Many tortoises can live off of grasses, weeds, flowers and greens alone; however, some keepers provide commercial pellets as nutritional insurance against potential deficiencies.
Cheese, hard-boiled eggs, ice cream and monkey chow are unnatural items that could pose health risks to tortoises. Instead, feed tortoises foods more similar to what they would find in nature.
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Leafy Green Vegetables
Tortoises in general require leafy greens as part of their diet, including cabbage leaves, kale, collard greens, turnip greens and dandelions for optimal nutrition. Alternating these combinations every few days ensures balanced nutrition for their species.
Tortoise keepers often offer other foods to their tortoises such as mushrooms – typically shiitake or portabella varieties – and red-leaf Swiss chard, in addition to vegetables listed above. Be wary of feeding any plants which could be toxic; refer to our HELPFUL LINKS section for lists of harmful plants.
Desert Tortoises (Testudo kleinmanni) can be seen eating grasses, weeds and herbs in its native habitat, so to replicate this experience at home provide your tortoise with grassy greens, endive leaves, turnip greens mustard greens romaine lettuce etc. Additionally it is important to add commercial tortoise foods like Mazuri LS Tortoise Diet or Zoo Med Natural Grassland Tortoise Food as these will provide additional proteins and vitamins required by their tortoise for optimal health ensuring your tortoise will get all of their necessary nutrition needs from its food sources combined together!
Fruits
Tortoises have evolved as survivalists since dinosaur times, which has instilled them with an instinct to feed whenever possible. By grazing for food they gain access to essential vitamins, raw fiber and minerals for proper nourishment.
Tortoises should be fed dandelion leaves, spineless cacti pads with narrow-leaf plantain leaves and bamboo shoots as leafy greens. Parsley, oregano and artichoke leaves should also be included among their diet; and cilantro (commonly known as coriander) in limited amounts since its high oxalic acid levels could potentially cause long-term kidney damage.
Additional foods to include in their diet may include collard greens, turnip greens and chicory. It is advised to rotate these between feeding sessions in order to prevent food rot and ensure your tortoise receives a balanced diet. It is also advisable to limit their protein consumption to no more than 5% of their overall dietary requirements as too much protein intake could lead to fatty liver disease in them.
Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish is an excellent source of calcium and an easy way to provide tortoises with extra nutrition. Incorporating it into their natural diet provides additional vitamins and minerals not readily accessible through other sources.
Before giving the cuttlefish bone to your tortoise, it’s best to sanitize and boil it, making digestibility much simpler for him or her. Boiling also removes any potential mercury contamination.
Testudos tortoises live their lives feeding on low-calcium foods like snail shells, bones and limestone rock pieces discarded from other animals – occasionally even eating eggshells! Without enough sources of calcium to support metabolic bone disease symptoms can include soft, fragile shells which lack energy and vitality – ultimately leading to shell failure, lack of energy and vitality as well.
An alternative to cuttlefish, tortoise and turtle blocks can be found at most pet stores. These blocks typically feature reptile calcium powder as well as vitamin D for added benefit.
Meat
There is a wide selection of pre-made tortoise foods on the market. It is wise to seek advice from your breeder, veterinarian or local pet shop in order to select an appropriate diet for your tortoise.
Tortoises generally receive most of the nutrition they need from their natural surroundings; however, different species require specific plants in order to meet their dietary requirements.
Tortoises are classified as omnivores, so they need an omnivorous diet of leaves, flowers, fruits and vegetables such as brassica family vegetables (kale, collard greens and turnip) as well as fruits like hibiscus and strawberries to thrive. Limit banana consumption as they contain high levels of sugar. Tortoises should receive adequate calcium and vitamin D3 supplementation; commercial calcium powders that heavily coat food could potentially prove fatal for tortoises suffering from deficiencies.
