# DT eating cockroaches?



## Kina (Jun 27, 2016)

Hello I have a desert tortoise that stays in an outside enclosure. She seems to be eating cockroaches that have made a nest in there. This has been going on since we moved to Vegas last year, she hasn't been acting sick or anything but is this normal? And if so is there any other bugs I can give her? Her normal diet is lettuce, cilantro, strawberries, watermelon, dandelions when we can find them, and carrots though she does not like them too much. I also give her herptivite multivitamins and land turtle and tortoise food with it. Any advice on other things she should eat or have would be greatly appreciated, I've had her for 10 years. She had a soft shell when I got her and was kinda weak but she is great now and growing wonderfully.


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## Tom (Jun 27, 2016)

Hello and welcome.

All constructive criticism here. Intended only to help your tortoise:
Most of what you are feeding is not good for a Desert Tortoise. Lettuce isn't toxic, but is is lacking in fiber, calcium and nutritional value. Cilantro is fine as a small part of a varied. Strawberries, watermelon and other fruit should be avoided. Too much sugar and it upsets their gut flora and fauna. Dandelions are a great part of a varied diet, and carrot is too high in sugar.

Land turtle food sounds like it is not good for a herbivorous tortoise, as turtles are omnivores. That food is either too high in protein for a tortoise or too low for a box turtle. There are much better prepared foods if you decide to go that route.

How often do you supplement with the Herptivite. They only need that about once a week, if at all.

Your tortoise needs more weeds and foods that are rich in calcium and high in fiber. Grape vine leaves, hibiscus leaves, mulberry tree leaves, spineless opuntia cactus pads, a whole host of weeds, and plain old grass. I typed this up for sulcatas but most of it applies to DTs too. Just use less emphasis on grass. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

This might help too:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

DTs are generally herbivorous, but just about any tortoise species will opportunistically eat bugs or carrion when given the chance. Mammal feces makes up a large portion of the diet for some wild species too. The roaches shouldn't hurt your tortoise and eating an occasional one is harmless as long as the roaches haven't gotten into any pesticides that your neighbors might have sprayed. In most instances the roaches are nocturnal so the tortoise will never see them. If there were a roach out in the daylight and moving slow enough for your tortoise to catch it, I'd be worried that the roach was exposed to pesticide.

Please take this next part very seriously: Probably the biggest killer of captive DTs is dehydration, and the complications that come with it. These problems are made worse in a tortoise with a high protein intake. They need water to process protein and get the by-products of protein digestion out of their system in the form of urea. Dehydrated tortoises will sometimes form large "stones" that they can't pass. Often they die from this and sometimes a good vet can save them by sawing a hole in the plastron and surgically removing the "stone" at a cost of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Because of what you have been feeding your tortoise and what he's been eating on his own, you are at greater risk of this problem. The solution is to soak your tortoise regularly and make sure he stays well hydrated. I would soak him every day for then next couple of weeks, and then every other day for another month after that. Then 3-4 times a week should get you through summer. The tortoise should also have a shallow water vessel, like a terra cotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate, at all times. You can also get them to drink by running a sprinkler until puddles form on your lawn. Soaking should be done in a tall sided, opaque tub of some sort. I use warm water about halfway up the shell. Leave the tortoise in there for 30-40 minutes. You can refresh the water as needed. Don't worry about it if the tortoise tries to march his way out. The exercise is good for him, and will get things moving in the GI tract. Water temp is not an issue when outside temps are 100+, but in fall or spring, use caution that the water doesn't get cold.

Please come back with questions, and feel free to ask for clarification or more explanation on any of this.

What size is your tortoise?


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## TammyJ (Jun 28, 2016)

Tom said:


> Hello and welcome.
> 
> All constructive criticism here. Intended only to help your tortoise:
> Most of what you are feeding is not good for a Desert Tortoise. Lettuce isn't toxic, but is is lacking in fiber, calcium and nutritional value. Cilantro is fine as a small part of a varied. Strawberries, watermelon and other fruit should be avoided. Too much sugar and it upsets their gut flora and fauna. Dandelions are a great part of a varied diet, and carrot is too high in sugar.
> ...


Tom, this is fantastic information!


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## Kina (Jun 29, 2016)

Thank you Tom, I'm not sure her exact size. I will have to take a picture of her and post her for you to see.


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