Tortoises, especially giant sulcatas, tend to favor green grasses and dandelions for food. Desert plants such as prickly pear cacti or hibiscus leaves may also prove valuable sources.
Tortoises also require fresh, filtered water on a daily basis; you may also wish to offer them some cuttlebone or calcium powder that has been specially made for tortoises as an aid in their well-being.
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Herbs
Boredom in tortoises can result from feeding them the same things every day, so experimenting with various plants and vegetables to add variety. Furthermore, it’s essential that owners understand what can stress out their tortoise, including rough handling, overcrowded habitat and improper food selection.
Leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis) are herbivorous creatures that require a diet rich in a source of fiber like grass hay and broad leafy weeds such as dandelions, plantain weeds, sow thistles and clover as food sources. Other treats may include coriander and mint leaves as well as hibiscus flowers as treats for these tortoises.
Feed them the Mazuri LS Tortoise Diet or Zoo Med Grassland Tortoise Food to supplement their grass and weed diet, along with dark leafy greens like arugula, watercress, endive, escarole collard greens turnip greens mustard greens cilantro or romaine lettuce for maximum benefit. Lumpier vegetables such as peppers or squash should only be offered occasionally as treats; not as part of their regular meal.
Grass
Tortoises that live outdoors should consume grass and weeds as the staple diet, with species such as the giant sulcata tortoise grazing on dandelion leaves and flowers, sow thistle, clover, and opuntia (commonly referred to as mission or nopal cacti).
Shop-bought salad items such as curly endive, kale and rocket are nutritious additions to a tortoise’s diet; however, light lettuces such as iceberg lettuce lack significant nutritional value and should be avoided.
Grass and leafy greens may also be supplemented with wild leaves, flowers and weeds such as hibiscus leaves, flowering sow thistle and bramble leaves – offering tortoises the occasional nopal cactus as it provides both calcium and fibre benefits.
Weeds
Tortoises in their natural habitat graze on grass, clovers, dandelions and hibiscus flowers; when kept in captivity it is beneficial to provide them with these foods in addition to spring mixes, kale or collard greens as well as flowers from your garden or other safe outdoor plants.
Avoid giving your turtle any plants known to be toxic, like buttercups, daffodils and foxgloves that contain alkaloid that could lead to alkaloid poisoning. Also try and limit citrus fruits as their high sugar content could pose health issues for him or her.
Store bought salad mixes can make an ideal complement to the diet of your tortoise as long as they do not contain excessive levels of sugar, preservatives or chemicals – however fresh vegetables will always provide them with optimal nourishment.
Vegetables
Tortoises are predominantly herbivorous animals and require plenty of leafy green vegetables in their diet to stay healthy. A little protein is beneficial as well, and they should receive meats and fish along with weekly dosages of calcium powder. Beware of feeding your tortoise citrus fruits that contain too much acidic fruit juices or high concentrations of sugars!
A tortoise diet should include both shop bought and homegrown vegetables to satisfy its leafy green requirements, including dandelion flowers and leaves, clover, sow thistle seeds and bramble leaves (but nothing too prickly), with additional sources like hibiscus flowers or Opuntia/cactus plants to mimic natural foraging behaviors in its hunt for nutritious foods.
Fruits
Tortoises must have a varied diet in order to receive all of the required nutrients, which often includes herbs, grasses, weeds and vegetables as well as fruits or commercial tortoise food.
Arugula makes an ideal diet choice for Mediterranean tortoises, red-footed tortoises and sulcata tortoises as it contains vitamins A and C as well as iron, calcium, potassium magnesium phosphorus. Kale, bok choy and collard greens should be avoided due to high concentrations of oxalic acid content.
Most tortoise species can safely consume small amounts of fruit; however, overeating may result in health issues like diarrhea. Cuttlebone is another source of calcium for tortoises to chew on; many pet stores sell calcium powder that can be lightly dusted over regular food items for additional calcium supplementation.
