Tortoises are opportunistic browsers and in the wild will consume an array of plants. Some flowers and fruits should be avoided due to being toxic for tortoises.
Tortoises in captivity should primarily eat dark leafy greens and weeds for food. Fresh water is equally essential, and we advise soaking your tortoise twice each week for 10-15 minutes in freshwater baths.
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Mediterranean Tortoises
Mediterranean tortoises (Hermann’s, Graeca and Ibera) live impressively long lives when kept as pets – up to 60 years or longer when kept indoors! Their longevity can be attributed to a diet low in protein but high in fiber that meets their biological requirements; high fat foods should be avoided since these creatures store excess fat in peristaltic cysts that infiltrate key organs of their bodies.
Tortoises require a diet rich in both fiber and vitamins for healthy development and parasite prevention. Fibre helps facilitate digestion while combining waste products into more soluble forms for disposal; additionally, it prevents internal parasites from multiplying aggressively. Vitamins play a key role in maintaining optimal growth rates across a variety of foods.
Wild Marginal Tortoises (Testudo marginata) are herbivorous creatures native to southern Europe that feed on grasses, herbs and weeds for sustenance. When kept as pets in captivity they should be fed grass hay/timothy hay along with various leafy vegetables as well as sow thistle for sowing thistle seedlings. As an extra treat add in succulents/cacti such as Prickly Pear Cacti or spineless Opuntia Cacti pads.
Tropical Tortoises
Tropical tortoises may occasionally consume insects or slugs as food sources; however, in general they should consume an herbivorous diet consisting of store bought salad mixes and an assortment of leafy greens such as kale or rocket.
Ideal tortoise diets should mimic wild foraging as closely as possible. This means feeding them grasses and dark-leafed vegetables like sow thistle, dandelion leaves and hibiscus flowers as well as fruit and hay – although citrus fruits should be avoided as these contain high levels of sugar and citric acid that could potentially cause intestinal issues in tortoises.
Your pet should eat a variety of vegetables such as carrots, peppers, squash, turnip greens and Jerusalem artichokes for optimal nutrition. Incorporating some “lumpier” vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower can also help diversify his or her diet but should not form the basis of its nutrition plan.
Hermann’s Tortoises
Hermann’s tortoises are one of the most popular species kept as pets. Omnivorous in diet, these tortoises primarily consume plants such as dandelions and clover; as well as earthworms, snails, slugs, berries grasses herbs.
Hermann’s Tortoises are polygynous animals and breed once each year in late February after emerging from hibernation. Females select potential partners through scent and visual signals while males use high-pitched calls and aggressive ramming tactics to find suitable partners.
Hermann’s Tortoises are active tortoises that enjoy basking and digging. Their shells typically feature bright orange hues with bold black markings. Unique to Hermann’s Tortoises is their plastron having a longer suture than pectoral scutes; another characteristic found only with these tortoises. Although Hermann’s Tortoises don’t typically like being handled, with patience and proper setup/diet they can become used to being handled easily. They are good scavengers so it’s best that fresh fruits/veggies should also be provided.
Jungle Tortoises
Tortoises found in rainforests and other jungle environments typically feed on an array of plant material that changes with seasons, from leaves and flowers to fruits and succulents. Tortoise species typically live as browsers who will ingest many types of plant life including leafy greens, flowers, fruits and succulents.
As a general guideline, these tortoises should receive an assortment of leafy greens such as dandelion leaves, endive, mustard greens, dark lettuce collard greens and turnip greens. You should also provide grasses such as timothy and oat hay alfalfa plus dandelion and clover pellets as additional sources of protein and fibre. You could also offer your tortoise some extra vitamins by providing additional meals like Mazuri LS Tortoise Food or Zoo Med Grassland Tortoise Food on a weekly basis to provide extra fibre boost.
Fruits such as hibiscus flowers and leaves, mallow, and berries should also be served, though in moderation as these sources of nourishment contain higher amounts of sugar than vegetables do.
