Jacqui's Captive Bred Tortoises

Diet.

 Horsfield tortoises are genetically hard wired to eat as much as they can for a short amount of time, in preparation for aestivation, they can very easily over eat in captivity, this coupled with lack of exercise soon makes for an obese tortoise. These 2 factors can lead to rapid growth, shell deformities and a shortened life span. For this reason their diet should be restricted and managed carefully by their owner rather than as the tortoise demands!

Horsfields need a diet which is high in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, but low in fat and proteins and consists of mainly on green leaves/weeds & flowers.  If your tortoise has the run of a garden it will forage quite successfully for itself on charlock, chickweed, clover, dandelion, groundsel, plantains, sow thistle and vetches and the leaves of plants and bushes like buddleia, ice plant, lilac, hebe, rose and bramble.  Never use  weed killers and slug pellets, in any area accessed by tortoises. Do not feed garden centre bought plants either until after they have grown on as they are grown using fertilizer and pesticides.

In the wild, tortoises are opportunistic feeders and they will on occasion tackle carrion and dung.  Their digestive systems are, however, geared towards the digestion of leaves, including cellulose, so a wide variety of greens must be offered and the diet should be as varied as possible. The addition of a daily supplement that contains calcium such as nutrobal, vionate or limestone flour is necessary in order to ensure optimum shell development. This needs to only be at a level of 1 pinch per kilo of body weight and can be purchased from reptile shops or on line easily.

Russian tortoises should be fed grasses, vegetation and flowers of non-poisonous plants and weeds, and leafy greens. Natural grazing of grasses, weeds and plants is ideal, but if not available feed a variety of greens  such as dandelion greens, endive, frisee, radicchio, water cress, lambs lettuce, escarole, mustard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, little gem collards  as well as hay, such as timothy hay. A varied diet, avoiding over reliance on one food type is preferred. Commercially prepared salad leaf mixes such as Florette crispy salad mix, can be used when natural food is in short supply and this can be added too from the list above, but should not be used as the only diet.  Avoid Fruits and other vegetables as they can interfere with gut flora. Grains and animal proteins should not be fed either.

The aim is to vary the food so that the tortoise does not become dependant on one food. Tortoises can become almost "addicted" to foods such as fruit, tomatoes, cucumber, and even red foods such as raddichio. I have found that rescues and re homers that have been fed inappropriate diets, can be very difficult to wean off them! If this situation is to be avoided then a variety needs to be provided and the owner needs "will power" if they have an addicted tortoise to break the habit of reliance on poor diet. I personally find my group enjoys a good variery of common and garden weeds, with special favourites of common plantain, dandelion leaves & flowers, hawkbits (or milk thistle) mallow leaves and clovers. They also enjopy walking round thier garden nibbling on hebes, hibiscus leaves and other weeds I have growing wild for them. Pictures to identify weeds can be found on the "tortoise friendly weeds" page.

Feeding on a flat piece of slate or stone will keep the tortoises beak and claws in trim and avoid the cost of the vet clipping them and the cost of a fancy food bowl.

The provision of cuttle fish bone is also an excellent idea as again this will keep the beak worn down but also for the tortoise to take their own calcium as they require it. This should be used in conjunction with a good daily supplement such as neutrabal.

Avoid plants with a high oxalic acid, a naturally occuring substance that gives plants the bitter tasts, such as spinach, spring cabbage, kale. Foods with high oxalic content bind the calcium rendering it unusable by the tortoises body, but can then lead to stones in the urinary tract and organs, espacially kidneys as it binds with the minerals excreted through the kidneys.

Avoid overuse of kale and sorrel with relatively high oxalic acid content.

Avoid high sugar foods e.g. fruit in excess.

Avoid high phosphorus foods e.g. banana - also quite addictive.

Pellet type foods often claim to be essential to tortoise health. They typically contain soy, wheat and or rice. These are high in omega 6 fatty acids which has a negative effect on health. They also have an acidifying effect which causes a leaching of bone. They are high in chemicals which bind calcium and other minerals and have a negative impact on its metabolism

Avoid especially all unnatural foods, particularly high protein and high fat foods like meat-based dog and cat foods, which are without the worst offender in damage to the growth and health of tortoises. If in doubt about a particular foodstuff, ask yourself: Would the tortoise be likely to find this in the wild? If the answer is a clearly  NO then don't use it!

Water.

Water should always be provided to drink and “wallow” in. the dish needs to be shallow so that the tortoise can easily climb in and out. The addition of pebbles can make this easier in a deeper dish. Good husbandry also includes regular soak in “baby warm” water up to the tortoise’s carapace of chin so that they can soak, absorb water through the cloaca and drink. They usually wee and poo whilst in the water which they often do not do if they are at all dehydrated! There is also a myth that tortoises can not go out in the rain. Again this is another important way for them to hydrate themselves and in their natural habitat they would not avoid rain. The key to whether or not your tortoise should go outside is the following:

What is the temperature? If it is too cold your tortoise is likely to dig in and remain motionless.

Is the enclosure safe from predators and escape proof?

Would anyone in the wild run and fetch them in because it is raining? I often see my tortoises come out of their indoor enclosure if it is raining and just stand there getting wet, they will then usually urinate to, as they are hydrating themselves as well as eliminating water at the same time.