While formulating a diet for your pet, you must consider what the animal eats in its natural habitat to get its nutritional needs right.Tortoises are classified as grazers as they constantly keep moving from one place to another, however slowly that may be! They eat different foods along the way, and their natural diet depends on their area.One of the world’s slowest animals, also popular as the winner of the race with the hare (If you have read the story of the tortoise and the hare!)- the tortoise is quite an obedient pet to have. However, most pet owners face the dilemma of feeding the right food to the tortoise, and since tortoises don’t really have the luxury to run and make their snacks, we ought to be careful about what we give them to eat.The nutritional needs for every tortoise are different, and we mean every because each individual has its own physique and capacity, just like you and us. So in this article, we dive into the subject of dieting hacks and essentials for your tortoise and what they can eat, how much they can eat, and how often to give them to eat.If you are a turtle lover, then don’t forget to read, do take a look at can a tortoise swim and how long do tortoises live.What do pet tortoises like to eat?Almost all tortoises enjoy plants and grass no matter where they are, be it in the wild or at the house as a pet; fun fact: tortoises are, in fact, omnivorous! They are also known to eat snails, worms, fish, and other insects.While it’s important to stick to a diet that provides them with all necessary supplements, the tortoises still appreciate variety; after all, you’d hate eating the same kind of food every week, right? So let’s go through some pet essential food items to give your dear tortoise.Remember, it is always good to keep the diet regime of your pet tortoise as similar to that of wild tortoises to maintain authenticity. Starting from their plant-based diet, as mentioned before, give them as many leafy greens in their diet as possible. The tortoise’s diet should have about 80% of fresh vegetables, mustard greens, dandelions, and kale depending on the species. You could also toss in a little yellow bell pepper, squash, cauliflower, and sweet potato to feed your tortoise some tasty food. Fruits like kiwi, oranges, melon, and berries can make for 5% to 10% of a tortoise’s diet. Apart from these, alfalfa hay, timothy, and other commercial food can also be offered.Let’s see a couple of well-known tortoise breeds kept as pets and what they eat.The Sulcata tortoise is like a slow lawnmower whose diet consists primarily of grasses and weeds. A combination of grass and hay works well for the Sulcata tortoise, too, as they are pretty fond of playing with it. You can feed your tortoise with different varieties of weeds and grasses as that’s all that they enjoy.Another species of a tortoise called the leopard tortoise, have just the greens. The leopard tortoise diets on two-thirds to three-quarters of hay and grasses. In fact, did you know that the leopard tortoise has specifically evolved to eat the various grasses?When it comes to species of tortoise-like the Russian tortoise, they have a diet that’s less of grass for a change, but it certainly doesn’t mean it won’t eat plants. You can always feed fruits, flowers, and other greens like lettuce to the Russian tortoise too.Pet tortoises enjoy a few other foods, including oregano, collard greens, strawberry leaves, parsley, aloe, mulberry leaves, artichoke, raspberry leaves, and blackberry leaves. A lot of leaves, right? But if you or the tortoise is bored, then we suggest you go for an animal diet. Frozen dried fish, turtle pellets can be a fresh change for the turtle. For protein-induced diet feed, you can opt for mealworms or crickets.Although the quantity of each should start from a quarter-cup of fresh food, once the turtle is accustomed, you can gradually adjust the portion.What do tortoises eat in the wild and as pets?Tortoises are found across the world, which results in them having a varied diet. They are found to be living in a variety of habitats ranging from tropical and temperate forests to arid, harsh desserts. Different species such as tropical tortoises or Mediterranean tortoises have different diets but what’s common amongst all the tortoise species is that they all eat a variety of plants. Most species have evolved to consume different flowers, grass, fruits, and other local foods available in their ecosystem and adapt to seasonal changes.Along with tropical tortoises, tortoises hang out even in desserts; as we said, these animals could accustom themselves to a wide variety of environments. The desert tortoise is native to American Southwest and is a complete plant lover. Their diet encompasses desert grass, leafy plants, and other natural flowers available. They are also popular as pets, but many people feed them with store-bought products, which is a strict no! If you want a healthy tortoise as your pet, ensure the tortoise diet is full of high fiber dark leafy greens, such as collard greens, parsley, kale, and spinach. For all such pet tortoises, it is crucial that you feed it a diet as close to its eating habits in the wild.To feed your pets, a healthy diet consisting of ample leafy greens such as lettuce, weeds, and even grasses would do good. Some even feed them vegetables that provide the tortoises with their essential nutritional supplements. However, most tortoise parents make the mistake of feeding their pet tortoise with lots and lots of fruits that the tortoise would readily eat. The sweet-smelling offerings are almost like treats to this animal but remember these fruits contain too much sugar that’s more than necessary for the tortoise, and a high sugar diet can cause chronic organ failure. Therefore the right mix of every food variety should be the cornerstone of a tortoise’s diet.As pets, it is also essential to include a lot of calcium in their diet that makes up for their hard shell and the bony texture type of eggs that the female tortoise lay. Giving them collard greens or prickly pear cactus pads would provide them with this nutritional value.What’s the deal with calcium in tortoise diets?Have you ever wondered about the hard protective shell that the tortoises have? How is it so hard? Well, just like you, and we need our regular calcium supplement, the tortoise too needs his or her share of calcium in its diet. Added calcium is as essential as any other food, and it is the answer to the gorgeous, protective shell that a turtle has.A healthy and robust body would help your pet tortoise digest different plants, vegetables, and flowers, and guess what helps in this process? Calcium! Along with this supplement, ample natural sunlight and UVB should also be given to the tortoises with less phosphorous as it can eventually block calcium absorption. Therefore get phosphorus-free calcium to provide that also has vitamin D mixed in it; although turtles can harness vitamin D from the sun but not every area gets an ample amount of sunlight.If you have a pregnant tortoise, then eating calcium for her is now all the more important because she needs extra calcium not only for her but also to help her eggs to develop healthily. Similarly, young tortoises require more amounts of calcium apart from vegetables, plants, and protein.To feed calcium in the daily food of tortoises, simply add calcium powders, and there are many options available in the market too. You can also consider feeding cuttlebone. It is a form of naturally occurring calcium that tortoises love chewing on, although not all tortoises eat it, so don’t be shocked if your tortoise dislikes it.Say if you don’t find a suitable form of calcium for your tortoise, or if you find it to be too pricey, then another alternative can be procuring calcium powder from a local pharmacy. Beware that not all these human edible powders are safe for tortoise consumption. Another option could be to feed calcium carbonate powder as its readily available and relatively cheap. Just ensure that the calcium powder contains some amounts of vitamin D, which is vital for the tortoise’s health.Potentially Dangerous Food For TortoisesWhile they may be tough on the outside, tortoises are quite the sensitive species on the inside. They need a diet that consists of a wide variety of vegetation and dark leafy greens, but there are some food items that you should altogether avoid feeding them.Foods such as beans and peas are potentially dangerous and should never be given to tortoises. These food items are extremely high in protein that can negatively impact a tortoise’s kidneys or liver. A variety of plants can also be harmful to the turtle, such as avocado, amaryllis, castor bean, and juniper. The list is quite big but be sure to ask a nursery specialist to help you identify more plants that can be dangerous for your turtle. It’s better to be sure than be in doubt, right?Other food items to avoid feeding the turtle would be grass-heavy diets except for species like the Aldabra tortoise, Galapagos tortoise, or Sulcata tortoise. These tortoises are adept at handling the high amounts of silica present in many kinds of grass, but not all species can handle it, so it’s best you don’t overdo it with grass foods.Fruit is another food item to be given in limited amounts and next to zero in the case of Mediterranean tortoises. Fruit is usually not fed to Mediterranean tortoises. Usually, tortoises in the tropical areas are found eating more of fruit diet as its easily available.How much should you feed a tortoise?Let us give you an easy hack to understand how much is not too much for your turtles. As a general guiding principle, regardless of the turtle kind, be it an Indian star tortoise or Hermann’s tortoise, you should always provide the greens at the same volume as the tortoise’s shell. Despite the fact that this approach is not the most precise for measuring foods, it is nonetheless recommended.Tortoises are avid grazers; thus, many experts suggest giving them plenty of food to eat all seven days of the week and simply removing the leftover foods. If you are keen on feeding pellet diets, then the recommended guidelines to feed the turtle will be provided on the packaging, so the correct amount to feed is crystal clear.If you observe significant weight loss or gain at any point in time, then adjust the meal margins accordingly and consult a vet if you are not sure you are meeting their nutritional requirements.How often should you feed a tortoise?This is a purely individualistic question as the interval to feed would depend on every tortoise according to his or her eating capacity. As a matter of fact, healthy tortoises eat every day but can also skip a meal or two. However, the general rule is to feed at least once a day for baby turtles and every other day for other tortoises.The interval of feeding the turtle also depends on the size of the meal. Many tortoise pet owners prefer to feed their tortoises several small nutrient-dense meals every few days and let them graze the rest of the time. Remember to remove the nasty old remains of vegetation from your yard before the turtles begin grazing. Usually, turtles have no specific mealtime when they eat in the wild, but it varies on the schedule you set for the tortoise when kept at home.Why is my tortoise not eating?There could be times when your turtles refuse to graze or eat, and the reasons for this behavior could be lots but for best care, always seek medical advice.Environmental factors like the amount of sunlight, surroundings temperature, or the terrain type make a considerable contribution towards tortoises behavior; so, for instance, if the weather is too cold, your tortoise would refuse even its most favorite treats!Alternatively, having intestinal parasites or respiratory infection could also be a possible cause for tortoises not eating their food which is why we recommend a visit to the vet to confirm a change in their feeding habits.The Difference Between Turtle And Tortoise DietsMost of us get trapped in the dilemma of using the word turtle or tortoise, but honestly, the only difference between the two terms is geography!Nothing scientific changes if we call a tortoise a turtle and vice versa. But here’s an important declaration: All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. Speaking of the diets the two have, both turtles and tortoises require plenty of minerals and nutrients to promote the growth of a healthy shell, but there are still differences in the food they consume.Tortoises are primarily herbivores with their diet depending on their age and species. They are inclined towards having a comprehensive diet consisting of grasses, fruits, leaves, vegetables, and weeds, whereas turtles are essentially omnivores. They eat a similar variety of plant foods that tortoises have, along with insects, worms, and even jellyfish! The animal part of the diet is a rich source of protein for the turtles.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what do tortoises eat? Then why not take a look at do tortoises hibernate? or Tortoise Facts.
While formulating a diet for your pet, you must consider what the animal eats in its natural habitat to get its nutritional needs right.
