Content
- Adequate food for land turtles
- Legumes and grains
- Vegetables, vegetables and greens
- fruit
- Fungi
- sugars
- food for dogs or cats
- Animal products
- Main feeding problems
Contrary to what many people think, the diet of the land turtle, or tortoise in Brazil, cannot be composed of just one type of food. We know that these reptiles require a balanced and varied diet to grow strong and healthy. After all, what is known is that domestic animals can live between 10 and 80 years, and food plays a fundamental role in this.
However, there are a number of ingredients that should not be part of a tortoise's diet, as some are harmful to them. That's why this PeritoAnimal article presents the prohibited food for land turtles.
Adequate food for land turtles
The chelonian animals belong to the order Testudines. And usually, the term Testudines is used for all species of turtle, including tortoises and tortoises. It is worth noting that, in Brazil, the land turtles are known as tortoises..
The turtle's adequate food will depend a lot on the species to which it belongs. Among the tortoises, there are different varieties with many nutritional requirements, hence the importance of talking to a veterinarian about it. Still, there are certain general recommendations about a diet suitable for them.
To offer mixed meals, with different types of vegetables, small portions of fruit and some extra complements is ideal, not only to cover all food needs, but also so that the tortoise does not get used to a single flavor and then refuses to try different things, something that ends up being counterproductive to their healthy development. In this article you can even find out how old a turtle lives.
Below is a list of certain foods that are prohibited for land turtles or tortoises, which should only be offered in small quantities and infrequently.
Legumes and grains
All pulses and grains are prohibited for tortoises, such as beans, green beans, corn, rice, broad beans, lentils, peas, among others. It should not be given to him in any way, neither the natural grain nor in the form of biscuits or other foods that contain it.
Vegetables, vegetables and greens
These food groups must constitute 90% of the tortoise's diet. However, not all vegetables and vegetables are suitable for them. In that regard, the recommendation is to avoid:
- Beet
- Carrot
- Zucchini
- Bell pepper
- peppers
- asparagus
The consumption of most of these foods can lead to obesity, nutritional deficiencies and even liver disease. Lettuce, although not harmful, is preferable to be given sporadically, and to prefer wild herbs and various types of flowers instead. Too much lettuce can cause diarrhea.
fruit
Although the fruit should be part of the land turtles' usual diet, it is recommended to add only 10% of them in every serving of food. Likewise, there are some that are not recommended:
- Banana
- dates
- Grape
- Peach
- Kiwi
- Pomegranate
- Damascus
Fungi
A small dish prepared with mushrooms is often very tempting for humans, but it will be fatal for a tortoise. You must not give mushrooms or no fungus of other kinds. Not only are they difficult to digest, you may also find yourself with one that is poisonous.
sugars
Under no circumstances should you give the tortoise food that contains large amounts of sugar. This includes not only reducing fruit portions to a minimum, which has already been mentioned, but also removing any type of reptiles from the diet of these reptiles. human candy.
Why? Turtle stomach bacteria are only able to digest small amounts of sugar, so excessive intake would wipe them out, causing a poisoning that could kill the animal.
food for dogs or cats
Many people recommend giving dog food to supplement the nutrition of turtles and tortoises. However, this is a mistake, as the vitamins and minerals in this type of food were exclusively formulated for dogs and not for turtles, so they bring supplements that in the long run can be harmful for these reptiles and can lead to the appearance of nutritional deficiencies or excesses.
Animal products
Mediterranean land turtles should not consume any type of animal product, while tortoises that live in tropical areas, such as Brazil, always need this type of food in their diet, but in the form of snails, larvae and insects. Also, the portion must be very small and represent only 5% of the total diet.
Main feeding problems
The feed specially formulated for turtles shouldn't be the main food of the turtles' diet, as it does not contain all the necessary nutrients. The ideal is to administer a homemade and natural diet, and offer food to the turtles only sporadically.
Overfeeding is often the main problem for turtles in captivity. Giving more food than they need translates into obese animals, with serious health problems and carapace deformities. Piece advice to your veterinarian often about how much food the turtle needs, according to its age and species to which it belongs.
If you want to read more articles similar to Prohibited food for land turtles, we recommend that you enter our Home Diets section.