Tortoise Food | KOMODO | Lucky Reptile | ProRep | T-Rex

Tortoise Food  -  Tortoises are really quite easy to keep healthy with the right foods. And the right foods for tortoises are very easy to find. Most you probably already have around your home or you can grow them yourself or purchase them. Some of the foods that are normal and healthy for the tortoises include dandelions, grass and weeds, hibiscus, grape leaves, cactus, squash such as banana squash, summer squash, and yellow crookneck squash, aloe vera, nasturtium, roses, wandering Jew and zucchini.
Special treats that you could feed to your tortoise include broccoli, tomatoes, corn on the cob, romaine lettuce, collard greens and endive. These should be fed only once in a while, not all the time. For super special treats, you can feed your tortoise melons as long as it's not watermelon, apples without the seeds, and strawberries.
There are some foods that are never to be fed to tortoises and will cause them harm if they eat them. Those foods include iceberg lettuce, watermelon, bananas, dog or cat food, chard, spinach, peas, cabbage, beans, and anything that is sprayed with a pesticide of any kind. Pesticides are especially harmful to tortoises.
Female and baby tortoises usually require extra calcium. Calcium bicarbonate can be sprinkled over the food to help ensure the extra calcium they need. Many common houseplants are poisonous to all animals and should be avoided. You should also make sure your tortoise cannot reach the plants. A list of these plants can be found with a simple search.
Some breeds of tortoises also have special dietary requirements. For a spider tortoise, it is recommended that they have a constant supply of food because they tend to eat on the go so to speak. For them, a supply of cucumbers, green and yellow squash, apples, cactus and tomatoes, cut into cubes, is an ideal diet. Nearly any fresh vegetable or fruit is acceptable.
For a hinged back tortoise, live food such as crickets and grasshoppers should be added to the diet. This particular species will do well with a very small amount of dog food from time to time. Elongated tortoises also benefit from a very small amount of dog food from time to time, but again it should not be fed regularly and should not replace the other required foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Tortoises are a very good pet if you select the right breed. Breeds such as the spider tortoise are not well suited for the everyday pet owner.