How much to feed a baby tortoise

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How to Feed a Tortoise: The Guide to Tortoise Diet, Food & Nutritional Needs

Since our tortoises (and other pets) don’t have the luxury to run to the kitchen and grab a snack, we have to be careful about what to feed them. The nutritional needs between tortoises varies between species so in this article we’ll delve deep into the subject. We look at what they can eat, how much, how often and what foods they should avoid.

What Do Tortoises Eat in the Wild?

Tortoises live in so many types of environments with different sources of foods available to them, it’s hard to give a general rule for what they can eat as a whole. Because of the wide variety of species and natural environments (and age-related needs, too), there’s some research involved in making sure your tortoise gets the right diet at the right stage of life.

Generally speaking, a tortoise’s diet is going to be made up of mostly leaves and various plants. Yet, contrary to popular belief, some tortoises are actually omnivorous in the wild and not just vegetarians. But before you hand your tortoise some tasty insects, be sure you know which species he is and if he even needs this added protein. To help, this article will divide tortoises into two groups:

Mediterranean tortoises, whose scientific Latin names all begin with testudo. These tortoises take up a large percentage of the tortoise population.

Tropical tortoises, whose scientific Latin names generally start with geochelone. These tropical tortoises have been documented as having eaten things like carrion, slugs, and some insects or worms. Please keep in mind that this is in very small quantities and you are unlikely to see a tortoise go out of its way to eat these things.

It’s All About Location!

Desert-dwelling tortoises, or tortoises who come from more arid and dry biomes in the wild, can use the same diet as Mediterranean tortoises. Whether this is the perfect diet or not is still heavily dependent on species and life stage. Always check to see what species your tortoise is before giving them certain foods. In captivity, for example, the omnivorous tropical tortoises can happily live off a diet of plant mater. But if you try to feed a strictly vegetarian tortoise any kind of meat or insect matter, they can become extremely ill.

An example of a Mediterranean tortoise is the Greek tortoise. A species of tropical tortoise would be the star tortoise. There are a lot more species of tortoises though. We only mention these two to show how similar, yet very different tortoise species can be.

Honestly, their classifications get a little crazy. Just keep in mind that all tortoises can happily and healthily live on a diet of greens, vegetables, and flowers. It’s better to err on the side of caution here, opting for the herbivore route if in doubt! They will likely enjoy it anyway, especially if they are captive bred. As captive torts, their food sources should be frequent and stable enough that they don’t have to eat things like slugs and bugs.

What can pet tortoises eat?

All species of tortoises need to eat a variety of plants, though exactly what each species needs for a healthy life in captivity varies widely. To show this variety, we’ve selected a few popular or well-known breeds below and given a brief overview.

Sulcata

A giant sulcata tortoise, for example, will have a diet that consists of mainly grasses and weeds. That’s great, considering their size and weight make them an outdoor kind of tortoise instead of one that lives inside with you. Think of them like slow lawnmowers. Hay and grass work well for the sulcata, as they will eat and play with it, too. Expand their diet with grazing areas of different green grasses and maybe the occasional weeds like dandelions. The sulcata will also enjoy hibiscus leaves and the Opuntia, otherwise known as the prickly pear cactus. Be sure to add the occasional veggies and dust their food now and again with calcium powder.

Aldabra, Leopard, and Galapagos

Like the sulcata, the leopard tortoise, Aldabra tortoises, and Galapagos tortoises have evolved to eat various grasses. Their diet would consist of two thirds or three quarters in grasses or hay. The rest of their diet should be flowers, weeds, and greens. What fun to put your pet tortoise in the backyard for her meals and play time! Just be sure whatever is growing in your yard is not toxic to torts.

Russian Tortoise

When it comes to other tortoises, like the Russian tortoise, they aren’t that picky, but they do have some special needs compared to our lawnmower buddies at the top of the list. A Russian tortoise will have less grass in its diet, which means you shouldn’t depend on your backyard to feed this fella. It needs about one to ten percent of the diet to consist of grass, so a little is okay. This breed does better with more greens, like lettuce and other vegetables, taking up the majority of what the tortoise eats.

As you can see, what a tortoise needs will depend on where it came from. Not your specific tortoise, but the species itself. This is why research is so important. Plus, getting your pet tortoise from a reputable breeder will help you know exactly what to feed your little tanky friend.

Additional pet tortoise food ideas

While it’s important to stick to a healthy diet for your tortoise species, variety is nice. After all, you’d hate eating the same kind of salad every single day, too. A few other things that your pet tortoise may enjoy as part of their meal would be mulberry leaves, aloe, parsley, oregano, artichoke, strawberry leaves, raspberry leaves, and blackberry leaves.

Notice we’re specifying the leaves here. It’s not that torties shouldn’t eat berries, but they really need to stick with greens for most of their diets. You can always offer a berry or two as an occasional treat.

If given in moderation you can feed your tortoise some vegetables in the brassica family, meaning plants like kale, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and so on.

Commercial Tortoise Food

There are many pre-made tortoise foods out there. These are convenient and readily available. Most of these are actually more like fast food and have no nutritional, though. Check the labels, ask your breeder, and talk to your vet to find the right kind of pre-made tort food.

Zoo-med brand tortoise food is actually one of the good ones. Mazuri tortoise food is pretty decent, too. These should still be offered as part of a varied diet for your tortoise, however, and not the complete meal forever.

In the wild, a tortoise may eat over two hundred different plants. Be sure to vary the items given to your tortoise to keep her happy, healthy, and interested in dinner time.

What foods are NOT safe for tortoises?

Tortoises, with all their tough outer bits, are actually quite sensitive on the inside. They need a balanced diet with a wide variety of vegetation. But there are some things no tortoise should ever eat.

Foods like peas and beans should never be given to your tortoise. These are higher in protein and not good for the tortoise’s liver or kidneys. Remember, these reptiles are predominantly vegetarians and therefore don’t need a lot of protein.

There are a variety of common plants found in yards and houses that can kill a tortoise. These include:

• Amaryllis
• Asparagus Fern
• Avocado (leaves, seeds)
• Azalea
• Begonia
• Boxwood
• Buttercups
• Calla Lily
• Castor Bean
• Crowfoot
• Daffodil
• Ficus
• Holly
• Ivy
• Iris
• Juniper
• Nightshade Family
• Poinsettia
• Primrose

This is not a complete list of common toxic plants. Be sure to ask a nursery specialist to help identify plants in your yard or home. When in doubt, keep your tortoise away from anything you’re not sure of.

Some other things to avoid would be grass-heavy diets for tortoises that are not the sulcata, leopard tortoise, aldabra tortoise, or the Galapagos tortoise. These species of tortoise evolved to eat grasses. Their stomachs can handle the high amounts of silica found in many grasses and hay, while other species cannot

When it comes to fruit in a tortoise’s diet, it should be very limited or not at all in the case of Mediterranean tortoises. Tortoises who live in areas that are more tropical, where fruit would fall to the ground, can have some. Just be sure not to feed your tortoise too much fruit or they could become obese.

What’s the deal with calcium in tortoise diets?

Adding calcium to your tortoise’s diet is just as important as paying attention to the rest of their food. For your pet tortoise, added calcium is necessary. It helps in growing that gorgeous protective shell and keeping her body healthy.

Tortoises need this added calcium in their diets, along with all that UVB and natural sunlight. It keeps their bodies strong and healthy while helping them digest food. Just make sure that the calcium you are giving your tortoise does not include high amounts of phosphorus. This can block the absorption of vital calcium.

A female tortoise and young tortoises need even more calcium. If your female tortoise is going to have babies, she needs this extra calcium not only for herself, but to help her eggs develop nice and healthy.

Calcium powders are the best way to get a tortoise its necessary nutrients, and they have many options available. One popular kind is by the name of Repti-cal. You can also add cuttlebone. It has high calcium and your tortoise may enjoy chewing on it. Keep in mind, not all tortoises will enjoy the cuttlebone, so don’t take it personally if your tortoise wants nothing to do with it.

If calcium made and packaged specifically for your tortoise is not available to you, or if it is too pricey to ship, then you can take some calcium powder from your local pharmacy, just be sure it is safe. Not all calcium powders for human are safe for torts.

Go for calcium carbonate powder. It is fairly cheap and easy to find. You just need to make sure your calcium powder contains some vitamin D, as it is also important to your tortoise’s health.

So, in short, get a phosphorus-free calcium powder that has vitamin D mixed in. A tortoise can synthesize vitamin D from the sun, but not everywhere in the world is super sunny, so making sure they get some in their diet is best.

How often should your tortoise eat?

This is a big subject that is always up for debate with tortoise owners. The general rule seems to be feeding at least once a day for babies and younger torts. You can also feed your tortoise every other day or even three times a week, but this all depends on your particular tortoise and the amount of nutrients in their meals.

The size of the meal is also important, but there is no set rule on how much to give a tortoise. They are grazing animals in the wild, which makes “meal time” a little tricky in captivity.

Many keepers of tortoises like to give them several small, nutrient-dense meals every couple of days and let the tortoise graze as it wishes. They remove any old or nasty bits of vegetation from the enclosure or yard as needed.

If feeding wet foods, like fruits, then you should use a shallow dish that the tortoise can climb in and out of with ease. This is to reduce any bedding that may get stuck to the food and ingested, causing impaction and health issues.

Whether or not your tortoise has an outdoor enclosure will also change how often you should feed it and if you have tortoise-safe grazing plants in the outdoor pen. Make sure to read over the list of toxic plants above, and also check with your vet and breeder for other lists, too. You can’t be too careful with grazing torts.

Conclusion

Feeding torts can be fun, but you need to do so with great care. Make sure you know the species of your tortoise and get a wide variety of foods it can eat. Make sure you provide calcium in the form of a non-phosphorus powder with added vitamin D.

If your tortoise can eat fruits, then make sure you add them sparingly and give them in a shallow dish your tortoise can get in and out of easily. If your tortoise is not a fruit-eating breed, resist the temptation to offer this dangerous treat!

You can feed your tortoise every day, every other day, or three days every week. It varies on their living arrangements and if they have an outdoor pen where they graze freely.

Whatever you decide for feeding your tortoise, take joy in knowing that he appreciates what you do for him. Spend some time just watching him eat, talking softly to him, and bonding over a great salad.

How and what to feed red-eared, marsh and other aquatic turtles

Aquatic ornamental turtles are frequent inhabitants of home aquariums. These cute reptiles are very fond of children and adults. In order for the turtle to live a long and fulfilling life in a closed tank, you need to create appropriate living conditions for it and pay special attention to the right diet.

In this article, we will look at popular brands of complete food and treats for aquatic turtles, how many times a day, at what time and how to feed them correctly, whether turtles need mineral and vitamin supplements, differences in the diet of adults and small pets, as well as depending on from the type of turtle.

Features of feeding aquatic turtles

Aquatic turtles eat plant and animal food. During the period of growth and formation of the body, turtles need food rich in protein. Natural products can be added to the diet in combination with ready-made dry food designed specifically for aquatic turtles.

Natural products are served to turtles in small pieces. A single portion is determined so that in a 30-minute snack, the turtle can completely eat the entire piece of food served. For young reptiles, 2-3 pieces of 1 cm3 are usually enough, and for feeding adult turtles, the size of the pieces should be slightly increased. If after a snack there is a half-eaten piece in the aquarium, the portion can be reduced at the next feeding.

A few more important rules for feeding aquatic turtles:

• natural food should be thermally processed before feeding the reptile;
• food served must be at room temperature;
• food can be placed in the aquarium in a special feeder located on the ground in order not to pollute the water;
• feeding with tweezers is allowed;
• To create a balanced diet, you can combine prepared food with natural food.

Overview of artificial food for turtles

Dry food is recommended not as a main food for aquatic turtles, but as a supplementary food that goes well with natural food.

Dry food for aquatic turtles offers a wide range of products from different world manufacturers. We will briefly review the types of artificial food and other healthy treats for pet reptiles.

Complete dry food

Complete dry food can be given to baby and adult turtles every day. The composition of such a product includes useful components of plant and animal origin, selected taking into account all the requirements of the reptile's body.

Popular brands:

• Sera;
• Zoomir;
• Tetra ReptoMin;
• Dajana.

Treats

Non-complete feeds are classified as Treats. They can only be given to adult turtles and no more than once a week.

Popular treats:

• JBL Tortil;
• Tetra ReptoDelica Snack;
• Sera Raffy Royal;
• Zoomir "Tortila M" Strong shell, etc.

Vitamin-mineral complexes

At home, turtles cannot get all the trace elements necessary for their body, which they extract in the natural environment. So that the reptile does not get sick and feels good, it must be periodically fed with special vitamin and mineral supplements. You can buy ready-made complexes in pet supply stores.

Vitamin and mineral supplements for turtles:

• MIX – mineral supplement with calcium;
• MIX - general strengthening supplement;
• mineral block "Tortila";
• Beaphar Turtle Vitamin - vitamin complex;
• FIORY Tarta Vigor - feed supplement with vitamins;
• mineral block Ca+D3 "Tortila M";
• Sera vitamins;
• Dajana – mineral stone for aquatic turtles.

Adult tortoise and small pet diet

The diet of aquatic turtles must be combined - natural food in combination with artificial food. Consider what foods can and cannot be given to aquarium reptiles.

Useful and harmful natural products for aquatic turtles:

1. You can give low-fat river fish in crushed form with chopped bones. You can not feed turtles with bony and oily fish.
2. May be fed with live gammarus and small crustaceans.
3. Raw shrimp and crabs are allowed.
4. Turtles should not be fed squid, although they love them very much.
5. It is strictly forbidden to give reptiles the meat of terrestrial animals and factory meat products (sausages, canned food, etc.). The digestive system of reptiles does not absorb such food.
6. Occasionally, you can treat the turtle with pieces of beef heart and liver. These products feed the body with vitamin A.
7. It is allowed to feed the reptile with food mice and frogs.
8. Turtles can be given natural plant foods such as carrots, lettuce, apple pulp, herbs, sprouted oats and barley.
9. Non-poisonous grassland plants, as well as algae and some types of aquatic plants, can be included in the diet.
10. Limited pieces of pear, watermelon, melon, banana, apricot and raspberry are served.
11. Do not give turtles citrus fruits, nuts, soybeans, beans, cabbage, bread, flour products, cereals, fish waste, dairy products, chicken eggs.
12. Foods high in phosphorus, stromagenic substances and oxalates are harmful to reptiles.
13. With pleasure and benefit, turtles eat various insects and larvae living in the water. They can be fed with coretra, bloodworms, locusts, crickets, fly larvae, earthworms and moths. The insect must first be decapitated. Can be given dried, frozen, or live.
14. Live and thawed mollusks, land snails, snails, marizas, etc. are well absorbed by the reptile organism. But it is better not to treat a turtle with slugs without shells.

Turtle menu specifics depending on their species

Water turtles are more often predators, so the basis of their diet is food of animal origin. If your aquarium has a semiaquatic or marsh reptile that prefers vegetarian food, the diet will be based on plant foods. In any case, the nutrition for the turtle must be balanced and varied so that the body of the domestic reptile fully receives all the necessary substances and trace elements.

Features of the diet of turtles of different species:

1. The red-eared turtle prefers fry, small fish with bones, insect larvae, chicken fillet, gammarus and shrimp. From plant foods, you can give apples, lettuce and slices of fresh cucumber.
2. Chinese amphibian Trionix enjoys beef liver, heart, lean fish, fry and small frogs. From plant foods, she will like fresh herbs and slices of tomato.
3. The European bog turtle loves lean meats, fish with small bones, and plant foods.
4. Musk turtle prefers to feed on algae, fish and aquatic insects.

How often and at what time to feed the turtles

It is recommended to feed the turtle at the same time. The first three years of life they are fed once a day, mainly food of animal origin. As they grow, the need for such food is lost, so plant foods and dry food become the main part of the diet.

Adult turtles are fed once every 2-3 days. In summer, turtles eat more often, but in small portions, and in winter they may not eat for several days, and then gladly absorb the increased portion. In the cold season, it is recommended to add vitamin and mineral supplements to the turtle's diet.

After the turtle has been fed, the remains of food are removed from the aquarium. In the subsequent feeding, fresh food is served. You can not feed the reptile with spoiled foods, they can cause poisoning of the body.

Major Owner Mistakes

Beginning pet turtle owners often make feeding and diet mistakes that can cause serious health problems for the reptile.

The most common owner mistakes are:

• feeding the turtle food from his table - salty, fried, smoked and seasoned dishes are very dangerous for the body of turtles;
• regular feeding with vitamin and mineral supplements - such complexes should not be given to turtles more than once a week;
• make up an unbalanced diet, for example, they regularly treat a reptile with fish, forgetting about the need to feed other healthy foods, which leads to an excess of vitamin B and a lack of other trace elements in the body.

These are the most common mistakes in feeding domestic aquatic turtles, as a result of which reptiles develop various health problems.

The following symptoms testify to improper feeding of the tortoise: coordination of the movement of the reptile is disturbed, it refuses to eat, shows lethargy, and motor activity decreases. An unbalanced diet of small turtles leads to improper development of the body and growth retardation. To eliminate such health problems for the turtle, make up a healthy and balanced diet for it!

Never try to treat a water turtle yourself. If there are certain symptoms that indicate an unhealthy condition, seek the help of a veterinarian specializing in the treatment of domestic reptiles. An experienced specialist will also tell you in detail how and what to properly feed waterfowl aquarium turtles.

Proper nutrition is the key to a healthy and long life of a domestic reptile!

How often should turtles be fed? | Tail News

Contents

1 What time to feed the turtle? 2 How much food to feed a turtle?

1 minute

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The frequency of feeding is one of the foundations of a proper diet. But if you search the Internet for how often you should feed your turtle, the information will vary from source to source. What is it connected with? And how many times a day should you feed a turtle?

Controversy over the frequency of feeding reptiles is not uncommon. And all because there is no single answer to this question.

The frequency of feeding is individual for each pet.

However, there are approximate rules that should be followed. They are valid for both land and aquatic turtles.

What time to feed the turtle?

It is best to feed turtles in the morning, but after the animal has warmed up. The choice of time is due to the fact that turtles lead a predominantly diurnal lifestyle and food is better absorbed before evening. In the evening and at night, when the lamps are turned off in the aquaterrarium, the temperature drops and the reptile's metabolic rate decreases.

If you feed your pet at night, there is a high risk that digestion will fail. This is especially true of land and some aquatic species of turtles, such as marsh and red-eared.

Other reptiles can take food with the same benefit around the clock.

It is advisable to give your pet food at the same time. Compliance with the regimen promotes proper digestion and makes it easier to maintain cleanliness in the aquarium.

Turtles get used to the feeding schedule. This is one of the few available ways to communicate with them.

How much food to feed a turtle?

The ideal portion size is the one that a turtle can handle in half an hour. If food remains after this time, it must be removed. This will help prevent contamination of the terrarium.

If the turtle eats all the food within a few minutes and then continues to search for food, the number of feedings or servings should be increased.

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