Tortoises should only eat fruit occasionally as its high sugar content should only comprise 10% of their diet.
Tortoises need UVB bulbs in order to convert their food into Vitamin D3, otherwise they could develop serious bone and shell issues. Food should preferably be fresh and low in fat.
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Grass
Star tortoises in their natural environments will typically feed on grasses and weeds for an excellent source of fiber that aids with digestion and energy production. A diet rich in fibre, calcium and low in protein such as meat products or beans should be prioritized for health benefits in tortoise diets.
Malacochersus tornieri) tortoises are desert-dwelling species that naturally consume vegetation and dry grasses found nearby. While feeding this tortoise too many soft foods or fruit can lead to digestive issues in captivity. For optimal care it should only receive soft foods once or twice each week mixed in with leafy greens, good-quality pellet diet and mineral supplement. Incorporating grass as part of its diet (cellulose breaks down into carbohydrates and fats when digested by their hindgut),.
Greens
In the wild, this tortoise typically inhabits arid and thorny grassland habitats and feeds on grasses from these areas. Additionally, they enjoy eating fruit from spineless prickly pear cacti (Opuntia spp) as well as flowers and leaves from other thorny plants and succulents – especially fruit from spineless prickly pear cacti that produce pads, or fruit of other spineless prickly pear cacti (Opuntia spp).
Avoid feeding it plants that contain high concentrations of oxalic acid, such as kale and spinach, which could result in calcium deficiencies. Instead, provide dandelions, clover flowers, hibiscus flowers and sedum for better calcium absorption.
Additionally, to increase its fiber intake it’s a good idea to provide salad-style hays like Bermuda, Timothy and orchard hay along with dried sow thistle and plantain weeds from sow thistle and plantain plants. Furthermore, offering fresh greens such as endive, escarole, frisee red leaf lettuce romaine sprinkled with calcium twice weekly and vitamin D3 powder will boost their nutrition as will dandelion and watercress (ditch cabbage due to its goitrogen content which could lead to liver and kidney damage over time). Finally dandelion and watercress should not be fed due its goitrogen content that may cause liver or kidney damage over time.
Vegetables
Indian Star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) are grazers and will consume various types of high fiber grasses and weeds as well as removed spined cacti pads, sedges, mallow, and hibiscus flowers and leaves as food sources. If safe they may also eat some berries such as grape vine leaves with no grape fruit attached (not even fruits like mulberry!), coreopsis yarrow or rose mallow. Garden flowers like dandelions and hawkbit can also be offered while buttercup and Ragwort seeds should never be fed as these seeds can contain harmful plant material that should never be fed as food sources!
Grocery store greens should be combined with dried weeds and sedum to enhance fiber intake, similar to how tortoises feed in their natural environments. Hay cubes or pellets sourced from timothy or orchard may be added as additional food in pet store hay and rabbit sections by first being soaked to soften.
Fruits
Star tortoises are predominantly herbivorous creatures and should be provided with herbs, grasses, weeds and dark leafy greens to eat. Their diet should also contain plenty of fiber rich with calcium for optimal health. Fresh vegetables and fruits may be offered occasionally if available; meat products or foods high in oxalic acid should not be given.
These animals do best in an outdoor pen with direct access to sunlight; otherwise, their pen should be equipped with UVB lights during daylight hours for added illumination.
Additionally to the foods listed above, your tortoise may enjoy snacking on various weeds, grasses and flowers that are safe to eat such as dandelions (leaves and flowers), hibiscus leaves and flowers, sedum, hosta mallow petunia leaves roses and ice plant. They may even enjoy snacking on spineless cactus pads carrots zucchini. Mix these up with grocery store or salad style hay to increase fiber intake for increased nutrition.
