Tortoise husbandry is a multifaceted endeavor, which requires keepers to satisfy a range of different biological needs. For Hermann’s tortoise diet is critical, not only in terms of the foods you offer, but also the frequency and manner in which you offer them.
Additionally, you must provide your tortoise with sufficient space and a properly designed enclosure, as well as an appropriate thermal environment and the right type of lighting.
I’ll help you do exactly that below, as I outline the proper way to feed a Hermann’s tortoise.
Suitable Foods for Your Hermann’s Tortoise
Hermann’s tortoises – like most tortoises – are primarily herbivorous animals, who largely subsist on vegetation in the wild. They will occasionally eat invertebrates of carrion, but this is rarely necessary or desirable for captive individuals.
I’ve listed below some specific examples, but first, there are two key principles you must bear in mind when feeding your Hermann’s tortoise:
- Most of your Hermann’s tortoise diet should come from high-fiber, low-calorie plants. Wild Hermann’s tortoises do not subsist on the same kinds of relatively high-calorie, low-fiber vegetables you’ll find in your local produce department, which have been cultivated to satisfy the nutritional needs and tastes of humans. Instead, they rely primarily on grasses, weeds, and sedges. So, ensure that wild weeds, grasses, and leafy greens make up the bulk of your pet’s diet.
- Variety is helpful for avoiding nutritional deficiencies or excesses. Without contradicting the above principle, it is always wise to rotate your tortoise’s “salad” regularly. You’ll still want greens, grasses, and weeds to form the bulk of your pet’s diet, but you should rotate the specific plants within these categories as often as you can.
Some of the food items keepers commonly provide their Hermann’s tortoise include:
- Arugula
- Bindweeds
- Brussel tops
- Carrot
- Catsear
- Chickweed
- Cilantro
- Clover
- Collard greens
- Coriander
- Corn poppy
- Dandelion
- Endive
- Endive
- Escarole
- Frisee
- Goat’s beard
- Hawkbit
- Hibiscus
- Honeysuckle
- Kale
- Mulberry
- Mustard greens
- Nipplewort cactus
- Non-toxic grasses
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Plantain
- Prickly pear cactus
- Radicchio
- Rocket
- Romaine lettuce
- Roses
- “Spring mixes”
- Thistle
- Turnip greens
- Vetch
- Violas
- Watercress
- White nettle
In addition to these natural foods, you can also supplement your tortoise’s diet with commercial tortoise pellets. These will also work well in a pinch, such as when you cannot get to the grocery store but need to feed your pet.
Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Hermann’s Tortoise
There are a variety of foods that you should never feed your Hermann’s tortoise. Some of the best examples include:
- Animal matter, such as mice, chicks, crickets, or earthworms
- Plants that have been treated with insecticides, herbicides, or pesticides
- Plants with sharp thorns (remove thorns from cactus pads before offering)
Additionally, you’ll want to avoid feeding your tortoise fruit. That said, fruit is not technically toxic to Hermann’s tortoises, and the odd grape or strawberry will not cause your pet to fall gravely ill.
However, fruit is too rich in sugar for Hermann’s tortoises. This can result in intestinal disturbances and may play a role in the development of parasite blooms.
An Appropriate Feeding Schedule for Hermann’s Tortoises
The ideal feeding schedule for individual tortoises will vary slightly based on a variety of factors. These include the tortoise’s age, sex, and reproductive status, as well as the individual animal’s growth rate and appetite.
Generally speaking, hatchling and juvenile Hermann’s tortoises fare best when fed once per day. By contrast, most adults will thrive when fed five or six times per week.
However, it is always important to let your tortoise’s growth and health be the ultimate determinant of his feeding schedule. Hatchlings and juveniles should grow at a consistent yet gradual rate. Young adults should continue to grow, yet the rate of growth will be drastically reduced when compared to the rate of young tortoises. Older adults may not grow at all, but they should maintain their weight.
This means that it is important to weigh your tortoise regularly and record the results (you can also measure your tortoise’s length, but that should not be as influential for your feeding-schedule decisions). Also, be sure to visit your veterinarian regularly (perhaps once or twice per year) to ensure that your tortoise is growing at the proper rate.
How to Offer Your Hermann’s Tortoise Food
There’s more to feeding your Hermann’s tortoise than simply tossing some vegetables in his enclosure and calling it a day. Instead, you’ll want to do several key things:
- Prepare the plants and vegetables properly. This means removing any toxic or inedible (to tortoises) portions of the plant. For example, remove any thorns from roses or cactus pads before giving them to your pet. Additionally, you’ll want to cut them into manageable sizes – especially for young Hermann’s tortoises.
- Wash the plants and vegetables thoroughly before offering them. This is important for removing pesticides and herbicides, as well as any harmful germs (such as E. coli or Salmonella) that may have contaminated the foods. Don’t use soap when doing so; simply rinse them in cool water three times. Once you’ve washed them, allow them to air dry or blot them with paper towels.
- Mix the foods together in a “salad.” This is helpful for ensuring that your tortoise consumes all of the different foods contained in the mix rather than picking and choosing his favorites. This will also prove helpful when you’re trying to incorporate new foods, which your pet may not yet be fond of.
- Place the food on a feeding dish, plate, or smooth rock. While tortoises do eat “off the ground” in the wild, this causes them to consume bacteria, fungi, and inedible (and potentially hazardous) materials from time to time. Accordingly, you should always feed your pet on a smooth, food-safe (by tortoise standards) surface.
- Remove any uneaten food after a brief period of time. Don’t allow the foods to become fouled or spoil by sitting in the enclosure for extended periods of time (more than an hour or so). Your tortoise may defecate or otherwise contaminate the food before consuming it, and foods left out in this manner will attract flies and other pests.
- Wash your pet’s food dishes after every meal. Your pet’s dishes will become dirty and contaminated by bacteria over time, which can sicken your tortoise. Accordingly, you’ll want to wash them with soap and warm water after each meal. Just be sure to rinse them thoroughly to remove any remaining soup residue.
In many ways, tortoises are some of the easiest pets in the world to feed. You needn’t worry about purchasing live animals for them, nor do you have to purchase expensive, hard-to-source foods, as you do with some other animals. In fact, most of your tortoise’s diet can come from the grocery store!
Just be sure to employ the tips listed above and always keep your vet in the loop regarding your tortoise’s regular diet. You can find more help and advise on Hermann’s tortoise care by clicking the link.
Citations
- Hermanni Haven – Herman’s Tortoise Care Guide
- Animal Diversity Web – Testudo hermanni
- Northampton Reptile Centre – Hermann’s Tortoise Care Sheet
