Hi everyone, I have just been to see the 2year old hermanns tortoise Im getting next friday (cant wait!) and the breeder has told me to feed him with dog food, boiled egg and strawberries and tomatoes alongside there normal greens? And that they must have a heat mat as well as a basking lamp? Is this all true? It doesnt sound right to me, I thought tortoises were herbivores? This is my first ever tortoise so I dont want to do anything wrong!
Really????
- Thread starter vmills84
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- Feb 14, 2013
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I am new and only second day with my Hermanns. So I am in no way qualified to give advice but I can say that you do not give them eggs or any other high protein food. Even strawberries (which I am sure is a nice treat) should be only on occasion. Many people seem to supplement with Mazurri Tortoise diet of equivalent. For the most part they eat greens and weeds and some vegies. I have been doing a lot of research on the foods this week. From what I have read if it's is going to be indoors...... No heatmat. Basking light at 95-100* ambient temp of 80 warm side and 70-75 cool side.. You also want a UVB producing light like a florescent tube type light. Or they make the ones that are uvb and heat together. This is some info i saved about Hermanns diets. You can also read the sticky on top of the Hermanns forum (care sheet).
I feed my Hermann's a diet consisting of about 80% varied, good quality greens and 20% varied, good quality vegetables. Fruit should not be part of their regular diet and is not required at all. If you want to feed your tortoise fruit do so very infrequently and sparingly.
Greens can consist of (but not limited to): Clover, vetch grasses, dandelion, broad and narrow leaf plantain, wild chicory and other wild plants along with grocery store greens including: chicory, endive, escarole, romaine, dandelion, watercress, mustard, turnip, beet and carrot greens, green and red leaf lettuce and smaller quantities of kale & spinach occasionally. Timothy, Bermuda and other dry hays can be offered 24/7 for your tortoise to browse on if desired.
Vegetables can consist of (again not limited to): pumpkin, squashes, yams, carrot, bell pepper (all colors) and sparingly; legumes such as green and yellow beans, peas, corn and more.
There are also several flowers and tree leaves that are edible for tortoises.
I do not use any vitamin supplements whatsoever and instead choose to feed as varied a diet as possible for my tortoises to consume the nutrients they need. I do offer calcium carbonate seperately 24/7 so that they can consume it as needed and do not coat their food with it. Mine also have hay available at all times to browse on as desired, even though they rarely do.
A truly complete list of foods really isn't possible since people in different areas have different food items available to them. Along with different beliefs on what is good and what isn't.
Hermann's are evolved to consume a very high fiber, low protein, low nutrion diet in the wild. Typically in captivity they get fed a diet that is larger in quantity and far more nutritious than they would encounter in the wild. Along with that in captivity they also encounter far less survival hardships than they would in the wild.
Hermann's torts should be fed lots of weeds and flowers, and also greens and the occasional pumpkin/squash.
Here's a list of good weeds to feed;
Dandelions (taraxacum officinale)
Broadleaf plantain (plantago major)
Ribwort plantain (plantago lanceolata)
Mallow (Malvaceae)
Hawk bit's (Leontodon)
Cat's ears (Hypochaeris radicata)
Hawk beards (Crepis)
Sowthistle (Sonchus)
Hawkweeds (Pictus)
Trefoil (Lotus-NOT the flower!)
Sedum (Sedum
Vetch (Vicina)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
Note: Honeysuckle is a favourite of hermann's tortoises and should be included as a regular part of their diet.
Flowers can be hibiscus, nasturtium, or gazanias. Rose can be included from time to time.
Greens can consist of Mediterranean Salad and Spring Mix.
Try to provide as much foods as possible from this (long) list. I know it seems like a lot, but your little hermy will be all the more happier for it. Remember, variety is key
I feed my Hermann's a diet consisting of about 80% varied, good quality greens and 20% varied, good quality vegetables. Fruit should not be part of their regular diet and is not required at all. If you want to feed your tortoise fruit do so very infrequently and sparingly.
Greens can consist of (but not limited to): Clover, vetch grasses, dandelion, broad and narrow leaf plantain, wild chicory and other wild plants along with grocery store greens including: chicory, endive, escarole, romaine, dandelion, watercress, mustard, turnip, beet and carrot greens, green and red leaf lettuce and smaller quantities of kale & spinach occasionally. Timothy, Bermuda and other dry hays can be offered 24/7 for your tortoise to browse on if desired.
Vegetables can consist of (again not limited to): pumpkin, squashes, yams, carrot, bell pepper (all colors) and sparingly; legumes such as green and yellow beans, peas, corn and more.
There are also several flowers and tree leaves that are edible for tortoises.
I do not use any vitamin supplements whatsoever and instead choose to feed as varied a diet as possible for my tortoises to consume the nutrients they need. I do offer calcium carbonate seperately 24/7 so that they can consume it as needed and do not coat their food with it. Mine also have hay available at all times to browse on as desired, even though they rarely do.
A truly complete list of foods really isn't possible since people in different areas have different food items available to them. Along with different beliefs on what is good and what isn't.
Hermann's are evolved to consume a very high fiber, low protein, low nutrion diet in the wild. Typically in captivity they get fed a diet that is larger in quantity and far more nutritious than they would encounter in the wild. Along with that in captivity they also encounter far less survival hardships than they would in the wild.
Hermann's torts should be fed lots of weeds and flowers, and also greens and the occasional pumpkin/squash.
Here's a list of good weeds to feed;
Dandelions (taraxacum officinale)
Broadleaf plantain (plantago major)
Ribwort plantain (plantago lanceolata)
Mallow (Malvaceae)
Hawk bit's (Leontodon)
Cat's ears (Hypochaeris radicata)
Hawk beards (Crepis)
Sowthistle (Sonchus)
Hawkweeds (Pictus)
Trefoil (Lotus-NOT the flower!)
Sedum (Sedum
Vetch (Vicina)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
Note: Honeysuckle is a favourite of hermann's tortoises and should be included as a regular part of their diet.
Flowers can be hibiscus, nasturtium, or gazanias. Rose can be included from time to time.
Greens can consist of Mediterranean Salad and Spring Mix.
Try to provide as much foods as possible from this (long) list. I know it seems like a lot, but your little hermy will be all the more happier for it. Remember, variety is key
vmills84 said:
You're right, they're herbivores. That breeder is an idiot. Dog food is one of the very worst things you can feed these little guys. Their bodies are not designed to digest stuff like that. It'll cause liver and kidney problems and because they're not properly digesting it, they'll get nutritional deficiencies. Its just bad all around.
Fruit is fine on occasion. They really like it. But overall, stick primarily to dark leafy greens. No meat, no dog food. As you said, they're herbivores.
Wow,hard to believe some so called 'breeder's can be that un-educated. Terrible,,poor little torts he's raising will have all sorts of trouble 
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