Feeding regimen??

[natsamjosh]

Ok, I'm more of snake guy at this point, so I'm trying to learn more and more about my Hermann's tortoise. Feeding my snakes is pretty simple and easy, just give them a rabbit pinkie or a quail every 7 to 12 days. I've read plenty on *what* to feed my Hermann's, and so far I've seen him eat dandelions, timothy hay, a small piece of tomato, flower from a tomato, cale and a couple other weeds. (I toss Bermuda grass in his enclosure, but I've not seen him eat it yet.) But I'm curious about other feeding details. Do you all feed your tortoises at the same time every day? Do you put the food in the same place every time? I have a hibiscus in the enclosure, and I'm going to plant some more edible weeds in there as well. If they have food available all the time, will they overeat and become fat?

Thanks!
Ed

 

[GBtortoises]

I would feed much more variety than you listed and not feed tomato except very infrequently. Diet should consist of, but not be limited to: dandelion, plantain (broad & narrow leaf), sow thistle, purslane, clover, vetch and other various weeds along with endive, escarole, chicory, romaine and other greens. To ensure a good vitamin intake vegetables can be fed as about 25% of their regular diet to include, but again not limited to: squashes, pumpkin, sweet potato, some green and yellow beans, peas and occasionally corn. Fruits, including tomato should not be part of a Hermann's regular diet.

The key is quality and variety. While snakes are "packaged" food eaters, where they can get all of their nutrition in one type of meal, Hermann's and most other species of tortoises are browsers. They roam around searching for food, eating some here, moving on, eating some in another spot. In the wild this ensures them exposure to a variety of foods containing a variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Feeding schedule and how much an individual tortoise will consume is based very much on the environment that it's in. Basically speaking tortoises develop a daily routine based on light and heat. The duration and intensity of light along with the temperature dictate to them when it's time to come out from their shelter to bask, forage for food, mate etc... A tortoise kept solely indoors is often going to have a somewhat different routine and probably a very different activity level than a tortoise kept outdoors under more natural conditions.
Many people feed their tortoises every day, some twice a day, other every other day. In a captive environment tortoises will usually adapt their routine to encompass food availability. Mine are all outdoors 24/7 from early May, sometime earlier, through mid to late October. From late October through early May many are indoors and overwintered. When outdoors mine get mounds of fresh weeds 3-4 times a week, it's almost always available to them scattered throughout their enclosures. When indoors they get fed every other day, on a plate, in the morning. Despite two very different environmental situations I have never seen any difference whatsoever in their behavior, health or anything else with this seasonal habitat change that I've put them through year after year.

Most species of tortoise seem to have built in mechanism that tells them to eat food when they see it regardless of whether or not they just ate recently. This is probably due to the fact, at least in temperate climates, which is where Hermann's are from in the wild, that different types and quantities of foods are available at different times of the seasons. In captivity tortoises that are kept way to warm, fed lots and lots of food constantly and not allowed enough room for normal activity will often become too fat. I've never seen a fat tortoise that was kept at correct temperatures for their species, fed a good quality varied diet and allowed lots of activity.

 

[natsamjosh]

I would feed much more variety than you listed and not feed tomato except very infrequently. Diet should consist of, but not be limited to: dandelion, plantain (broad & narrow leaf), sow thistle, purslane, clover, vetch and other various weeds along with endive, escarole, chicory, romaine and other greens. To ensure a good vitamin intake vegetables can be fed as about 25% of their regular diet to include, but again not limited to: squashes, pumpkin, sweet potato, some green and yellow beans, peas and occasionally corn. Fruits, including tomato should not be part of a Hermann's regular diet.

The key is quality and variety. While snakes are "packaged" food eaters, where they can get all of their nutrition in one type of meal, Hermann's and most other species of tortoises are browsers. They roam around searching for food, eating some here, moving on, eating some in another spot. In the wild this ensures them exposure to a variety of foods containing a variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Feeding schedule and how much an individual tortoise will consume is based very much on the environment that it's in. Basically speaking tortoises develop a daily routine based on light and heat. The duration and intensity of light along with the temperature dictate to them when it's time to come out from their shelter to bask, forage for food, mate etc... A tortoise kept solely indoors is often going to have a somewhat different routine and probably a very different activity level than a tortoise kept outdoors under more natural conditions.
Many people feed their tortoises every day, some twice a day, other every other day. In a captive environment tortoises will usually adapt their routine to encompass food availability. Mine are all outdoors 24/7 from early May, sometime earlier, through mid to late October. From late October through early May many are indoors and overwintered. When outdoors mine get mounds of fresh weeds 3-4 times a week, it's almost always available to them scattered throughout their enclosures. When indoors they get fed every other day, on a plate, in the morning. Despite two very different environmental situations I have never seen any difference whatsoever in their behavior, health or anything else with this seasonal habitat change that I've put them through year after year.

Most species of tortoise seem to have built in mechanism that tells them to eat food when they see it regardless of whether or not they just ate recently. This is probably due to the fact, at least in temperate climates, which is where Hermann's are from in the wild, that different types and quantities of foods are available at different times of the seasons. In captivity tortoises that are kept way to warm, fed lots and lots of food constantly and not allowed enough room for normal activity will often become too fat. I've never seen a fat tortoise that was kept at correct temperatures for their species, fed a good quality varied diet and allowed lots of activity.

Thanks for the reply. Just to be clear, the items I listed are what I've SEEN him eat. He's still quite shy and won't eat while I'm around. I've offered other food items, and the tomato was just one small piece, one time.

From what you described, I think I'm on the right track. My tort is in an outdoor enclosure where he has plenty of room to graze and exercise.

Not to get off topic, but imo snakes require variety as well, at least for optimal health. In the wild, they don't just eat fat captive/farm bred mice and rats.

Thanks for the information!
Ed