they excavate deep burrows and spend months underground.
Nuts
Sulcata tortoises are strictly vegetarians and in the wild they eat fibrous grasses and hays as well as some fruits and blossoms. When kept in captivity, pet sulcata tortoises can enjoy leafy greens like collards, mustard or red lettuce.
Sulcata tortoises can also eat various cactus pads, which provide calcium and iron. Furthermore, they require access to water for hydration; you can soaking baby tortoises twice a week in chin-deep water for 10-15 minutes.
Seeds
Seeds are an easy way to add variety and texture to your tortoise’s diet. You can offer them in small amounts on a regular basis.
Sulcata tortoises are herbivores, so their diet should consist primarily of high fiber grasses, hay, weeds or roughage. Additionally, a variety of vegetables and fruits can be provided.
Sulcata tortoises have difficulty digesting some fruits and vegetables, so they should not be given in large amounts. Fruits that contain animal protein like beans, peas or sprouts should also be avoided as these foods may lead to carapace deformity (pyramiding), urinary tract infections and shortened life spans.
