Hermann tortoises are a popular choice for homeowners looking to add a reptile to their home. These highly docile creatures don’t bite other tortoises, pets or humans and make excellent pets.
Hermann tortoises are herbivores, meaning they consume a high-fiber diet consisting of greens, fruits, vegetables and flowers. Furthermore, these tortoises require calcium and vitamin supplements for healthy development.
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Wild Diet
Wild tortoise diets consist of a diverse and balanced combination of food items. This diet may include grasses, flowers, weeds, fruits and vegetables.
Some species of tortoise are primarily herbivorous, while others occasionally consume insect and meat. Tortoises tend to be opportunistic feeders who will consume whatever they can find in their natural environment.
Tortoises in the wild typically feed on legumes such as alfalfa, clover, lespedeza and kudzu; grasses like johnsongrass, bluegrass, orchard grass and timothy; larger species may also browse cacti, bushes and shrubs for sustenance.
Tortoises typically don’t need much protein when they are young, but as they age it may become necessary to add some as part of a varied diet. Commercial pellet feeds can also be beneficial, though these must be used sparingly.
Reptile Diet
Hermann tortoises are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. Additionally, they enjoy fruits and insects in small amounts.
Herbivorous species make ideal pets for vegetarians and vegans. However, to ensure they get all of their necessary nutrients, herbal-eating species need supplements like pellets.
Pelleted diets have seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the last few years. Unfortunately, analysis of these foods reveals that some contain excessive levels of starches (up to 24%) and lack of dietary fiber.
Tortoises have not evolved to consume starch, so it would likely be inedible for them. Instead, commercially available high fiber pellets designed specifically for hoof stock and primates are a much better choice.
Herbivorous species of reptiles rely on fermentative digestion in their lower gastrointestinal tract to obtain energy, leading to long GI transit times and loose stools.
Herbivore Diet
Tortoises are omnivores and feed on a variety of foods. These include herbs and leaves as well as fruits and vegetables.
A tortoise’s diet is essential for their wellbeing and healthy growth. They require essential vitamins and minerals that promote the proper development of their shells and bones.
Tortoises require a certain amount of protein to stay strong and prevent deficiency diseases like pellagra, which can cause serious health issues for them.
Tortoises are primarily herbivores and feed on plants found in their natural environment. Common foods include dandelions, mustard greens and hibiscus flowers.
Vegetarian Diet
Hermann tortoises tend to be vegetarians and will feed on a variety of foods such as grasses, weeds, flowers and fruits. In the wild they may also consume leguminous plants like beans, clovers and wild lupines.
Herman tortoises require a variety of leafy greens in their diet to ensure they get enough calcium for strong bones and shells. Broadleaf weeds such as plaintains, white nettle, corn poppy, chickweed, bindweeds, hawkbit, viola’s beard, goat’s beard and nipplewort can all be utilized for this purpose.
When raising plant-based herbivores in captivity, it is essential to supplement their food with a calcium and vitamin fortified pellet such as Repashy Superveggie or Zoo Med Reptivite with D3 at each feeding. Doing this will ensure they get all of the essential nutrients they require for a long and healthy life in captivity.
