An effective tortoise nutrition requires extensive knowledge. This requires understanding what species is being fed and its environmental factors; in addition to having a working knowledge of food chemistry and vitamin and mineral trace element metabolisms.
There’s a lot of false information floating around, leading many people to feed their tortoises food that could potentially harm them.
Contents
Feeding Instructions
Tortoises of Testudo species such as Hermann’s, Greek, marginated or Russian tortoises need a diet low in proteins but high in raw fibers and calcium for healthy skeletons and shells. Foods high in oxalic acid could bind with calcium absorption; goitrogens could interfere with thyroid activity furthermore.
Tortoises in the wild do not exclusively consume plants, and may eat some carrion and fruit occasionally, however these items should never be fed to tortoises as these foods will likely do more damage than good, particularly neonates who have yet to develop adequate eating habits.
Tropical rain forest species regularly consume snail shells, carrion and ripe fruits in their natural environment; yet many people advise against feeding these foods to terrestrial tortoises as this will likely cause digestive tract issues and promote parasite growth in their digestive system.
Ingredients
Wild tortoises graze on various kinds of leafy vegetation for sustenance. These natural foods provide essential vitamins and minerals essential for their wellbeing; commercial diets like those offered by T-Rex have been carefully crafted by professional nutritionists to offer your reptile complete and balanced food sources.
These pelleted diets contain high fiber and low fat contents to alleviate kidney strain on tortoises, while also being calcium fortified and featuring an abundance of soy protein for their wellbeing. Ingredients may include processed wheat middlings, oat hulls, corn, brewer’s yeast, soy protein alfalfa meal dicalcium phosphate cane molasses coconut oil salt propionic acid artificial flavors l-lysine choline chloride dl methionine dbiotin zinc oxide manganous oxide yucca extract bHT preservative; menadione sodium bisulfate complex (source of Vitamin K3); vitamin B12 supplements; and thiamine mononitrate.
These soft pellets have been specifically formulated as the primary diet for European grassland tortoises such as Hermann’s and Russians. Offering high fiber levels with minimal fat content, these soft pellets can easily be moistened before feeding to ensure optimal performance.
Nutritional Values
Tortoises in the wild graze on various leaves and vegetation to gain the nutrients they require; it may be challenging to recreate this in captivity; thus many keepers opt for premade diets for their pets instead.
Some experts contend that tortoises do not require prepared foods as part of their natural diet of grasses, weeds, flowers and greens; others believe supplement foods should be added for added nutrition and prevent nutritional deficiencies.
This t rex tortoise food is an extremely palatable and calcium fortified powder that can be dusted onto green leafy vegetables to provide your reptile with their favorite food source. Packed full of dietary fiber and moderate protein levels, as well as vitamin enriched ingredients like salt, choline chloride, cane molasses coconut fat DL methionine propionic acid natural flavors zinc oxide manganous oxide zinc oxide manganous oxide ascorbic acid ascorbic acid ascorbic acid ascorbic Acid ascorbic Acid ascorbic Acid ascorbic Acid ascorbic Acid), calcium pantothenate calcium iodate riboflavin sodium selenite folate and finally Thiamine mononitrate.
Storage
No other topic causes more muddle than diet when it comes to keeping tortoises, as each species of animal has specific requirements for sustenance.
Tortoises fed an insufficiently plant-rich diet may experience issues with poor growth rates and bone disease such as metaphyseal dysplasia.
Tortoises need access to ample UV-B radiation for basking, in order to synthesize vitamin D3, which allows them to absorb calcium from their food source and form strong bones. This is essential if they are to thrive as pets.
Natural herbivorous diets will usually provide a 2:1 calcium/phosphorus ratio or better. Supplementation with 2:1 products may help improve this ratio; however, supplements should only form part of their diet and should not be relied upon solely. In the wild, many tortoise species will consume snails and other invertebrates as food sources.
