Diet & Supplements

Tortoises are herbivores and require a good variety of food items that are high in fibre but low in fat and protein. As a guide, feed your tortoise with an amount of food roughly the same size as its shell for each daily feed, alternatively you can feed two smaller meals each day as tortoises are grazers so like to nibble and forage. Do not overfeed your tortoise or offer milk and bread, dog and cat foods, or any other types of meat or animal protein as it will grow far too quickly for its shell which could be fatal. Slow and healthy growth is better!

Tortoises are a grazing reptile so planting an outdoor enclosure with feed safe weeds is ideal for foraging which is a natural source of enrichment. If your tortoise has access to this type of enclosure there is no need to offer additional feeding. You can also grow weeds inside on a windowsill and snip off food as required whilst ensuring that it is free from animal droppings and chemicals such as insecticides and exhaust fumes. It is essential to feed your tortoise a wide variety of food items for optimum health.

Food items as a guide

greens, grasses, flowers and weeds

Dandelion leaves, stalks and flowers, Common Marigold, Lawn grass, Clovers, Aloe, Pea shoots, Lamb’s lettuce, Nasturtiums, Petunia, Abutilon, Pak Choi, Pansies, Violas, Cavelo Nero Cabbage, Rose petals, Curly kale, Campanula, Rocket, Alfalfa, Mustard greens, Hollyhock, Forget-Me-Not, Lipstick Plant, Mulberry leaves, Watercress, Chicory, Common Sorrel, Chickweed, Bromeliad, Wheat Germ, Opuntia Cactus (ficus indica), Fine Forage Grass, Chlorophytum (Spider Plant), Echinacea, Dahlia, English Daisy, Coriander, Scotch Thistle, Shepherd’s Purse, Air Plant, Knapweed, Coneflower, Coreopsis, Hawkbit, Oregano, Pampas Grass, Hibiscus, Marjoram, Cos lettuce, Mint, Spring Greens, Callisia Repens, Bramble leaves, Selfheal, Crossandra, Lemon Balm, Meadow fescue, Red fescue, Aeonium, Evening Primrose, Sheep’s fescue, Comb grass, Holcus, Fountaingrass, Reed Canary grass, Creeping thistle, Mazus, Great Burnet, Globe Thistle, Fresh hay, Alexanders, Sea Holly, Annual Ryegrass, Coleus, Meadow Sage, Perennial Ryegrass, Bristly Oxtongue, Smooth hawk’s beard, Nipplewort, Teasel, Smooth Sowthistle, Blue Sowthistle, Great plantain, Millet, Bergamot, Chia, Friendship Plant, Hoary plantain, Ribwort plantain, African Violet, Cuphea, Boston Fern, Timothy Hay, Globe Artichoke, Mind-Your-Own-Business, Haworthia, Lady’s Bedstraw, Common mallow, Musk mallow, Antirrhinum, Wild carrot, Elm, Echeveria, Kentucky bluegrass, London Pride, Maize, Dwarf mallow, Hairy bitter cress, Wavy bitter cress, Broadleaf Stonecrop, White/Dutch clover, Astilbe, Deadnettle, Caraway, Red clover, Common vetch, Sainfoin, Creeping bell-flower, Field bindweed, Hedge mustard, Lilac, Broadleaf Filaree, Cats ear, Lavateria, Sedums, Honeysuckle, Zinnia, Yellow Archangel.

Occasional Vegetables – Cucumber, Carrot, Broccoli, Cauliflower (and leaves), Parsnip, Fennel, Squash, Pumpkin.

Horsfield Tortoise eating flowers | Tortoise Den

Food items as a guide continued

Fruit is the equivalent of junk food for a tortoise so should be given very occasionally and make up no more than 5% of their diet (strawberry, apple, pear, tomato, melon, plum, apricot). Ideally fruit should be avoided altogether!

Calcium is an essential part of the tortoise’s diet and is vital for even shell growth, to help prevent metabolic bone disease and for general good health and wellbeing. A calcium supplement can be used on food, such as Limestone flour or Pro Rep’s ‘Calci Dust’ which is a phosphorus free calcium powder that can be sprinkled over the food 4-5 times a week. A combination of calcium and UVB aid your tortoise in essential vitamin D3 synthesis.

Cuttlefish bone, Calcium blocks and ‘Tortoise Block’ by Zoo Med are examples of a good source of calcium and can be left within the enclosure for your tortoise to nibble on at their leisure. This natural behaviour also ensures that your tortoises beak does not become overgrown. A good quality vitamin/mineral powder such as ‘Arcadia Earth Pro-A’, Vetark’s ‘Nutrobal’ or HabiStat’s ‘Reptavite’ can be sprinkled on food 2-3 times a week for small tortoises and daily for larger tortoises.

Before your tortoise starts to explore outside, please check that there is no poisonous vegetation within reach. Your tortoise may occasionally eat insects, worms and snails when exploring outside, this is natural behaviour. If your tortoise spends time outside, we advise that you use a good quality tortoise wormer regularly (approximately every 4 months) such as Cloverleaf Absolute Tortoise Wormer Plus.

All tortoise’s carry their own complement of parasitic worms regardless of how healthy they are, worms are a fact of life for tortoises! When they are in good health, these worms do not cause any issue to your tortoise but as soon as the tortoise is stressed or hibernating, its natural immunity is compromised and internal parasites can take hold.

Poisonous foods to avoid feeding your tortoise

Avocado, Hellebores, Narcissus, Azalea, Crocus, Mistletoe, Lupins, Rhubarb, Hemlock, Peony, Holly, Aubergine, Chilli peppers, Potato, Vinca, Calla Lily, Bleeding Heart, Hypericum, Tiger Lily, Foxglove, Hydrangea, Buttercup, Yew, Lobelia Aconite, Horse Chestnut, Daffodils, Ragwort, Rhododendron, Rosemary, Elderflower, Ivy, Hyacinth, Venus Flytrap, Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Bean sprouts, Citrus fruits, Iris, Morning Glory, wood Anemone, St Johns Wort.

Expert advice on
Tortoise Care

We can provide you with the best, impartial care advise so to ensure you can create and provide the very environment for pet tortoises in your home.

Learn More