Tortoise Food
Tortoise Food, What's Proper And What Isn't
On the surface, finding the right kind of tortoise food to feed your pet or pets doesn't seem like much of a problem. The tortoise is somewhat of an opportunistic feeder, so there are a very wide variety of food items that will make good choices. In fact, a healthy tortoise is one who eats a variety of food items, not just a few. If your offering of tortoise food consists of the same few items day after day, the tortoise will soon develop the habit of eating only those items and won't touch anything else. That might be all right if the items chosen give the tortoise all the nutrients it needs, but providing a wider variety of tortoise food is a better approach.
There are a few rules of thumb one can follow to help in giving your tortoise a well balanced and healthy diet. Remember, this is an animal that could in some cases outlive you, and you want it to have a quality life and not suffer chronic ailments due to a substandard diet. Feeding young tortoises the right food is especially important, as it is needed to promote healthy shell growth.
Lots Of Calcium - Healthy shell growth means calcium, and plenty of it. That's the first rule of thumb. A tortoise can usually get the calcium it needs from a diet of vegetables, and almost certainly from commercial tortoise food. In some cases a calcium supplement may be needed, usually provided by sprinkling calcium powder or calcium carbonate on the tortoise's food.
Minimize Protein - The second rule of thumb is to avoid protein. Vegetables contain protein of course, but usually in small amounts that won't harm the tortoise. Too much of any high protein vegetable is best avoided however. We get most of our protein from dairy products and meat, which the tortoise doesn't need and should not have. The reason for keeping the amount of protein ingested low is that protein interferes with the tortoise's ability to absorb calcium. Too much protein can result in poor growth of a young tortoise, and is a cause of soft shells or misshapen shells in both young and mature tortoises. A misshapen shell is almost a guarantee that a tortoise will not enjoy a high quality life.
“Normal Food” Only - The third rule of thumb - if it won't grow in the wild, don't feed it to the tortoise. Most vegetables we have in the garden will grow in the wild. Some may be a bit undersized or scrawny, but they will grow, and the tortoise will eat them. Dog food, cat chow, corn chips and Oreo cookies don't grow in the wild, so don't belong in a tortoise's food dish. Meat and fish don't either.
A few sea-going turtles eat jellyfish and other fish, but you terrestrial tortoise does not and should not.
It's Mostly About Vegetables - These then, are some of the main things, which if you keep them in mind, will help in maintaining your pet's health. Though a variety of food items should be fed a tortoise, the animal is not a waste dump, and should not be a solution for getting rid of table scraps. A diet of 95% vegetables is best. Lettuce and cucumbers are fine but low on nutrition. Dark leafy green vegetables are preferable. Look for vegetables high in fiber, rich in calcium, vitamins and other minerals. Avoid or minimize high protein vegetables such as peas and sweet corn.
Fruit OK, Just Not Too Much - Fruit is fine, your tortoise will love you for it, but it can be addictive, especially bananas. Too much fruit can cause fungal problems in the gut which can be detrimental to a tortoise's health. No more than about 5% of the diet should be fruit, so save it for a special treat. There are a number of wild plants that are good for the tortoise. Clover and dandelions are especially well liked. In the wild, the tortoise will normally avoid anything that is toxic. A little knowledge combined with some common sense (no corn chips) should make it easy to provide your tortoise with a tasty and healthy diet.