Land turtles are an animal that is quite fashionable to have as a pet in the homes of an increasing number of people.
Land turtles are undoubtedly very nice animals to have at home in fish tanks, since they can also be taken for a walk and they are very docile animals and completely harmless to young children and the elderly.
However, every animal of whatever species is a living being like all the others, therefore it needs to be fed and take certain care in order to have quality of life because, just like you, they have the right to have it.
Among the care that must be given to animals such as the tortoise is hygiene, affection, and hydration and of course food, since every living being needs to feed in some way in order to survive.
The downside of these somewhat exotic new pets is that not everyone knows what to feed them with, often making mistakes that can end up damaging the animal’s stomach and even killing it. Therefore, it is necessary to know in detail what the ideal foods for your pet are.
In this article, we talk about land tortoises, therefore we are going to show what land tortoises feed on, so that in this way you never have doubts again.
What do you need to feed the land turtles?
- Vegetables and vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, corn or spinach.
- Fruits that is not very acidic.
- Insects like worms.
- Pay a lot of attention.
Instructions for feeding gopher tortoises
- Fruits: Fruits are very popular with animals such as tortoises, especially if they are non-acidic fruits. One of the advantages of giving fruits to your tortoise is that we are going to give it a great supply of vitamins and fiber, since it needs it to be able to live in a healthy way. The best fruits for these friendly animals are red apples, bananas or peaches, citrus fruits such as oranges or lemons being totally discouraged. Obviously, the fruits should be cut into small pieces adapted to the turtle’s mouth, since if you give the whole fruit it will not fit in the mouth of this small animal.
- Bugs: The tortoise does not only live on fruits, since like all living beings, it also needs to contribute a small amount of protein to the diet in order to survive. The best sources of protein are other animals, such as small insects, river snails and other critters since, luckily, turtles are omnivorous animals. To get these insects, you can hunt them yourself by going to the field in the season of the corresponding animal. In winter there are usually no insects and in summer there are many. Snails, on the other hand, appear in humid environments near rivers. You can also opt for the easy way and buy the food at pet stores, where they sell insects to give this type of food.
- Vegetables: Vegetables are the basis of the feeding of land turtles since apart from their low price; they contain most of the vitamins that these animals need to survive. Among the favorite vegetables of these animals we have lettuce leaves, American corn kernels, spinach leaves, some tomato slices and broccoli among others. It is recommended that vegetables are always raw, because it is said that if they are cooked they lose part of the vitamins that the turtle needs to survive. Obviously they should also be chopped to adapt them to the turtle’s mouth; otherwise it will not be able to eat them.
- Water: This should not be put, since it is obvious, however, many people forget the vital importance of water in the diet of all living beings. For all these reasons, make sure that your tortoise always has clean water available to drink; otherwise it will die of dehydration or contamination due to water in poor condition. Change the water in the turtle dish frequently and make sure it is always clean
Tips for feeding gopher tortoises
- Wash the food: Although the food is given raw to the tortoises, they should always be given perfectly washed; otherwise there could be many health problems for our animal. So before cutting vegetables, fruits and giving insects, you should wash them thoroughly with clean water, in order to eliminate all infectious microorganisms from food.
- Check with the pet shop: we can guide you, but we are far from providing you with the experience of a pet shop. If you have any questions, ask them what the best food for your gopher tortoise is.
