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There is a great confusion, when it comes to feeding tortoises, many books have been written and misinformation and myths abound. This guide is a safe and simple basic diet that it can be developed and refined it will cause no harm to the animal and can be adapted to take in consideration specis, sex, age and any other environental factors.
Tortoises tend to be browsers, they will cover and consume many different types of food, this includes young french plants, old and dry varities depending on the time of season. Tortoises diet changes continually over the year from a farley high moisture and protein content in spring to a dry and often lower protein content later on in the year. When tortoises wander over a large area they eat a variety of foods which are well balanced and supplies essential minerals for reproduction and good bone development.
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Catsear
Hypochoeris
Hawkbit
Leontodon
Smooth Hawk's-beard
Crepis capillaris
Nipplewort
Lapsana communis
Chicory
Cichorium intybus
Smooth Sow thistle
Sonchus oleraceus
Great Plantain
Plantago major
Hoary Plantain
Plantago media
Ribwort Plantain
Plantago lanceolata
Common Mallow
Malva sylvestris
Musk Mallow
Malva moschata
Dwarf Mallow
Malva neglecta
Shepherd's purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Hairy Bittercress
Cardamine hirsuta
Wavy Bittercress
Cardamine flexuosa
White/Dutch clover
Trifolium repens
Red clover
Trifolium pratense
Common Vetch
Vicia sativa
Sainfoin
Onobrychis sativa
Creeping Bell-flower
Campanula rapunculoides
Field Bindweed
Convolvulus arvensis
Hedge Mustard
Sisymbrium officinale
Tortoises are found in areas where the soils are rich in calcuim and other essential trace elements, natural sunlight is required for them to internally synthesize vitamin - D3 without this calcium is useless for buliding bones. They need both UV-B radiation and radiant heat to achieve this the use of commercial diets (usually dried) should be avoided, they are usually high in protein and many contain high levels of sugar. The diet of the
YOUNG TORTOISES FEEDING
mediterranean tortoises consists of green vegatation which includes flowers, grasses and leaves. They do not eat any kind of meat if meat is given it can cause extremly high growth rates that result in some of the worst cases of metabolic bone diesease. It can also cause kidney diesease and urateus in the bladder. Mediterranean tortoises natural habitat and dietary needs should be taken into account when ever possible. Edible flowers and leaves such as mulberry and hibiscus are great, opunita cactus pads are rich in calcium and fibre. Try to use cuttlefish bone or a calcium block left in the enclosure for the tortoise to regulate the amount of calcium in there diet. Also you can sprinkle Nutrobal over there food daily as a supplement of vitamins and minerals.
