Pet-tortoise.com : What Do Tortoises Eat?

As a pet owner, it is your responsibility to provide its nutritional needs.

You must know that tortoise comes in various species, and every specie differs in terms of nutritional value that it needs. One way to determine what kinds of food items a tortoise may eat is to know its natural habitat. Just remember that almost all of the tortoises are herbivores. Since they are herbivores, they only eat fruits and vegetables. Good examples of these herbivore tortoises are the Pancake tortoise from East Africa and the Red Foot from Southwestern America. The former eats selective fruits, green vegetables, and grasses. The latter eats sweet fruits like grapes, melons, and mangoes. It even consumes flowers like nasturtiums, hibiscus, and rose blossoms.

Another important thing to consider when talking about the nutritional needs of a tortoise is its age. Older tortoises don't need higher amount of protein from their foods, while younger and still growing ones should be fed with a considerable amount of protein-rich food items.

The general health status of a tortoise must also be considered. Keep in mind that there are food items that may worsen the condition of your pet. Good example of food that may help a sick tortoise to recover faster is the iceberg lettuce. The higher water content of this vegetable will help it not to be dehydrated.

Natural food sources are the ones that can provide vitamins and minerals to your tortoise pet, but you have to remember that these vitamins and minerals must be measured in order to maintain its good health. Another thing that can ensure the safety of your tortoise is the habitat or home that you provide for it. Its home must have enough supplies of freshwater, since it’s one thing that it needs for survival.

This goes to show that understanding the nutritional requirements as well as the basic needs of your tortoise is important. Always remember that there are different species of tortoises, so you must know what exactly yours. In this way, you will know what food items to feed.

Yes, almost all tortoises are herbivores, but it doesn't mean that you can feed anything to them as long as these foods are fruits and vegetables. Bear in mind that there are nutritional requirements that must be met. There are eight nutritional elements that must be present in the food that your tortoise will eat, so that it will be in great health condition at all times. These are namely; vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fiber, fats, carbohydrates, protein, and water.

The truth is, there are a lot of manufactured foods that you can feed to your pet. These foods are packed with vitamins and minerals that a tortoise may need, but you have to remember that there's nothing can beat the nutrition fresh fruits and vegetables can give. Fresh foods will also make every meal of your tortoise interesting and healthier.

Some of the fresh vegetables you can feed are the following:

Spinach

Kale

Broccoli

For fruits, these ones are worth feeding:

Blueberries

Blackberries

Peeled Banana

Apple

There's no way you will not know what kinds of foods your tortoise may eat for its good health if you will just try to know where it naturally resides. Always remember that there are nutritious foods that may not good for tortoises when consumed excessively. Some of these foods are those that belong to cabbage family. These can badly affect its body to absorb calcium as well as its proper thyroid functions.