2torial #0455:
Learn2 Care for a Pet Tortoise (continued)

Feed your tortoise

How often you feed your tortoise and how much food you provide depends on its size, weight, species, and the temperature of its habitat. When it's too cool, it can became lethargic, inactive, and start eating less.

Diets for different species vary, and you should ask your pet store professional or reptile veterinarian about your pet's specific nutritional requirements. Keep in mind, though, that tortoises don't chew their food. They bite and swallow. Make sure everything you serve is shredded into tiny pieces or soft enough to break easily into bite-sized bits.

Also, tortoises are grazers; they eat a little and come back later for more. So, leave food out for yours all day. However, when you turn off the lamp at the end of the day, take the food away to prevent spoilage and keep insects away. Some possible meals include:

Fresh green vegetables. Broccoli, bean sprouts, green beans, and mustard and collard greens are high in vitamins and calcium, making them healthy additions to any tortoise's diet.

Alfalfa pellets. This is rabbit chow, which you can pick up at your pet store. Before serving, soak the pellets in water and wait until they're like damp bread crumbs, with no hard pieces.

A protein biscuit. Often sold as a dietary supplement for monkeys, protein biscuits can be an easy way to ensure your tortoise gets enough of this important nutrient. Soften a biscuit in water and mash before serving. Note: Too much protein can weaken your tortoise's shell. Ask your vet or pet store professional for recommendations on how much protein to offer.

Calcium. A lack of calcium can weaken a tortoise's shell and bones. Blackberries, blueberries, and cantaloupe are good sources of calcium, although certain tortoise species don't eat fruit. Also consider calcium lactate powder, which you can purchase at your pet store and sprinkle on your pet's food (follow package directions for quantity).

Note: Avoid foods that are high in phosphorus and low in calcium. These include grapes, bananas, and fresh peas. Also, never serve a tortoise spinach; it's too high in phosphorus, which is bad for its shell.