The Redfoot Tortoise
Geochelone carbonaria
Redfoot Tortoise Diet
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Redfoot tortoises are omnivorous. They consume both animal and plant material in the wild.
GREENS
Most grocery stores have a decent selection of greens that redfoot
tortoises readily eat. Ideally the greens should be organic and
pesticide free. However this is the real world and not all tortoise
keepers have access to "ideal" food. So, I have this section as a
starting point for a varied diet. The following greens are easily found
in my local stores:
Romaine lettuce
Red and green leaf lettuce
Endive
Escarole
Chicory
Radicchio
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Kale
Collards
Spring Mix (mixed salad greens)
cabbage (on occasion)
VEGETABLES
Yellow squash
Zucchini
Winter squash
Pumpkin
Carrots (on occasion)
Green Beans (on occasion)
FRUIT
Papaya
Mangos
Apples (be sure there are no seeds)
Strawberries
Blackberries
Cactus fruit
Tomatoes
OTHER GOOD CHOICES
Some other favorites of my tortoises that are available:
Hibiscus (flowers and leaves)
Opuntia cactus pads
Hosta
Sedum
Mulberry leaves
Hen and Chicks
Ice Plants
Prickly pear flowers, fruit and pads (burn the spines off)
Dandelion
Plantain (not the banana type fruit....the weed plantago major)
Mallow (flowers and leaves)
Henbit
Rose (flowers and leaves....make sure no systemic pesticides were
used)
Chrysanthemum flowers
Cornflowers Plagiobothrys
ssp
Forsythia (flowers and leaves)
Dayflower
Commelina diffusa
(flowers and leaves)
Californian Poppy
escholzia
Make sure all are pesticide and herbicide free.
MEAT etc.
In the wild redfoot tortoises eat a variety of animal matter
including carrion. Redfoot tortoises fed exclusively a plant based diet
frequently develop hind leg paralysis. They also have low fertility and
hatchlings often fail to thrive. It is often recommended to feed them
low fat cat food as often as every other feeding. I have found this to
be unnecessary and a contributing factor in pyramiding.
My approach is to feed pre-killed pinkies (new born mice), shrimp, chicken, organ meat, boiled eggs etc. Once a month when outside. Here in South Carolina there is an abundance of worms, slugs, pill bugs and other bugs in their pen. My tortoises feed on them on a regular basis. In the winter bugs are less plentiful so I feed animal protein every other week
For the torts I keep indoors over the winter, I also feed Butterworms (extremely high in calcium and great for hatchlings) and superworms.
With the above one can
develop a good diet. Once again (and I can't stress this enough) variety
is the key!
Don't feed the same food day in and day out. Mix varieties and choose a
different green as the basis every few days.
AVOID
The following food items should be avoided for a variety of reasons.
there are many books and groups that go into great detail...so I won't
repeat them here. At the end of the page are a few links).
Iceberg lettuce
Bok Choy
All grains (including bread, pasta etc)
All human food except what's been listed as "good"
Pellet type foods (An often
overlooked factor of pyramiding is grain based diets. These are the
pellet food that some claim to be essential to health. They typically
contain soy, wheat and or rice. These are high in omega 6 fatty acids
which has a negative effect on health. They also have an acidifying
effect which causes a leaching of bone. They are high in phytate which
binds calcium and other minerals. They also have an unfavorable ca/ph
ratio and a low ca/mg ratio which has a negative impact on calcium
metabolism. Grains alter Vit D metabolism. Diets high in grains can have
a negative impact on bone growth in spite of adequate exposure to
sunshine.
(http://www.sawellnesscenter.com//nutrition/Diet/Cereal%20article-1.pdf)
ANTI-NUTRIENTS
A number of food items contain chemicals that interfere with a tortoises
ability to absorb nutrients from food. Although most food items have
some of these...a varied diet can minimize the harmful effects.
(more info can be found at
Cornell University Poisonous Plants Informational Database)
Oxalic Acid:
This is a naturally occurring element in many plants and imparts a
bitter taste in greens such as mustard greens. This substance binds
minerals...
the most important being calcium. It binds with minerals which must be
eliminated through the kidneys. In large amounts (or in small quantities
with improper hydration) can lead to kidney stones and kidney damage.
Avoid
rhubarb and beet greens....limit (don't eliminate) spinach,
Phytic Acid:
This is found in high concentration is peas, beans and cereals. This
chemical also binds minerals as well as proteins.
Tannins:
Although tannins are beneficial for the most part, in large quantities
(as with all anti-nutrients) they bind protein and interfere with
digestion.
Purines:
Purines are well known in humans as being a contributing factor in gout.
Redfoot tortoises fed large amounts can develop kidney disease.
Goitrogens:
This compound is implicated in the development of enlarged thyroid
glands (Goiters). They interfere with the uptake of iodine. Some eperts
believe that all the Brassicae family should be avoided like the plague
due to this.
Limit
(don't eliminate) the quantities of
kale,
mustard, and other cruciferous plants.
SUPPLEMENTS
One of the most important supplements is calcium. If there is a good source of UVB as with tortoises kept outdoors, a light dusting of the food with calcium daily is sufficient. Indoors use phosphorous free calcium with D3. Minerall is a great product with trace minerals as well as calcium. The main problem with using calcium powders is using too much. This can lead to bladder stones and dehydration. Calcium powders can also interfere with absorption of other minerals such as zinc.
My preferred method for supplying calcium is to feed high calcium food, keep cuttlebone with them at all times and dust food with the TNT® Supplement from Carolina Pet Supply. This is a nutritionally balanced formula which provides the vitamins and minerals that or often lacking in the captive diet. It’s formulated from a variety of dehydrated and powdered flowers and weeds.
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Even at 2 months old they enjoy cuttlebone
They also have wide variety of organic seeds, powdered hibiscus flowers (Roselle) and cactus powder (Opuntia). Both are a natural source of vitamins and minerals.
Also of use is probiotics. Most of our animals come to us with abundance of parasites and disturbed gut flora (the good bacteria that live in the intestines). Supplementing with probiotics goes a long way to restoring normal gut function. iFlora from Sedona Labs is one of the best probiotics used for reptiles.
WATER
Water is very important for all animals. redfoot tortoise are no exception to the rule. I keep a shallow bowel of water in the pens. I also flood the pen on a regular basis. They thoroughly enjoy the mud puddle that the flooding causes.
Indoors I prefer to use one of those automatic waterers used for dogs. I soak them for 20 minutes in "baby warm" water every 2-3 days. This serves 2 purposes. It allows me to inspect them frequently and (since they usually empty their bowels and bladders while soaking) it keeps the cages much cleaner.
Here are some good links:
USDA NUTRIENT DATA LABORATORY
Oxalic Acid Content of Selected Vegetables
Wild Edible
Plant Nutrition
Chemical
Composition of Plants
Plants For A Future - Database Search
University of California weeds
Yahoo! Groups : chelonian_nutrition`
Toxic and Poisonous Plants and Flowers
This Canadian site list poisonous and problem plants. Click on the Latin name for a description.
For help with growing plants for your tortoise, join The Veggie Patch
