I have worked with over 10 different species of tortoises and this is just a general list a more thorough list could be given if the species was known. Calcium is important for both turtles and tortoises. For every feeding, dust food with calcium lactate, carbonate, or gluconate. WHERE: Pick a shaded area that is easily accessible.Lay down slate floor tiles or inset stepping stones for placing food. Cabbage only in small amounts, no lettuce other than Romaine. 85% Vegetables. (Updated 01/14/13) This list is quite long. GREENS Most grocery stores have a decent selection of greens that redfoot tortoises readily eat. The problem is that bananas and similar plant material causes beak rot in many tortoises. Russian Tortoises are grazers and enjoy broad leaf plants. Other: Tortoises also like Timothy and alfalfa hay and commercial tortoise food. However this is the real world and not all tortoise keepers have access to "ideal" food. Every 1 to 2 weeks dust food with multivitamins ( If vitamin-fortified foods are not available). Important: No one care sheet can possibly cover all the variables in different localities that influence the care of our desert tortoises, as well as the ongoing discovery of new information. Tortoises can eat bananas and not directly die from eating them. And most pellets are not very good since they have too much protein for the tortoises you have. The nutritional needs between tortoises varies between species so in this article we'll delve deep into the subject. Ideally the greens should be organic and pesticide free. Since our tortoises don't have the luxury to run to the kitchen and grab a snack, we have to be careful about what to feed them. However for many , the ideal diet is just not available. Desert tortoises in the wild eat a diet with a high Ca:P (greater than 2:1) and a high % dry matter (often greater than 30% dry matter). They consume both animal and plant material in the wild. As you can see, most supermarket fruits and vegetables have a relatively low Ca:P ratio, a low % dry matter (high water content) and high protein. Desert tortoises can grow really large, so make sure that you have a backyard for it to run around in. Tortoise Diet (Taken from Mader’s Reptile Medicine) Adults should be fed three times per week and hatchlings fed daily. A wild Gopherus polyphemus (Florida gopher tortoise) browses upon leaves and flowers in its natural habitat: providing adequate diets in captivity is a challenge for keepers, but it can be done.. A practical guide to avoiding dietary disasters Tortoises can eat bananas and not directly die from eating them. Dust your pet’s food with a calcium powder twice a week. Worms, snails, slugs, millipedes, insect larvae, 'bugs' Pet or feed store foods. In captivity, we often present our tortoises with large quantities of food, and it is easy for them to overeat, which can lead to shell growth deformities and other health problems. It covers the desert dwelling tortoises like the California DT, Greek, Hermanni and Russians. Prepared tortoise chows, especially Mazuri Tortoise Diet, Zoo Med Natural Grassland Tortoise Food,, … They shouldn't be given much , if any, fruit at all except for an occasional apple slice for a treat. GETTING THEM TO EAT HEALTHIER FOODS: Mixing larger portions of things your tort likes in chopped "salads" and slowly cut back on "treat" foods in this mix, is one way to get them adjusted to a better diet. The Ratios are the same for desert dwelling Torts and of course some of the foods are harder to come by and some I leave out all together. Vitamins & supplements. Most tortoises enjoy tomatoes, greens, occasional apples (be careful of the high sugar content), dandelions, prickly pear cactus (minus the thorns), carrots, pumpkin, lettuce, cabbage. We look at what they can eat, how much, how often and what foods they should avoid. Sulcata tortoises are native to more northern parts of Africa, ranging from the southern edge of the Sahara down through the arid countries, including Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, the Sudan, and Ethiopia, up through the dry, hot Massaua coast bordering the Red Sea. Caring for Your Tortoise Captive Tortoise Diet. Banana sticks too the mouth areas of tortoises and rots thus leading to complications. HOW MUCH: Only feed 1-2 times per week as much as they can eat during the morning.Decrease by 1/3 if food is left at the end of the day. Banana sticks too the mouth areas of tortoises and rots thus leading to complications. More edible plant lists can be found in the HELPFUL LINKS section, as can lists of dangerous plants. Mine eat various grasses and some greens such as collard and turnip. If you tort is healthy and has water available at all times, it wont hurt them to go a couple days w/o food, esp. The problem is that bananas and similar plant material causes beak rot in many tortoises. You can also find other turtle and tortoise supplements at PetSmart, including multivitamins, vitamin D3 powder and more.